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*A*    V 

<  w 


"She  held  up  the  trap,  and  I  descended  into  the  hole  that  answered 
the  purpose  of  a  cellar." — l^iie  Chainbearer,  page  284. 


THE  CHAINBEARER 


OR 


THE  LITTLEPAGE  MANUSCRIPTS 


BY 

J.   FENIMORE    COOPER 


1 0  bid  our  vain  endeavors  cease, 
Revive  the  just  designs  of  Greece; 
Return  in  all  thy  simple  state, 
Confirm  the  tale  her  sons  relate." 

COLLINS 


NEW   YORK 

JOHN   W.   LOVELL    COMPANY 
150  WORTH  STREET,  CORNER  MISSION  PLACE 


,uoaiy,UC  Santa  Cruz  1995 


TROWS 

MINTING  AND  BOOKBINDING  COMPANY, 
NEW  YORK. 


PREFACE. 


THE  plot  has  thickened  in  the  few  short  months  that 
have  intervened  since  the  appearance  of  the  first  portion 
of  our  Manuscripts,  and  bloodshed  has  come  to  deepen  the 
stain  left  on  the  country  by  the  widespread  and  bold  as- 
sertion of  false  principles.  This  must  long  since  have 
been  foreseen  ;  and  it  is  perhaps  a  subject  of  just  felicita- 
tion, that  the  violence  which  has  occurred  was  limited  to 
the  loss  of  a  single  life,  when  the  chances  were,  and  still 
are,  that  it  will  extend  to  civil  war.  That  portions  of  the 
community  have  behaved  nobly  under  this  sudden  out- 
break of  a  lawless  and  unprincipled  conbination  to  rob,  is 
undeniable,  and  ought  to  be  dwelt  on  with  gratitude  and 
an  honest  pride  ;  that  the  sense  of  right  of  much  the 
larger  portion  of  the  country  has  been  deeply  wounded,  is 
equally  true  ;  that  justice  has  been  aroused,  and  is  at  this 
moment  speaking  in  tones  of  authority  to  the  offenders, 
is  beyond  contradiction  ;  but,  while  all  this  is  admitted, 
and  admitted  not  altogether  without  hope,  yet  are  there 
grounds  for  fear,  so  reasonable  and  strong,  that  no  writer 
who  is  faithful  to  the  real  interests  of  his  country  ought, 
for  a  single  moment,  to  lose  sight  of  them. 

High  authority,  in  one  sense,  or  that  of  political  power, 
has  pronounced  the  tenure  of  a  durable  lease  to  be  op- 
posed to  the  spirit  of  the  institutions  !  Yet  these  tenures 
existed  when  the  institutions  were  formed,  and  one  of  the 
provisions  of  the  institutions  themselves  guarantees  the 
observance  of  the  covenants  under  which  the  tenures  ex- 
ist. It  would  have  been  far  wiser,  and  much  nearer  to  the 
truth,  had  those  who  coveted  their  neighbors'  goods  been 
told  that,  in  their  attempts  to  subvert  and  destroy  the 
tenures  in  question,  they  were  opposing  a  solemn  and  fun- 
damental provision  of  law,  and  in  so  much  opposing  the 
institutions.  The  capital  error  is  becoming  prevalent, 
which  holds  the  pernicious  doctrine  that  this  is  a  govern- 


4  PREFA  CE. 

ment  of  men,  instead  of  one  of  principles.  Whenever  this 
error  shall  so  far  come  to  a  head  as  to  get  to  be  paramount 
in  action,  the  well-disposed  may  sit  down  and  mourn  over, 
not  only  the  liberties  of  their  country,  but  over  its  justice 
and  its  morals,  even  should  men  be  nominally  so  free  as  to 
do  just  what  they  please. 

As  the  Littlepage  Manuscripts  advance,  we  find  them 
becoming  more  and  more  suited  to  the  times  in  which  we 
live.  There  is  an  omission  of  one  generation,  however, 
owing  to  the  early  death  of  Mr.  Malbone  Littlepage,  who 
left  an  only  son  to  succeed  him.  This  son  has  felt  it  to 
be  a  duty  to  complete  the  series  by  an  addition  from  his 
own  pen.  Without  this  addition,  we  should  never  obtain 
views  of  Satanstoe,  Lilacsbush,  Ravensnest,  and  Moose- 
ridge,  in  their  present  aspect  ;  while  with  it  we  may  possi- 
bly obtain  glimpses  that  will  prove  not  only  amusing  but 
instructive. 

There  is  one  point  on  which,  as  editor  of  these  Manu- 
scripts, we  desire  to  say  a  word.  It  is  thought  by  a  por- 
tion of  our  readers,  that  the  first  Mr.  Littlepage  who  has 
written,  Cornelius  of  that  name,  has  manifested  an  undue 
asperity  on  the  subject  of  the  New  England  character. 
Our  reply  to  this  charge  is  as  follows  :  In  the  first  place, 
we  do  not  pretend  to  be  answerable  for  all  the  opinions  of 
those  whose  writings  are  submitted  to  our  supervision, 
any  more  than  we  should  be  answerable  for  all  the  con- 
tradictory characters,  impulses,  and  opinions  that  might 
be  exhibited  in  a  representation  of  fictitious  characters, 
purely  of  our  own  creation.  That  the  Littlepages  enter- 
tained New  York  notions,  and,  if  the  reader  will,  New 
York  prejudices,  maybe  true  enough  ;  but  in  pictures  of 
this  sort,  even  prejudices  become  facts  that  ought  not  to 
be  altogether  kept  down.  Then,  New  England  has  long 
since  anticipated  her  revenge,  glorifying  herself  and  un- 
derrating her  neighbors  in  a  way  that,  in  our  opinion, 
fully  justifies  those  who  possess  a  little  Dutch  blood  in  ex- 
pressing their  sentiments  on  the  subject.  Those  who  give 
so  freely  should  know  how  to  take  a  little  in  return  ;  and 
that  more  especially,  when  there  is  nothing  very  direct  or 
personal  in  the  hits  they  receive.  For  ourselves,  we  have 
not  a  drop  of  Dutch  or  New  England  blood  in  our  veins, 
and  only  appear  as  a  bottle-holder  to  one  of  the  parties  in 
this  set-to.  If  we  have  recorded  what  the  Dutchman  says 
of  the  Yankee,  we  have  also  recorded  what  the  Yankee 
says,  and  that  with  no  particular  hesitation,  of  the  Dutch- 


PREFA  CE.  5 

man.  We  know  that  these  feelings  are  by-gones  ;  but  our 
Manuscripts,  thus  far,  have  referred  exclusively  to  the 
times  in  which  they  certainly  existed,  and  that,  too,  in  a 
force  quite  as  great  as  they  are  here  represented  to  be. 

We  go  a  little  farther.  In  our  judgment  the  false  prin- 
ciples that  are  to  be  found  in  a  large  portion  of  the  edu- 
cated classes,  on  the  subject  of  the  relation  between  land- 
lord and  tenant,  are  to  be  traced  to  the  provincial  notions 
of  those  who  have  received  their  impressions  from  a  state 
of  society  in  which  no  such  relations  exist.  The  danger 
from  the  anti-rent  doctrines  is  most  to  be  apprehended 
from  these  false  principles  ;  the  misguided  and  impotent 
beings  who  have  taken  the  field  in  the  literal  sense,  not 
being  a  fourth  part  as  formidable  to  the  right  as  those 
who  have  taken  it  in  the  moral.  There  is  not  a  particle 
more  of  reason  in  the  argument  which  says  that  there 
should  be  no  farmers,  in  the  strict  meaning  of  the  term, 
than  there  would  be  in  that  which  said  there  should  be  no 
journeymen  connected  with  the  crafts  ;  though  it  would 
not  be  easy  to  find  a  man  to  assert  the  latter  doctrine.  We 
dare  say,  if  there  did  happen  to  exist  a  portion  of  the 
country  in  which  the  mechanics  were  all  "bosses,"  it 
would  strike  those  who  dwelt  in  such  a  state  of  society, 
that  it  would  be  singularly  improper  and  anti-republican 
for  any  man  to  undertake  jourrieywork. 

On  this  subject  we  shall  only  add  one  word.  The  col- 
umn of  society  must  have  its  capital  as  well  as  its  base.  It 
is  only  perfect  while  each  part  is  entire,  and  discharges  its 
proper  duty.  In  New  York  the  great  landholders  long 
have,  and  do  still,  in  a  social  sense,  occupy  the  place  of 
the  capital.  On  the  supposition  that  this  capital  is  broken 
and  hurled  to  the  ground,  of  what  material  will  be  the 
capital  that  must  be  pushed  into  its  place  !  We  know  of 
none  half  so  likely  to  succeed,  as  the  country  extortioner 
and  the  country  usurer !  We  would  caution  those  who 
now  raise  the  cry  of  feudality  and  aristocracy,  to  have  a 
care  of  what  they  are  about.  In  lieu  of  King  Log,  they 
may  be  devoured  by  King  Stork. 


THE    CHAINBEARER. 


CHAPTER  I. 

"  The  steady  brain,  the  sinewy  limb, 
To  leap,  to  climb,  to  dive,  to  swim  : 
The  iron  frame,  inured  to  bear 
Each  dire  inclemency  of  air  ; 
Nor  less  confirmed  to  undergo 
Fatigue's  faint  chill,  and  famine's  throe." — Rockeby. 

MY  father  was  Cornelius  Littlepage,  of  Satanstoe,  in  the 
County  of  Westchester,  and  State  of  New  York  ;  and  my 
mother  was  Anneke  Mordaunt,  of  Lilacsbush,  a  place  long 
known  by  that  name,  which  still  stands  near  Kingsbridge, 
but  on  the  Island  of  Manhattan,  and  consequently  in  one 
of  the  wards  of  New  York,  though  quite  eleven  miles  from 
town.  I  shall  suppose  that  my  readers  know  the  difference 
between  the  Island  of  Manhattan  and  Manhattan  Island  ; 
though  I  have  found  soi-disant  Manhattanese,  of  mature 
years,  but  of  alien  birth,  who  had  to  be  taught  it.  Lilacs- 
bush,  I  repeat  therefore,  was  on  the  Island  of  Manhattan, 
eleven  miles  from  town,  though  in  the  City  of  New  York, 
and  not  on  Manhattan  Island. 

Of  iny  progenitors  further  back,  I  do  not  conceive  it 
necessary  to  say  much.  They  were  partly  of  English,  and 
partly  of  Low  Dutch  extraction,  as  is  apt  to  be  the  case 
with  those  who  come  of  New  York  families  of  any  standing 
in  the  colony.  I  retain  tolerably  distinct  impressions  of 
both  of  my  grandfathers,  an,d  of  one  of  my  grandmothers ; 
my  mother's  mother  having  died  long  before  my  own 
parents  were  married. 

Of  my  maternal  grandfather,  I  know  very  little,  how- 
ever, he  having  died  while  I  was  quite  young,  and  before  I 
had  seen  much  of  him.  He  paid  the  great  debt  of  nature 
in  England,  whither  he  had  gone  on  a  visit  to  a  relative,  a 
Sir  Something  Bulstrode,  who  had  been  in  the  colonies 


8  THE  CHAINBEAREK. 

himself,  and  who  was  a  great  favorite  with  Herman  Mor- 
daunt,  as  my  mother's  parent  was  universally  called  in  New 
York.  My  father  often  said  it  was  perhaps  fortunate  in 
one  respect  that  his  father-in-law  died  as  he  did,  since  he 
had  no  doubt  he  would  have  certainly  taken  sides  with  the 
crown  in  the  quarrel  that  soon  after  occurred,  in  which 
case  it  is  probable  his  estates,  or  those  which  were  my 
mother's,  and  are  now  mine,  would  have  shared  the  fate  of 
those  of  the  De  Lanceys,  of  the  Philipses,  of  some  of  the 
Van  Cortlandts,  of  the  Floyds,  of  the  Joneses,  and  of 
various  others  of  the  heavy  families,  who  remained  loyal, 
as  it  was  called  ;  meaning  loyalty  to  a  prince,  and  not  loy- 
alty to  the  land  of  their  nativity.  It  is  hard  to  say  which 
were  right,  in  such  a  quarrel,  if  we  look  at  the  opinions 
and  prejudices  of  the  times,  though  the  Littlepages  to  a 
man,  which  means  only  my  father  and  grandfather,  and 
self,  took  sides  with  the  country.  In  the  way  of  self-in- 
terest, it  ought  to  be  remarked,  however,  that  the  wealthy 
American  who  opposed  the  crown  showed  much  the  most 
disinterestedness,  inasmuch  as  the  chances  of  being  sub- 
dued were  for  a  long  time  very  serious,  while  the  certainty 
of  confiscation,  not  to  say  of  being  hanged,  was  sufficiently 
well  established,  in  the  event  of  failure.  But  my  paternal 
grandfather  was  what  was  called  a  whig,  of  the  high  caste. 
He  was  made  a  brigadier  in  the  militia,  in  1776,  and  was 
actively  employed  in  the  great  campaign  of  the  succeeding 
year — that  in  which  Burgoyne  was  captured,  as  indeed  was 
my  father,  who  held  the  rank  of  lieutenant-colonel  in  the 
New  York  line.  There  was  also  a  Major  Dirck  Van  Vol- 
kenburgh,  or  Pollock,  as  he  was  usually  called,  in  the  same 
regiment  with  my  father,  who  was  a  sworn  friend.  This 
Major  Pollock  was  an  old  bachelor,  and  he  lived  quite  as 
much  in  my  father's  house  as  he  did  in  his  own  ;  his  proper 
residence  being  across  the  river,  in  Rockland.  My  mother 
had  a  friend,  as  well  as  my  father,  in  the  person  of  Miss 
Mary  Wallace  ;  a  single  lady,  well  turned  of  thirty  at  the 
commencement  of  the  revolution.  Miss  Wallace  was  quite 
at  ease  in  her  circumstances,  but  she  lived  altogether  at 
Lilacsbush,  never  having  any  other  home,  unless  it  might 
be  at  our  house  in  town. 

We  were  very  proud  of  the  brigadier,  both  on  account 
of  his  rank  and  on  account  of  his  services.  He  actually 
commanded  in  one  expedition  against  the  Indians  during 
the  revolution,  a  service  in  which  he  had  some  experience, 
having  been  out  on  it,  on  various  occasions,  previously  to 


THE  CtfAlNBEARER.  g 

the  great  struggle  for  independence.  It  was  in  one  of 
these  early  expeditions  of  the  latter  war  that  he  first  dis- 
tinguished himself,  being  then  under  the  orders  of  a  Col- 
onel Broin  Follock,  who  was  the  father  of  Major  Dirck  of 
the  same  name,  and  who  was  almost  as  great  a  friend  of 
my  grandfather  as  the  son  was  of  my  own  parent.  This 
Colonel  Brom  loved  a  carouse,  and  I  have  heard  it  said 
that,  getting  among  the  High  Dutch  on  the  Mohawk,  he 
kept  it  up  for  a  week,  with  little  or  no  intermission,  under 
circumstances  that  involved  much  military  negligence. 
The  result  was,  that  a  party  of  Canada  Indians  made  an 
inroad  on  his  command,  and  the  old  colonel,  who  was  as 
bold  as  a  lion,  and  as  drunk  as  a  lord,  though  why  lords 
are  supposed  to  be  particularly  inclined  to  drink  I  never 
could  tell,  was  both  shot  down  and  scalped  early  one  morn- 
ing as  he  was  returning  from  an  adjacent  tavern  to  his 
quarters  in  the  "garrison,"  where  he  was  stationed.  My 
grandfather  nobly  revenged  his  death,  scattered  to  the  four 
winds  the  invading  party,  and  recovered  the  mutilated 
body  of  his  friend,  though  the  scalp  was  irretrievably  lost. 
General  Littlepage  did  not  survive  the  war,  though  it 
was  not  his  good  fortune  to  die  on  the  field,  thus  identify- 
ing his  name  with  the  history  of  his  country.  It  happens 
in  all  wars,  and  most  especially  did  it  often  occur  in  our 
own  great  national  struggle,  that  more  soldiers  lay  down 
their  lives  in  the  hospitals  than  on  the  field  of  battle, 
though  the  shedding  of  blood  seems  an  indispensable  req- 
uisite to  glory  of  this  nature  ;  an  ungrateful  posterity 
taking  little  heed  of  the  thousands  who  pass  into  another 
state  of  being,  the  victims  of  exposure  and  camp  diseases, 
to  sound  the  praises  of  the  hundreds  who  are  slain  amid 
the  din  of  battle.  Yet,  it  may  be  questioned  if  it  do  not 
require  more  true  courage  to  face  death,  when  he  ap- 
proaches in  the  invisible  form  of  disease,  than  to  meet  him 
when  openly  arrayed  under  the  armed  hand.  My  grand- 
father's conduct  in  remaining  in  camp,  among  hundreds  of 
those  who  had  the  small-pox,  the  loathsome  malady  of 
which  he  died,  was  occasionally  alluded  to,  it  is  true,  but 
never  in  the  manner  the  death  of  an  officer  of  his  rank 
would  have  been  mentioned,  had  he  fallen  in  battle.  I 
could  see  that  Major  Follock  had  an  honorable  pride  in 
the  fate  of  his  father,  who  was  slain  and  scalped  by  the 
enemy  in  returning  from  a  drunken  carouse,  while  my 
worthy  parent  ever  referred  to  the  death  of  the  brigadier 
as  an  event  to  be  deplored,  rather  than  exulted  in.  Fot 


10  THE  CHAINBEARER. 

my  own  part,  I  think  my  grandfather's  end  was  much  the 
most  creditable  of  the  two  ;  but,  as  such,  it  will  never  be 
viewed  by  the  historian  or  the  country.  As  for  historians, 
it  requires  a  man  to  be  singularly  honest  to  write  against 
a  prejudice  ;  and  it  is  so  much  easier  to  celebrate  a  deed 
as  it  is  imagined  than  as  it  actually  occurred,  that  I  ques- 
tion if  we  know  the  truth  of  a  tenth  part  of  the  exploits 
about  which  we  vapor,  and  in  which  we  fancy  we  glory. 
Well  !  we  are  taught  to  believe  that  the  time  will  come 
when  all  things  are  to  be  seen  in  their  true  colors,  and 
when  men  and  deeds  will  be  known  as  they  actually  were, 
rather  than  as  they  have  been  recorded  in  the  pages  of 
history. 

I  was  too  young  myself  to  take  much  part  in  the  war  of 
the  revolution,  though  accident  made  me  an  eye-witness 
of  some  of  its  most  important  events,  and  that  at  the  tender 
age  of  fifteen.  At  twelve — the  American  intellect  ever  was 
and  continues  to  be  singularly  precocious — I  was  sent  to 
Nassau  Hall,  Princeton,  to  be  educated,  and  I  remained 
there  until  I  finally  got  a  degree,  though  it  was  not 
without  several  long  and  rude  interruptions  of  my  studies. 
Although  so  early  sent  to  college,  I  did  not  actually  grad- 
uate until  I  was  nineteen,  the  troubled  times  requiring 
nearly  twice  as  long  a  servitude  to  make  a  Bachelor  of  Arts 
of  me  as  would  have  been  necessary  in  the  more  halcyon 
days  of  peace.  Thus  I  made  a  fragment  of  a  campaign 
when  only  a  sophomore,  and  another  the  first  year  I  was 
junior.  I  say  the  first  year,  because  I  was  obliged  to  pass 
two  years  in  each  of  the  two  higher  classes  of  the  institu- 
tion, in  order  to  make  up  for  lost  time.  A  youth  cannot 
very  well  be  campaigning  and  studying  Euclid  in  the 
academic  bowers,  at  the  same  moment.  Then  I  was  so 
young,  that  a  year,  more  or  less,  was  of  no  great  moment. 

My  principal  service  in  the  war  of  the  revolution  was  in 
1777,  or  in  the  campaign  in  which  Burgoyne  was  met  and 
captured.  That  important  service  was  performed  by  a 
lorce  that  was  composed  partly  of  regular  troops,  and 
partly  of  militia.  My  grandfather  commanded  a  brigade 
of  the  last,  or  what  was  called  a  brigade,  some  six  hun- 
dred men  at  most ;  while  my  father  led  a  regular  battalion 
of  one  hundred  and  sixty  troops  of  the  New  York  line 
into  the  German  intrenchments,  the  memorable  and  bloody 
day  the  last  were  stormed.  How  many  he  brought  out  I 
never  heard  him  say.  The  way  in  which  I  happened  to  be 
present  in  these  important  scenes  is  soon  told. 


THE  CHAINBEARE&  l\ 

Lilacsbush  being  on  the  Island  of  Manhattan  (not  Man- 
hattan Island,  be  it  always  remembered),  and  our  family 
being  whig,  we  were  driven  from  both  our  town  and  coun- 
try houses  the  moment  Sir  William  Howe  took  possession 
of  New  York.  At  first  my  mother  was  content  with  merely 
going  to  Satanstoe,  which  was  only  a  short  distance 
from  the  enemy's  lines  ;  but  the  political  character  of  the 
Littlepages  being  too  well  established  to  render  this  a  safe 
residence,  my  grandmother  and  mother,  always  accom- 
panied by  Miss  Wallace,  went  up  above  the  Highlands, 
where  they  established  themselves  in  the  village  of  Fish- 
kill  for  the  remainder  of  the  war,  on  a  farm  that  belonged 
to  Miss  Wallace  in  fee.  Here  it  was  thought  they  were 
safe,  being  seventy  miles  from  the  capital,  and  quite  within 
the  American  lines.  As  this  removal  took  place  at  the 
close  of  the  year  1776,  and  after  independence  had  been 
declared,  it  was  understood  that  our  return  to  our  proper 
homes  at  all,  depended  on  the  result  of  the  war.  At  that 
time  I  was  a  sophomore,  and  at  home  in  the  long  vacation. 
It  was  in  this  visit  that  I  made  my  fragment  of  a  cam- 
paign, accompanying  my  father  through  all  the  closing 
movements  of  his  regiment,  while  Washington  and  Howe 
were  manoeuvring  in  Westchester.  My  father's  battalion 
happening  to  be  posted  in  such  a  manner  as  to  be  in  the 
centre  of  the  battle  at  White  Plains,  I  had  an  opportunity 
of  seeing  some  pretty  serious  service  on  that  occasion. 
Nor  did  I  quit  the  army  and  return  to  my  studies,  until 
after  the  brilliant  affairs  at  Trenton  and  Princeton,  in  both 
of  which  our  regiment  participated. 

This  was  a  pretty  early  commencement  with  the  things 
of  active  life  for  a  boy  of  fourteen.  But  in  that  war,  lads 
of  my  age  often  carried  muskets,  for  the  colonies  covered 
a  great  extent  of  country,  and  had  but  few  people.  They 
who  read  of  the  war  of  the  American  revolution,  and  view 
its  campaigns  and  battles  as  they  would  regard  the  con- 
flicts of  older  and  more  advanced  nations,  can  form  no 
just  notion  of  the  disadvantages  with  which  our  people 
had  to  contend,  or  the  great  superiority  of  the  enemy  in 
all  the  usual  elements  of  military  force.  Without  ex- 
perienced officers,  with  but  few  and  indifferent  arms,  often 
in  want  of  ammunition,  the  rural  and  otherwise  peaceful 
population  of  a  thinly  peopled  country  were  brought  in 
conflict  with  the  chosen  warriors  of  Europe  ;  and  this,  too, 
with  little  or  none  of  that  great  sinew  of  war,  money,  to 
sustain  them.  Nevertheless  the  Americans,  unaided  by 


iw  THE  CHAINBEARER. 

any  foreign  skill  or  succor,  were  about  as  often  successful 
as  the  reverse.  Bunker  Hill,  Bennington,  Saratoga,  Bhe- 
mis's  Heights,  Trenton,  Princeton,  Monmouth,  were  all 
purely  American  battles  ;  to  say  nothing  of  divers  others 
that  occurred  farther  south  :  and  though  insignificant  as 
to  numbers,  compared  with  the  conflicts  of  these  later 
times,  each  is  worthy  of  a  place  in  history,  and  one  or  two 
are  almost  without  parallels  ;  as  is  seen  when  Bunker  Hill 
be  named.  It  sounds  very  well  in  a  dispatch,  to  swell  out 
the  list  of  an  enemy's  ranks  ;  but  admitting  the  number 
itself  not  to  be  overrated,  as  so  often  occurred,  of  what 
avail  are  men  without  arms  and  ammunition,  and  fre- 
quently without  any  other  military  organization  than  a 
muster-roll ! 

I  have  said  I  made  nearly  the  whole  of  the  campaign  in 
which  Burgoyne  was  taken.  It  happened  in  this  wise. 
The  service  of  the  previous  year  had  a  good  deal  indis- 
posed me  to  study,  and  when  again  at  home  in  the  autumn 
vacation,  my  dear  mother  sent  me  with  clothing  and  sup- 
plies to  my  father,  who  was  with  the  army  at  the  north. 
I  reached  the  headquarters  of  General  Gates  a  week 
before  the  affair  of  Bhemis's  Heights,  and  was  with  my 
father  until  the  capitulation  was  completed.  Owing  to 
these  circumstances,  though  still  a  boy  in  years,  I  was  an 
eye-witness,  and  in  some  measure  an  actor  in  t\vo  or  three 
of  the  most  important  events  in  the  wrhole  war.  Being 
well  grown  for  my  years,  and  of  a  somewhat  manly  appear- 
ance, considering  how  young  I  really  was,  I  passed  very 
well  as  a  volunteer,  being,  I  have  reason  to  think,  some- 
what of  a  favorite  in  the  regiment.  In  the  last  battle,  I 
had  the  honor  to  act  as  a  sort  of  aide-de-camp  to  my  grand- 
father, who  sent  me  with  orders  and  messages  two  or  three 
times  into  the  midst  of  the  fire.  In  this  manner  I  made 
myself  a  little  known,  and  all  so  much  the  more  from  the 
circumstance  of  my  being  in  fact  nothing  but  a  college 
lad,  away  from  his  alma  mater  during  vacation. 

It  was  but  natural  that  a  boy  thus  situated  should  attract 
some  little  attention,  and  I  was  noticed  by  officers,  who, 
under  other  circumstances,  would  hardly  have  felt  it  nec- 
essary to  go  out  of  their  way  to  speak  to  me.  The  Little- 
pages  had  stood  well,  I  have  reason  to  think,  in  the  colony, 
and  their  position  in  the  new  state  was  not  likely  to  be  at  all 
lowered  by  the  part  they  were  now  playing  in  the  revolu- 
tion. I  am  far  from  certain  that  General  Littlepage  was 
considered  a  corner-post  in  the  Temple  of  Freedom  that 


THE  CHAIN-BEARER.  13 

the  army  was  endeavoring  to  rear,  but  he  was  quite  re- 
spectable as  a  militia  officer,  while  my  father  was  very 
generally  admitted  to  be  one  of  the  best  lieutenants- 
colonel  in  the  whole  army. 

I  well  remember  to  have  been  much  struck  with  a  cap- 
tain in  my  father's  regiment,  who  certainly  was  a  char- 
acter, in  his  way.  His  origin  was  Dutch,  as  was  the  case 
with  a  fair  proportion  of  the  officers,  and  he  bore  the  name 
of  Andries  Coejemans,  though  he  was  universally  known 
by  the  sobriquet  of  the  "  Chainbearer."  It  was  fortunate 
for  him  it  was  so,  else  would  the  Yankees  in  the  camp,  who 
seem  to  have  a  mania  to  pronounce  every  word  as  it  is 
spelled,  and  having  succeeded  in  this,  to  change  the  spell- 
ing of  the  whole  language  to  accommodate  it  to  certain 
sounds  of  their  own  inventing,  would  have  given  him  a 
most  unpronounceable  appellation.  Heaven  only  knows 
what  they  would  have  called  Captain  Coejemans,  but  for 
this  lucky  nickname  ;  but  it  may  be  as  well  to  let  the  un- 
initiated understand  at  once,  that  in  New  York  parlance, 
Coejemans  is  called  Queemans.  The  Chainbearer  was  of 
a  respectable  Dutch  family,  one  that  has  even  given  its 
queer-looking  name  to  a  place  of  some  little  note  on  the 
Hudson  ;  but,  as  was  very  apt  to  be  the  case  with  the 
cadets  of  such  houses,  in  the  good  old  time  of  the  colony, 
his  education  was  no  great  matter.  His  means  had  once 
been  respectable,  but,  as  he  always  maintained,  he  was 
cheated  out  of  his  substance  by  a  Yankee  before  he  was 
three-and-twenty,  and  he  had  recourse  to  surveying  for  a 
living  from  that  time.  But  Andries  had  no  head  for  math- 
ematics, and  after  making  one  or  two  notable  blunders  in 
the  way  of  his  new  profession,  he  quietly  sunk  to  the  sta- 
tion of  a  chainbearer,  in  which  capacity  he  was  known  to 
all  the  leading  men  of  his  craft  in  the  colony.  It  is  said 
that  every  man  is  suited  to  some  pursuit  or  other,  in  which 
he  might  acquire  credit,  would  he  only  enter  on  it  and 
persevere.  Thus  it  proved  to  be  with  Andries  Coejemans. 
As  a  chainbearer  he  had  an  unrivalled  reputation.  Humble 
as  was  the  occupation,  it  admitted  of  excellence  in  various 
particulars,  as  well  as  another.  In  the  first  place,  it  re- 
quired honesty,  a  quality  in  which  this  class  of  men  can 
fail,  as  well  as  all  the  rest  of  mankind.  Neither  colony 
nor  patentee,  landlord  nor  tenant,  buyer  nor  seller,  need 
be  uneasy  about  being  fairly  dealt  by  so  long  as  Andries 
Coejemans  held  the  forward  end  of  the  chain  ;  a  duty  ou 
which  he  was  invariably  placed  by  one  party  or  the  other. 


I4  THE  CHAINBEARER. 

Then,  a  practical  eye  was  a  great  aid  to  positive  measure* 
ment  ;  and  while  Andries  never  swerved  to  the  right  or  to 
the  left  of  his  course,  having  acquired  a  sort  of  instinct  in 
his  calling,  much  time  and  labor  were  saved.  In  addition 
to  these  advantages,  the  "  Chainbearer "  had  acquired 
great  skill  in  all  the  subordinate  matters  of  his  calling. 
He  was  a  capital  woodman,  generally  ;  had  become  a  good 
hunter,  and  had  acquired  most  of  the  habits  that  pursuits 
like  those  in  which  he  was  engaged  for  so  many  years  pre- 
viously  to  entering  the  army,  would  be  likely  to  give  a 
man.  In  the  course  of  time  he  took  patents  to  survey, 
employing  men  with  heads  better  than  his  own  to  act  as 
principals,  while  he  still  carried  the  chain. 

At  the  commencement  of  the  revolution,  Andries,  like 
most  of  those  who  sympathized  with  the  colonies,  took  up 
arms.  When  the  regiment  of  which  my  father  was  lieu- 
tenant-colonel was  raised,  they  who  could  bring  to  its  colors 
so  many  men  received  commissions  of  a  rank  proportioned 
to  their  services  in  this  respect.  Andries  had  presented 
himself  early  with  a  considerable  squad  of  chainbearers, 
hunters,  trappers,  runners,  guides,  etc.,  numbering  in  the 
whole  something  like  five-and-twenty  hardy,  resolute 
sharpshooters.  Their  leader  was  made  a  lieutenant  in  con- 
sequence, and  being  the  oldest  of  his  rank  in  the  corps,  he 
was  shortly  after  promoted  to  a  captaincy,  the  station  he 
was  in  when  I  made  his  acquaintance,  and  above  which  he 
never  rose. 

Revolutions,  more  especially  such  as  are  of  a  popular 
character,  are  not  remarkable  for  bringing  forward  those 
who  are  highly  educated,  or  otherwise  fitted  for  their  new 
stations,  unless  it  may  be  on  the  score  of  zeal.  It  is  true, 
service  generally  classes  men,  bringing  out  their  qualities, 
and  necessity  soon  compels  the  preferment  of  those  who 
are  the  best  qualified.  Our  own  great  national  struggle, 
however,  probably  did  less  of  this  than  any  similar  event 
of  modern  times,  a  respectable  mediocrity  having  accord- 
ingly obtained  an  elevation  that,  as  a  rule,  it  was  enabled 
to  keep  to  the  close  of  the  war.  It  is  a  singular  fact  that 
not  a  solitary  instance  is  to  be  found  in  our  military  an- 
nals of  a  young  soldier's  rising  to  high  command,  by  the 
force  of  his  talents,  in  all  that  struggle.  This  may  have 
been,  and  in  a  measure  probably  was  owing  to  the  opin- 
ions of  the  people,  and  to  the  circumstance  that  the  service 
itself  was  one  that  demanded  greater  prudence  and  cir- 
cumspection than  qualities  of  a  more  dazzling  nature  ;  or 


THE  CHAINBEARER.  15 

the  qualifications  of  age  and  experience,  rather  than  those 
of  youth  and  enterprise.  It  is  probable  Andries  Coeje- 
mans,  on  the  score  of  original  station,  was  rather  above 
than  below  the  level  of  the  social  positions  of  a  majority 
of  the  subalterns  of  the  different  lines  of  the  more  north- 
ern colonies,  when  he  first  joined  the  army.  It  is  true, 
his  education  was  not  equal  to  his  birth  ;  for,  in  that  day, 
except  in  isolated  instances  and  particular  families,  the 
Dutch  of  New  York,  even  in  cases  in  which  money  was 
not  wanting,  were  any  thing  but  scholars.  In  this  partic- 
ular, our  neighbors  the  Yankees  had  greatly  the  advantage 
of  us.  They  sent  everybody  to  school,  and,  though  their 
educations  were  principally  those  of  smatterers,  it  is  an  ad- 
vantage to  be  even  a  smatterer  among  the  very  ignorant. 
Andries  had  been  no  student  either,  and  one  may  easily 
imagine  what  indifferent  cultivation  will  effect  on  a  natu- 
rally thin  soil.  He  could  read  and  write,  it  is  true,  but  it 
was  the  ciphering  under  which  he  broke  down,  as  a  sur- 
veyor. I  have  often  heard  him  say,  that  "if  land  could 
be  measured  without  figures,  he  would  turn  his  back  on 
no  man  in  the  calling  in  all  America,  unless  it  might  be 
'  His  Excellency,'  who,  he  made  no  doubt,  was  not  only 
the  best,  but  the  honestest  surveyor  mankind  had  ever  en- 
joyed." 

The  circumstance  that  Washington  had  practised  the  aft 
of  a  surveyor  for  a  short  time  in  his  early  youth,  was  a 
source  of  great  exultation  with  Andries  Coejemans.  He 
felt  that  it  was  an  honor  to  be  even  a  subordinate  in  a  pur- 
suit, in  which  such  a  man  was  a  principal.  I  remember, 
that  long  after  we  were  at  Saratoga  together,  Captain 
Coejemans,  while  we  were  before  Yorktown,  pointed  to 
the  commander-in-chief  one  day,  as  the  latter  rode  past  our 
encampment,  and  cried  out  with  emphasis — "T'ere,  Mor- 
taunt,  my  poy — t'ere  goes  His  Excellency  ! — It  would  be 
be  t'e  happiest  tay  of  my  life,  coult  I  only  carry  chain 
while  he  survey't  a  pit  of  a  farm,  in  this  neighborhood" 

Andries  was  more  or  less  Dutch  in  his  dialect,  as  he 
was  more  or  less  interested.  In  general,  he  spoke  Eng- 
lish pretty  well — colony  English  I  mean,  not  that  of  the 
schools  ;  though  he  had  not  a  single  Yankeeism  in  his 
vocabulary.  On  this  last  point  he  prided  himself  greatly, 
feeling  an  honest  pride,  if  he  did  occasionally  use  vulgar- 
isms, a  vicious  pronounciation,  or  make  a  mistake  in  the 
meaning  of  a  word,  a  sin  he  was  a  little  apt  to  commit ; 
and  that  his  faults  were  all  honest  New  York  mistakes 


1 6  THE  CHAIN-BEARED. 

and  no  "New  England  gipperish."  In  the  course  of  the 
various  visits  I  paid  to  the  camp,  Andries  and  myself  be- 
came quite  intimate,  his  peculiarities  seizing  my  fancy  ; 
and  doubtless,  my  obvious  admiration  awakening  his  grati- 
tude. In  the  course  of  our  many  conversations,  he  gave 
me  his  whole  history,  commencing  with  the  emigration  of 
the  Coejemans  from  Holland,  and  ending  with  our  actual 
situation,  in  the  camp  at  Saratoga.  Andries  had  been 
often  engaged,  and,  before  the  war  terminated,  I  could 
boast  of  having  been  at  his  side  in  no  less  than  six  affairs 
myself,  viz. .White  Plains,  Trenton,  Princeton,  Bhemis's 
Heights,  Monmouth,  and  Brandywine ;  for  I  had  stolen 
away  from  college  to  be  present  at  the  last  affair.  The 
circumstance  that  our  regiment  was  both  with  Washing- 
ton and  Gates,  was  owing  to  the  noble  qualities  of  the 
former,  who  sent  off  some  of  his  best  troops  to  reinforce 
his  rival,  as  things  gathered  to  a  head  at  the  North.  Then 
I  was  present  throughout,  at  the  seige  of  Yorktown.  But 
it  is  not  my  intention  to  enlarge  on  my  own  military 
services. 

While  at  Saratoga,  I  was  much  struck  with  the  air,  po- 
sition and  deportment  of  a  gentleman  who  appeared  to 
command  the  respect,  and  to  obtain  the  ears  of  all  the 
leaders  in  the  American  camp,  while  he  held  no  apparent 
official  station.  He  wore  no  uniform,  though  he  was  ad- 
dressed by  the  title  of  general,and  had  much  more  of  the 
character  of  a  real  soldier  than  Gates  who  commanded. 
He  must  have  been  between  forty  and  fifty  at  that  time, 
and  in  the  full  enjoyment  of  the  vigor  of  his  mind  and 
body.  This  was  Philip  Schuyler,  so  justly  celebrated  in 
our 'annals  for  his  wisdom  patriotism,  integrity,  and  public 
services.  His  connection  with  the  great  northern  cam- 
paign is  too  well  known  to  require  any  explanations  here. 
Its  success,  perhaps,  was  more  owing  to  his  advice  and 
preparations  than  to  the  influence  of  any  one  other  mind,  and 
he  is  beginning  already  to  take  a  place  in  history,  in  con- 
nection with  these  great  events,  that  has  a  singular  resem- 
blance to  that  he  occupied  during  their  actual  occurrence  : 
in  other  words,  he  is  to  be  seen  in  the  background  of  the 
great  national  picture,  unobtrusive  and  modest,  but  di- 
recting and  controlling  all,  by  the  power  of  his  intellect, 
and  the  influence  of  his  experience  and  character.  Gates  * 

*  It  may  not  be  amiss  to  remark,  in  passing,  that  Horace  Walpole,  in 
one  of  his  recently  published  letters,  speaks  of  a  Horatio  Gates  as  his  god. 
son.  Walpole  was  born  in  1718,  and  Gates  in  1728. 


THE  CHAINBEARER.  17 

was  but  a  secondary  personage,  in  the  real  events  of  that 
memorable  period.  Schuyler  was  the  presiding  spirit, 
though  forced  by  popular  prejudice  to  retire  from  the 
apparent  command  of  the  army.  Our  written  accounts 
ascribe  the  difficulty  that  worked  this  injustice  to  Schuyler, 
to  a  prejudice  which  existed  among  the  eastern  militia, 
and  which  is  supposed  to  have  had  its  origin  in  the  disas- 
ters of  St.  Clair,  or  the  reverses  which  attended  the  earlier 
movements  of  the  campaign.  My  father,  who  had  known 
General  Schuyler  in  the  war  of  '56,  when  he  acted  as 
Bradstreet's  right-hand  man,  attributed  the  feeling  to  a 
different  cause.  According  to  his  notion  of  the  alienation, 
it  was  owing  to  the  difference  in  habits  and  opinions  which 
existed  between  Schuyler,  as  a  New  York  gentleman,  and 
the  yeomen  of  New  England,  who  came  out  in  1777,  imbued 
with  all  the  distinctive  notions  of  their  very  peculiar  state 
of  society.  There  may  have  been  prejudices  on  both  sides, 
but  it  is  easy  to  see  which  party  exhibited  most  magnan- 
imity and  self-sacrifice.  Possibly,  the  last  wras  inseparable 
from  the  preponderance  of  numbers,  it  not  being  an  easy 
thing  to  persuade  masses  of  men  that  they  can  be  wrong, 
and  a  single  individual  right.  This  is  the  great  error  of 
democracy,  which  fancies  truth  is  to  be  proved  by  count- 
ing noses ;  while  aristocracy  commits  the  antagonist  blun- 
der of  believing  that  excellence  is  inherited  from  male  to 
male,  and  that  too  in  the  order  of  primogeniture  !  It  is 
not  easy  to  say  where  one  is  to  look  for  truth  in  this  life. 

As  for  General  Schuyler,  I  have  thought  my  father  was 
right  in  ascribing  his  unpopularity  solely  to  the  prejudices 
of  provinces.  The  Muse  of  History  is  the  most  ambitious 
of  the  whole  sisterhood,  and  never  thinks  she  has  done 
her  duty  unless  all  she  says  and  records  is  said  and 
recorded  with  an  air  of  profound  philosophy  ;  whereas, 
more  than  half  of  the  greatest  events  which  affect  human 
interest,  are  to  be  referred  to  causes  that  have  little  con- 
nection with  our  boasted  intelligence,  in  any  shape.  Men 
feel  far  more  than  they  reason,  and  a  little  feeling  is  very 
apt  to  upset  a  great  deal  of  philosophy. 

It  has  been  said  that  I  passed  six  years  at  Princeton  ; 
nominally,  if  not  in  fact  ;  and  that  I  graduated  at  nineteen. 
This  happened  the  year  Cornwallis  surrendered,  and  I 
actually  served  at  the  siege  as  the  youngest  ensign  in  my 
father's  battalion.  I  had  also  the  happiness,  for  such  it  was 
to  me,  to  be  attached  to  the  company  of  Captain  Coeje- 
man's,  a  circumstance  which  clinched  the  friendship  I  had 


18  THE  CHA1NBRARER. 

formed  for  that  singular  old  man.  I  say  old,  for  by  this 
time  Andries  was  every  hour  of  sixty-seven,  though  as  hale, 
and  hearty,  and  active,  as  any  officer  in  the  corps.  As  for 
hardships,  forty  years  of  training,  most  of  which  had  been 
passed  in  the  woods,  placed  him  quite  at  our  head,  in  the 
way  of  endurance. 

I  loved  my  predecessors,  grandfather  and  grandmother 
included,  not  only  as  a  matter  of  course,  but  with  sincere 
filial  attachment  ;  and  I  loved  Miss  Mary  Wallace,  or  aunt 
Mary,  as  I  had  been  taught  to  call  her,  quite  as  much  on 
account  of  her  quiet,  gentle,  affectionate  manner,  as  from 
habit ;  and  I  loved  Major  Dirck  Follock  as  a  sort  of  he- 
reditary friend,  as  a  distant  relative,  and  a  good  and  care- 
ful guardian  of  my  own  youth  and  inexperience  on  a  thou- 
sand occasions  ;  and  I  loved  my  father's  negro  man,  Jaap, 
as  we  all  love  faithful  slaves,  however  unnurtured  they 
may  be  ;  but  Andries  was  the  man  whom  I  loved  without 
knowing  why.  He  was  illiterate  almost  to  greatness, 
having  the  drollest  notions  imaginable  of  this  earth  and 
all  it  contained  ;  was  anything  but  refined  in  deportment, 
though  hearty  and  frank  ;  had  prejudices  so  crammed 
into  his  moral  system  that  there  did  not  seem  to  be  room 
for  anything  else  ;  and  was  ever  so  little  addicted,  more- 
over, to  that  species  of  Dutch  jollification,  which  had 
cost  old  Colonel  Van  Valkenburgh  his  life,  and  a  love  for 
which  was  a  good  deal  spread  throughout  the  colony. 
Nevertheless,  I  really  loved  this  man,  and  when  we  were 
all  disbanded  at  the  peace,  or  in  1783,  by  which  time  I  had 
myself  risen  to  the  rank  of  captain,  I  actually  parted  from 
old  Andries  with  tears  in  my  eyes.  My  grandfather,  Gen- 
eral Littlepage,  was  then  dead,  but  government  giving  to 
most  of  us  a  step,  by  means  of  brevet  rank,  at  the  final 
breaking  up  of  the  army,  my  father,  who  had  been  the 
full  colonel  of  the  regiment  for  the  last  year,  bore  the  title 
of  brigadier  for  the  remainder  of  his  days.  It  was  pretty 
much  all  he  got  for  seven  years  of  dangers  and  arduous 
services.  But  the  country  was  poor,  and  we  had  fought 
more  for  principles  than  for  the  hope  of  rewards.  It  must 
be  admitted  that  America  ought  to  be  full  of  philosophy, 
inasmuch  as  so  much  of  her  system  of  rewards  and  even  of 
punishments,  is  purely  theoretical,  and  addressed  to  the 
imagination,  or  to  the  qualities  of  the  mind.  Thus  it  is, 
that  we  contend  with  all  our  enemies  on  very  unequal 
grounds.  The  Englishman  has  his  knighthood,  his  baron- 
etcies, his  peerages,  his  orders,  his  higher  ranks  in  the 


THE  CHAINBEARER.  19 

professions,  his  batons,  and  all  the  other  venial  induce- 
ments of  our  corrupt  nature  to  make  him  fight,  while  the 
American  is  goaded  on  to  glory  by  the  abstract  consid- 
erations of  virtue  and  patriotism.  After  all,  we  flog  quite  as 
often  as  we  are  flogged,  which  is  the  main  interest  affected. 
While  on  this  subject  I  will  remark  that  Andries  Coeje- 
nians  never  assumed  the  empty  title  of  major,  which  was  so 
graciously  bestowed  on  him  by  the  Congress  of  1783,  but 
left  the  army  a  captain  in  name,  without  half-pay  or  any- 
thing but  his  military  lot,  to  find  a  niece  whom  he  was 
bringing  up,  and  to  pursue  his  old  business  of  a  "  chain- 
bearer." 


CHAPTER   II. 

"  A  trusty  villain,  sir  ;  that  very  oft, 
When  I  am  dull  with  care  and  melancholy, 
Lightens  my  humors  with  his  many  jests."  v 

— Dromio  of  Syracuse. 

IT  will  be  seen  that,  while  I  got  a  degree,  and  what  is 
called  an  education,  the  latter  was  obtained  by  studies  of 
a  very  desultory  character.  There  is  no  question  that 
learning  of  all  sorts  fell  off  sadly  among  us  during  the 
revolution  and  the  twenty  years  that  succeeded  it.  While 
colonies,  wre  possessed  many  excellent  instructors  who 
came  from  Europe  ;  but  the  supply  ceased,  in  a  great 
measure,  as  soon  as  the  troubles  commenced  ;  nor  was  it 
immediately  renewed  at  the  peace.  I  think  it  will  be  ad- 
mitted that  the  gentlemen  of  the  country  began  to  be  less 
well  educated  about  the  time  I  was  sent  to  college,  than 
had  been  the  case  for  the  previous  half -century,  and  that 
the  defect  has  not  yet  been  repaired.  What  the  country 
may  do  in  the  first  half  of  the  nineteenth  century  remains 
to  be  seen.* 

My  connection  with  the  army  aided  materially  in  wean- 
ing me  from  home,  though  few  youths  had  as  many  temp- 
tations to  return  to  the  paternal  roof  as  myself.  There 

*  The  reader  will  recollect  that  Mr.  Mordaunt  Littlepage  must  have  writ- 
ten his  account  of  himself  and  his  times  about  the  close  of  the  last,  or  the 
beginning  of  this  century.  Since  that  time,  education  has  certainly  ad- 
vanced among  us  ;  sophomores,  pursuing  branches  of  learning  to-day  that 
were  sealed  from  seniors  a  few  years  since.  Learning,  however,  advances 
in  this  country  on  the  great  American  principle  of  imparting  a  little  to  a 
great  many,  instead  of  teaching  a  good  deal  to  a  few. — EDITOR. 


«0  THE  CHAINBEARER. 

were  my  beloved  mother  and  my  grandmother,  in  the  first 
place,  both  of  whom  doted  on  me  as  on  an  only  son.  Then 
aunt  Mary  almost  equally  shared  in  my  affections.  But  I 
had  two  sisters,  one  of  whom  was  older,  and  the  other 
younger  than  myself.  The  eldest,  who  was  called  Anneke, 
after  our  dear  mother,  was  even  six  years  my  senior,  and 
was  married  early  in  the  war  to  a  gentleman  of  the  name 
of  Kettletas.  Mr.  Kettletas  was  a  person  of  very  good  es- 
tate, and  made  my  sister  perfectly  happy.  They  had  sev- 
eral children,  and  resided  in  Dutchess,  which  was  an  ad- 
ditional reason  for  my  mother's  choosing  that  county  for 
her  temporary  residence.  I  regarded  Anneke,  or  Mrs. 
Kettletas,  much  as  all  youths  regard  an  elder  sister,  who 
is  affectionate,  feminine  and  respectable  ;  but  little  Kat- 
rinke,  or  Kate,  was  my  pet.  She  again,  was  four  years 
younger  than  myself;  and  as  I  was  just  two-and-twenty 
when  the  army  was  disbanded,  she  of  course  was  only 
eighteen.  This  dear  sister  was  a  little,  jumping,  laughing, 
never-quiet,  merry  thing,  when  I  had  taken  my  leave  of 
her,  in  1781,  to  join  the  regiment  as  an  ensign,  as  handsome 
and  sweet  as  a  rose-bud,  and  quite  as  full  of  promise.  I 
remember  that  old  Andries  and  I  used  to  pass  much  of  our 
time  in  camp  in  conversing  about  our  several  pets  ;  he  of 
his  niece,  and  I  of  my  younger  sister.  Of  course,  I  never 
intended  to  marry,  but  Kate  and  I  were  to  live  together  ; 
she  as  my  housekeeper  and  companion,  and  I  as  her  elder 
brother  and  protector.  The  one  great  good  of  life  with  us 
all  was  peace,  with  independence  ;  which  obtained,  no  one, 
in  our  regiment  at  least,  was  so  little  of  a  patriot  as  to 
doubt  of  the  future.  It  was  laughable  to  see  with  how 
much  gusto  and  simplicity  the  old  Chainbearer  entered 
into  all  these  boyish  schemes.  His  niece  was  an  orphan, 
it  would  seem,  the  only  child  of  an  only  but  a  half-sister, 
and  was  absolutely  dependent  on  him  for  the  bread  she 
put  into  her  mouth.  It  is  true  that  this  niece  fared  some- 
what better  than  such  a  support  would  seem  to  promise, 
having  been  much  cared  for  by  a  female  friend  of  her 
mother's,  who,  being  reduced  herself,  kept  a  school,  and 
had  thus  bestowed  on  her  ward  a  far  better  education  than 
she  could  ever  have  got  under  her  uncle's  supervision,  had 
the  last  possessed  the  riches  of  the  Van  Rensselaers,  or  of 
the  Van  Cortlandts.  As  has  been  substantially  stated,  old 
Andries's  forte  did  not  lie  in  education,  and  they  who  do 
not  enjoy  the  blessings  of  such  a  character,  seldom  duly 
appreciate  their  advantages.  It  is  with  the  acquisitions  of 


THE  CHAINBEARER.  21 

the  mind,  as  with  those  of  mere  deportment  and  tastes  ; 
we  are  apt  to  undervalue  them  all,  until  made  familiarly 
acquainted  with  their  power  to  elevate  and  to  enlarge.  But 
the  niece  of  Andries  had  been  particularly  fortunate  in 
falling  into  the  hands  she  had  ;  Mrs.  Stratton  having  the 
means  and  the  inclination  to  do  all  for  her,  in  the  way  of 
instruction,  that  was  then  done  for  any  young  woman  in 
New  York,  as  long  as  she  lived.  The  death  of  this  kind 
friend  occurring,  however,  in  1783,  Andries  was  obliged  to 
resume  the  care  of  his  niece,  who  was  now  thrown  entirely 
on  himself  for  support.  It  is  true,  the  girl  wished  to  do 
something  for  herself,  but  this  neither  the  pride  nor  the 
affection  of  the  old  chainbearer  would  listen  to. 

"What  can  the  gal  do?"  Andries  said  to  me  signifi- 
cantly, one  day  that  he  was  recounting  all  these  particu- 
lars. "  She  can't  carry  chain,  though  I  do  believe,  Morty, 
the  chilt  has  head  enough,  and  figures  enough  to  survey ! 
It  would  do  your  heart  good  to  read  the  account  of  her 
1'arnin'  t'at  t'e  olt  woman  used  to  send  me  ;  though  she 
wrote  so  excellent  a  hant  herself,  t'at  it  commonly  took  me 
a  week  to  read  one  of  her  letters  ;  that  is,  from  'Respected 
Friend '  to  '  Humble  Sarvent,'  as  you  know  them  'ere 
t'ings  go." 

"Excellent  hand!  Why,  I  should  think,  Andries,  the 
better  the  hand,  the  easier  one  could  read  a  letter." 

"All  a  mistake.  When  a  man  writes  a  scrawl  himself, 
it's  nat'ral  he  shoult  read  scrawls  easiest,  in  his  own  case. 
Now,  Mrs.  Stratton  was  home-taught,  and  would  be  likely 
to  get  into  ways  t'at  a  plain  man  might  find  difficult  to  get 
along  wit'." 

"Do  you  think,  then,  of  making  a  surveyor  of  your 
niece  ? "  I  asked,  a  little  pointedly. 

"Why,  she  is  hartly  strong  enough  to  travel  t'rough 
the  woots,  and,  the  callin'  is  not  suitaple  to  her  sex, 
t'ough  I  woult  risk  her  against  t'e  oldest  calculator  in  t'e 
province." 

"We  call  New  York  a  State,  now,  Captain  Andries,  you 
will  recollect." 

"  Ay,  t'at's  true,  and  I  peg  the  State's  pardon.  Well, 
t'ere'll  be  scrambling  enough  for  t'e  land,  as  soon  as  the 
war  is  fairly  over,  and  chainbearing  will  be  a  sarviceable 
callin'  once  more.  Do  you  know,  Morty,  they  talk  of  gifin' 
all  of  our  line  a  quantity  of  land,  privates  and  officers, 
which  will  make  me  a  landholter  again,  the  very  character 
in  which  I  started  in  life.  You  will  inherit  acres  enough, 


22  THE  CHAINBEARER. 

and  may  not  care  so  much  apout  owning  a  few  huntret, 
more  or  less,  but  I  own  the  idee  is  agreeaple  enough  to 
me." 

"  Do  you  propose  to  commence  anew  as  a  husbandman  ?" 

"  Not  I  ;  the  pusiness  never  agreet  wit'  me,  nor  I  wit'  it 
Put  a  man  may  survey  his  own  lot,  I  suppose,  and  no  of- 
fence to  greater  scholars.  If  I  get  t'e  grant  t'ey  speak  of, 
I  shall  set  to  work  and  run  it  out  on  my  own  account,  and 
t'en  we  shall  see  who  understants  figures,  and  who  don't ! 
If  other  people  won't  trust  me,  it  is  no  reason  I  shoult  not 
trust  myself." 

I  knew  that  his  having  broken  down  in  the  more  intel- 
lectual part  of  his  calling  was  a  sore  point  with  old  And- 
ries,  and  I  avoided  dwelling  on  this  part  of  the  subject. 
In  order  to  divert  his  mind  to  other  objects,  indeed,  I  be- 
gan to  question  him  a  little  more  closely  than  I  had  ever 
done  before,  on  the  subject  of  his  niece,  in  consequence 
of  which  expedient  I  now  learned  many  things  that  were 
new  to  me. 

The  name  of  the  chainbearer's  niece  was  Duss  Malbone, 
or  so  he  always  pronounced  it.  In  the  end  I  discovered 
that  Duss  was  a  sort  of  Dutch  diminutive  for  Ursula. 
Ursula  Malbone  had  none  of  the  Coejemans  blood  in  her, 
notwithstanding  she  was  Andries's  sister's  daughter.  It 
seemed  that  old  Mrs.  Coejemans  was  twice  married,  her 
second  husband  being  the  father  of  Duss's  mother.  Bob 
Malbone,  as  the  chainbearer  always  called  the  girl's  father, 
was  an  eastern  man  of  very  good  family,  but  was  a  reck- 
less spendthrift,  who  married  Duss  the  senior,  as  well  as  I 
could  learn,  for  her  property  ;  all  of  which,  as  well  as  that 
he  had  inherited  himself,  was  cleverly  gotten  rid  of  with- 
in the  first  ten  years  of  their  union,  and  a  year  or  two 
after  the  girl  was  born.  Both  father  and  mother  died 
within  a  few  months  of  each  other,  and  in  a  very  happy 
moment  as  regards  worldly  means,  leaving  poor  little  Duss 
with  no  one  to  care  for  her  but  her  half-uncle,  who  was 
then  living  in  the  forest  in  his  regular  pursuits,  and  the 
Mrs.  Stratton  I  have  mentioned.  There  was  a  half-brother, 
Bob  Malbone  having  married  twice,  but  he  was  in  the 
army,  and  had  some  hear  female  relation  to  support  out  of 
his  pay.  Between  the  chainbearer  and  Mrs.  Stratton, 
with  an  occasional  offering  from  the  brother,  the  means  of 
clothing,  nourishing  and  educating  the  young  woman  had 
been  found  until  she  reached  her  eighteenth  year,  when 
the  death  of  her  female  protector  threw  her  nearly  alto- 


THE  CITAINBEARER.  23 

Aether  on  the  care  of  her  uncle.  The  brother  now  did  his 
share,  Andries  admitted  ;  but  it  was  not  much  that  he 
could  do.  A  captain  himself,  his  scanty  pay  barely  suf- 
fi'ced  to  meet  his  own  wants. 

I  could  easily  see  that  old  Andries  loved  Duss  better 
than  anything  else  or  any  other  person.  When  he  was  a 
little  mellow,  and  that  was  usually  the  extent  of  his  de- 
baucheries, he  would  prate  about  her  to  me  until  the  tears 
came  into  his  eyes,  and  once  he  actually  proposed  that  I 
should  marry  her. 

"You  woult  just  suit  each  other,"  the  old  man  added,  in 
a  very  quaint,  but  earnest  manner,  on  that  memorable 
occasion  ;  "and  as  for  property,  I  know  you  care  little  for 
money,  and  will  have  enough  for  half-a-tozen.  I  swear  to 
you,  Captain  Littlepage" — for  this  dialogue  took  place 
only  a  few  months  before  we  were  disbanded,  and  after  I 
had  obtained  a  company — "  I  swear  to  you,  Captain  Little- 
page,  t'e  girl  is  laughing  from  morning  till  night,  and  would 
make  one  of  the  merriest  companions  for  an  olt  soldier 
that  ever  promiset  to  'honor  and  obey.'  Try  her  once, 
lad,  and  see  if  I  teceive  you." 

"  That  may  do  well  enough,  friend  Andries,  for  an  old 
soldier,  whereas  you  will  remember  I  am  but  a  boy  in 
years — 

"  Ay,  in  years  ;  but  olt  as  a  soldier,  Morty — olt  as  White 
Plains,  or  '76  ;  as  I  know  from  hafin  seen  you  unter  fire." 

"  Well,  be  it  so ;  but  it  is  the  man,  and  not  the  soldier, 
who  is  to  do  the  marrying,  and  I  am  still  a  very  young 
man." 

"  You  might  do  worse,  take  my  word  for  it,  Mortaunt, 
my  dear  poy ;  for  Duss  is  fun  itself,  and  I  have  often 
spoken  of  you  to  her  in  a  way  t'at  will  make  the  courtship 
as  easy  as  carrying  a  chain  on  t'e  Jarmen  Flats." 

I  assured  my  friend  Andries  that  I  did  not  think  of  a 
wife  yet,  and  that  my  taste  ran  for  a  sentimental  and  mel- 
ancholy young  woman,  rather  than  for  a  laughing  girl. 
The  old  chainbearer  took  this  repulse  good-humoredly, 
though  he  renewed  the  attack  at  least  a  dozen  times  before 
the  regiment  was  disbanded,  and  we  finally  separated.  I 
say  finally  separated,  though  it  was  in  reference  to  our 
companionship  as  soldiers,  rather  than  as  to  our  future 
lives ;  for  I  had  determined  to  give  Andries  employment 
myself,  should  nothing  better  offer  in  his  behalf. 

Nor  was  I  altogether  without  the  means  of  thus  serving 
a  friend,  when  the  inclination-  existed.  My  grandfather. 


24  THE  CHAINBEARER. 

Herman  Mordaunt,  had  left  me,  to  come  into  possession 
at  the  age  of  twenty-one,  a  considerable  estate  in  what  is 
now  Washington  County,  a  portion  of  our  territory  that 
lies  northeast  from  Albany,  and  at  no  great  distance  from 
the  Hampshire  Grants.  This  property,  of  many  thousands 
of  acres  in  extent,  had  been  partially  settled  under  leases 
by  himself,  previously  to  my  birth,  and  those  leases  having 
mostly  expired,  the  tenants  were  remaining  at  will,  wait- 
ing for  more  quiet  times  to  renew  their  engagements.  As 
yet  Ravensnest,  for  so  the  estate  was  called,  had  given  the 
family  little  besides  expense  and  trouble  ;  but  the  land 
being  good,  and  the  improvements  considerable,  it  was 
time  to  look  for  some  return  for  all  our  outlays.  This 
estate  was  now  mine  in  fee,  my  father  having  formally  re- 
linquished its  possession  in  my  favor  the  day  I  attained  my 
majority.  Adjacent  to  this  estate  lay  that  of  Mooseridge, 
which  was  the  joint  property  of  my  father  and  of  his  friend 
Major — or  as  he  was  styled  in  virtue  of  the  brevet  rank 
granted  at  the  peace — Colonel  Pollock.  Mooseridge  had 
been  originally  patented  by  my  grandfather,  the  first  Gen- 
eral Littlepage,  and  old  Colonel  Pollock,  he  who  had  been 
slain  and  scalped  early  in  the  war ;  but  on  the  descent  of 
his  moiety  of  the  tenantry  in  common  to  Dirck  Pollock, 
my  grandfather  conveyed  his  interest  to  his  own  son,  who 
ere  long  must  become  its  owner,  agreeably  to  the  laws  of 
nature.  This  property  had  once  been  surveyed  into  large 
lots,  but  owing  to  some  adverse  circumstances,  and  the  ap- 
proach of  the  troubles,  it  had  never  been  settled  or  sur- 
veyed into  farms.  All  that  its  owners  ever  got  for  it, 
therefore,  was  the  privilege  of  paying  the  crown  its  quit- 
rents  ;  taxes,  or  reserved  payments,  of  no  great  amount,  it 
is  true,  though  far  more  than  the  estate  had  ever  yet  re- 
turned. 

While  on  the  subject  of  lands  and  tenements,  I  may  as 
well  finish  my  opening  explanations.  My  paternal  grand- 
father was  by  no  means  as  rich  as  my  father,  though  the 
senior,  and  of  so  much  higher  military  rank.  His  prop- 
erty, or  neck,  of  Satanstoe,  nevertheless,  was  quite  valu- 
able ;  more  for  the  quality  of  the  land  and  its  position  than 
for  its  extent.  In  addition  t»  this,  he  had  a  few  thousand 
pounds  at  interest ;  stocks,  banks,  and  moneyed  corpora- 
tions of  all  kinds  being  then  nearly  unknown  among  us. 
His  means  were  sufficient  for  his  wants,  however,  and  it 
was  a  joyful  day  when  he  found  himself  enabled  to  take 
possession  of  his  own  house  again,  in  consequence  of  Sir 


THE  CHAINBEARER>  2$ 

Guy  Carleton's  calling  in  all  of  his  detachments  from 
Westchester.  The  Morrises,  distinguished  whigs  as  they 
were,  did  not  get  back  to  Morrisania  until  after  the  evacu- 
ation, which  took  place  November  25,  1783  ;  nor  did  my 
father  return  to  Lilacsbush  until  after  that  important  event. 
The  very  year  my  grandfather  saw  Satanstoe,  he  took  the 
small-pox  in  camp  and  died. 

To  own  the  truth,  the  peace  found  us  all  very  poor,  as 
was  the  case  with  almost  everybody  in  .the  country  but  a 
few  contractors.  It  was  not  the  contractors  for  the  Ameri- 
can army  that  were  rich  ;  they  fared  worse  than  most  peo- 
ple ;  but  the  few  who  furnished  supplies  to  the  French  did 
get  silver  in  return  for  their  advances.  As  for  the  army,  it 
was  disbanded  without  any  reward  but  promises,  and  pay- 
ment in  a  currency  that  depreciated  so  rapidly  that  men 
were  glad  to  spend  recklessly  their  hard-earned  stock,  lest 
it  should  become  perfectly  valueless  in  their  hands.  I  have 
heard  much  in  later  years  of  the  celebrated  Newburgh 
letters,  and  of  the  want  of  patriotism  that  could  lead  to 
their  having  been  written.  It  may  not  have  been  wise, 
considering  the  absolute  want  of  the  country,  to  have  con- 
templated the  alternative  toward  which  those  letters  cer- 
tainly cast  an  oblique  glance,  but  there  was  nothing  in 
either  their  execution  or  their  drift  which  was  not  per- 
fectly natural  for  the  circumstances.  It  was  quite  right 
for  Washington  to  act  as  he  did  in  that  crisis,  though  it  is 
highly  probable  that  even  Washington  would  have  felt  and 
acted  differently  had  he  nothing  but  the  keen  sense  of  his 
neglected  services,  poverty,  and  forgetfulness  before  him 
in  the  perspective.  As  for  the  young  officer  who  actually 
wrote  the  letters,  it  is  probable  that  justice  will  never  be 
done  to  any  part  of  his  conduct,  but  that  which  is  con- 
nected with  the  elegance  of  his  diction.  It  is  very  well  for 
those  who  do  not  suffer  to  prate  about  patriotism  ;  but  a 
country  is  bound  to  be  just,  before  it  can  lay  a  high  moral 
claim  to  this  exclusive  devotedness  to  the  interests  of  the 
majority.  Fine  words  cost  but  little,  and  I  acknowledge 
no  great  respect  for  those  who  manifest  their  integrity 
principally  in  phrases.  This  is  said  not  in  the  way  of  per- 
sonal apology,  for  our  regiment  did  not  happen  to  be  at 
Newburgh  at  the  disbandment  ;  if  it  had,  I  think  my 
father's  influence  would  have  kept  us  from  joining  the 
malcontents  ;  but  at  the  same  time,  I  fancy  his  and  my 
own  patriotism  would  have  been  much  strengthened  by 
the  knowledge  that  there  were  such  places  as  Satanstoe, 


26  THE  CHAIN-BEARER. 

Lilacsbush,  Mooseridge,  and    Ravensnest.     To   return  to 
the  account  of  our  property. 

My  grandfather  Mordaunt,  notwithstanding  his  hand- 
some bequests  to  me,  left  the  bulk  of  his  estate  to  my 
mother.  This  would  have  made  the  rest  of  the  family  rich, 
had  it  not  been  for  the  dilapidations  produced  by  the  war. 

.  But  the  houses  and  stores  in  town  were  without  tenants 
who  paid,  having  been  mainly  occupied  by  the  enemy  • 
and  interest  on  bonds  was  hard  to  collect  from  those  who 

/  lived  within  the  British  lines. 

In  a  word,  it  is  not  easy  to  impress  on  the  mind  of  one 
who  witnesses  the  present  state  of  the  country,  its  actual 
condition  in  that  day.  As  an  incident  that  occurred  to 
myself,  after  I  had  regularly  joined  the  army  for  duty,  will 
afford  a  lively  picture  of  the  state  of  things,  I  will  relate 
it,  and  this  the  more  willingly,  as  it  will  be  the  means  of 
introducing  to  the  reader  an  old  friend  of  the  family,  and 
one  who  was  intimately  associated  with  divers  events  of 
my  own  life.  I  have  spoken  of  Jaaf,  a  slave  of  my  father's, 
and  one  of  about  his  own  time  of  life.  At  the  time  to 
which  I  allude,  Jaaf  was  a  middle-aged,  gray-headed  negro, 
with  most  of  the  faults,  and  with  all  the  peculiar  virtues 
of  the  beings  of  his  condition  and  race.  So  much  reliance 
had  my  mother,  in  particular,  on  his  fidelity,  that  she  in- 
sisted on  his  accompanying  her  husband  to  the  wars,  an 
order  that  the  black  most  willingly  obeyed  ;  not  only  be- 
cause he  loved  adventure,  but  because  he  especially  hated 
an  Indian,  and  my  father's  earliest  service  was  against  that 
portion  of  our  foes.  Although  Jaaf  acted  as  a  body-servant, 
he  carried  a  musket,  and  even  drilled  with  the  men.  Luck- 
ily, the  Littlepage  livery  was  blue  turned  up  with  red,  and 
of  a  very  modest  character  ;  a  circumstance  that  almost 
put  Jaaf  in  uniform,  the  fellow  obstinately  refusing  to  wear 
the  colors  of  any  power  but  that  of  the  family  to  which  he 
regularly  belonged.  In  this  manner,  Jaaf  had  got  to  be  a 
queer  mixture  of  the  servant  and  the  soldier,  sometimes 
acting  in  the  one  capacity,  and  sometimes  in  the  other, 
having  at  the  same  time  not  a  little  of  the  husbandman 
about  him  ;  for  our  slaves  did  all  sorts  of  work. 

My  mother  had  made  it  a  point  that  Jaaf  should  accom- 
pany me  on  all  occasions  when  I  was  sent  to  any  distance 
from  my  father.  She  naturally  enough  supposed  I  had  the 
most  need  of  the  care  of  a  faithful  attendant,  and  the  black 
had  consequently  got  to  be  about  half  transferred  to  me. 
He  evidently  liked  this  change,  both  because  it  was  always 


THE  CHAINBRARER.  27 

accompanied  by  change  of  scene  and  the  chances  for  new 
adventures,  and  because  it  gave  him  an  opportunity  of  re- 
lating many  of  the  events  of  his  youth  ;  events  that  had 
got  to  be  worn  threadbare,  as  narratives,  with  his  "  ole 
masser,"  but  which  were  still  fresh  with  his  "young." 

On  the  occasion  to  which  there  is  allusion,  Jaaf  and  I 
were  returning  to  camp,  from  an  excursion  of  some  length, 
on  which  I  had  been  sent  by  the  general  of  division.  This 
was  about  the  time  the  continental  money  made  its  final 
fall  to  nothing,  or  next  to  nothing,  it  having  long  stood  at 
about  a  hundred  dollars  for  one.  I  had  provided  myself 
with  a  little  silver,  and  very  precious  it  was,  and  some 
thirty  or  forty  thousand  dollars  of  "  continental,"  to  defray 
my  travelling  expenses  ;  but  my  silver  was  expended,  and 
the  paper  reduced  to  two  or  three  thousand  dollars,  when 
it  would  require  the  whole  stock  of  the  latter  to  pay  for 
Jaaf  s  and  my  own  dinner  ;  nor  were  the  inn-keepers  very 
willing  to  give  their  time  and  food  for  it  at  any  price. 
This  vacuum  in  my  purse  took  place  when  I  had  still  two 
long  days'  ride  before  me,  and  in  a  part  of  the  country  where 
I  had  no  acquaintances  whatever.  Supper  and  rest  were 
needed  for  ourselves,  and  provender  and  stabling  for  our 
horses.  Everything  of  the  sort  was  cheap  enough,  to  be 
sure,  but  absolute  want  of  means  rendered  the  smallest 
charge  impracticable  to  persons  in  our  situation.  As  for 
appealing  to  the  patriotism  of  those  who  lived  by  the  way- 
side, it  was  too  late  in  the  war  ;  patriotism  being  a  very 
evanescent  quality  of  the  human  heart,  and  particularly 
addicted  to  sneaking,  like  compassion,  behind  some  con- 
venient cover,  when  it  is  to  be  maintained  at  any  pecuniary 
cost.  It  will  do  for  a  capital,  in  a  revolution,  or  a  war  for 
the  first  six  months,  perhaps  ;  but  gets  to  be  as  worthless 
as  continental  money  itself,  by  the  end  of  that  period. 
One  militia  draft  has  exhausted  the  patriotism  of  thousands 
of  as  disinterested  heroes  as  ever  shouldered  muskets. 

"  Jaap,"  I  asked  of  my  companion,  as  we  drew  near  to 
the  hamlet  where  I  intended  to  pass  the  night,  and  the 
comforts  of  a  warm  supper  on  a  sharp  frosty  evening, 
began  to  haunt  my  imagination — "Jaap,  how  much  money 
may  you  have  about  you  ?  "* 

"  I,  Masser  Mordaunt ! — Golly !  but  dat  a  berry  droll 
question,  sah  ! " 

"  I  ask,  because  my  own  stock  is  reduced  to  just  one 

*  This  man  is  indiscriminately  called  Yaf,  or  Yop — York  Dutch  being 
far  from  severe, 


28  THE  CHAINBEARER. 

York  shilling,  which  goes  by  the  name  of  only  a  ninepence 
in  this  part  of  the  world." 

"  Dat  berry  little,  to  tell  'e  truit',  sah,  for  two  gentleum, 
and  two  large,  hungry  hosses.  Berry  little,  indeed,  sah  ! 
I  wish  he  war'  more." 

"  Yet,  I  have  not  a  copper  more.  I  gave  one  thousand 
two  hundred  dollars  for  the  dinner  and  baiting  and  oats, 
at  noon." 

"Yes,  sah — but  dat  conternental,  sah,  I  supposes — no 
great  t'ing,  a'ter  all." 

"  It's  a  great  thing  in  sound,  Jaap,  but  not  much  when 
it  comes  to  the  teeth,  as  you  perceive.  Nevertheless,  we 
must  eat  and  drink,  and  our  nags  must  eat,  too — I  suppose 
they  may  drink,  without  paying." 

"Yes,  sah — dat  true  'nough,  yah — yah — yah  " — how  easily 
that  negro  laughed  ! — "  But  'e  cider  wonnerful  good  in  dis 
part  of  'e  country,  young  masser  ;  just  needer  sweet  nor 
sour — den  he  strong  as  'e  jackass." 

"  Well,  Jaap,  how  are  we  to  get  any  of  this  good  cider, 
of  which  you  speak  ? " 

"You  t'ink,  sah,  dis  part  of  'e  country  been  talk  too 
much  lately  'bout  Patty  Rism  and  'e  country,  sah  ? " 

"  I  am  afraid  Patty  has  been  overdone  here,  as  well  as 
in  most  other  counties." 

I  may  observe  here,  that  Jaap  always  imagined  the 
beautiful  creature  he  had  heard  so  much  extolled  and 
commended  for  her  comeliness  and  virtue,  was  a  certain 
young  woman  of  this  name,  with  whom  all  Congress  was 
unaccountably  in  love  at  the  same  time. 

"  Well,  den,  sah,  dere  no  hope  but  our  wits.  Let  me  be 
masser  to-night,  and  you  mind  ole  Jaap,  if  he  want  good 
supper.  Jest  ride  ahead,  Masser  Mordaunt,  and  give  he 
order  like  General  Littlepage  son,  and  leave  it  all  to  old 
Jaap." 

As  there  was  not  much  to  choose,  I  did  ride  on,  and 
soon  ceased  to  hear  the  hoofs  of  the  negro's  horse  at  my 
heels.  I  reached  the  inn  an  hour  ere  Jaap  appeared,  and 
was  actually  seated  at  a  capital  supper  before  he  rode  up. 
as  one  belonging  only  to  himself.  Jaap  had  taken  off  the 
Littlepage  emblems,  and  had  altogether  a  most  independ- 
ent air.  His  horse  was  stabled  alongside  of  mine,  and  I 
soon  found  that  he  himself  was  at  work  on  the  remnants 
of  my  supper,  as  they  retreated  toward  the  kitchen. 

A  traveller  of  my  appearance  was  accommodated  with 
the  best  parlor,  as  a  matter  of  course ;  and  having  ap- 


THE  CHAINBEARER.  29 

peased  my  appetite,  I  sat  down  to  read  some  documents 
that  were  connected  with  the  duty  I  was  on.  No  one  could 
have  imagined  that  I  had  only  a  York  shilling,  which  is  a 
Pennsylvania  "  levy,"  or  a  Connecticut  "  nineperice,"  in  my 
purse  ;  for  my  air  was  that  of  one  who  could  pay  for  all 
he  wanted,  the  certainty  that,  in  the  long  run,  my  host 
could  not  be  a  loser,  giving  me  a  proper  degree  of  con- 
fidence. I  had  just  got  through  with  the  documents,  and 
was  thinking  how  I  should  employ  the  hour  or  two  that 
remained  until  it  would  be  time  to  go  to  bed,  when  I  heard 
Jaap  tuning  his  fiddle  in  the  bar-room.  Like  most  negroes, 
the  fellow  had  an  ear  for  music,  and  had  been  indulged  in 
his  taste,  until  he  played  as  well  as  half  the  country  fid- 
dlers that  were  to  be  met. 

The  sound  of  a  fiddle  in  a  small  hamlet,  of  a  cool  October 
evening,  was  certain  of  its  result.  In  half  an  hour  the 
smiling  landlady  came  to  invite  me  to  join  the  company, 
with  the  grateful  information  I  should  not  want  for  a 
partner,  the  prettiest  girl  in  the  place  having  come  in  late, 
and  being  still  unprovided  for.  On  entering  the  bar-room, 
I  was  received  with  plenty  of  awkward  bows  and  cour- 
tesies, but  with  much  simple  and  well-meaning  hospitality. 
Jaap's  own  salutations  were  very  elaborate,  and  altogether 
of  a  character  to  prevent  the  suspicion  of  our  ever -having 
met  before. 

The  dancing  continued  for  more  than  two  hours,  with 
spirit,  when  the  time  admonished  the  village  maidens  of 
the  necessity  of  retiring.  Seeing 'an  indication  of  the  ap- 
proaching separation,  Jaap  held  out  his  hat  to  me,  in  a 
respectful  manner,  when  I  magnificently  dropped  my  shil- 
ling into  it,  in  a  way  to  attract  attention,  and  passed  it 
around  among  the  males  of  the  party.  One  other  gave  a 
shilling,  two  clubbed  and  actually  produced  a  quarter, 
several  threw  in  sixpences,  or  fourpence-half-pennies,  and 
coppers  made  up  the  balance.  By  way  of  climax,  the 
landlady,  who  was  good-looking  and  loved  dancing,  pub- 
licly announced  that  the  fiddler  and  his  horse  should  go 
scot-free,  until  he  left  the  place.  By  these  ingenious 
means  of  Jaap's,  I  found  in  my  purse  next  morning  seven- 
and-sixpence  in  silver,  in  addition  to  my  own  shilling,  be- 
sides coppers  enough  to  keep  a  negro  in  cider  for  a  week, 

I  have  often  laughed  over  Jaap's  management,  though  I 
would  not  permit  him  to  repeat  it.  Passing  the  house  of 
a  man  of  better  condition  than  common,  I  presented  my- 
self to  its  owner,  though  an  entire  stranger  to  him,  and 


3o  THE  CHAINBEARER. 

told  him  my  story.  Without  asking  any  other  confirma« 
tion  than  my  word,  this  gentleman  lent  me  five  silver  dol- 
lars, which  answered  all  my  present  purposes,  and  which, 
I  trust,  it  is  scarcely  necessary  to  say,  were  duly  repaid. 

It  was  a  happy  hour  to  me  when  I  found  myself  a  titular 
major,  but  virtually  a  freeman,  and  at  liberty  to  go  where 
I  pleased.  The  war  had  offered  so  little  of  Variety  or  ad- 
venture, since  the  capture  of  Cornwallis  and  the  pendency 
of  the  negotiations  for  peace,  that  I  began  to  tire  of  the 
army  ;  and  now  that  the  country  had  triumphed,  was  ready 
enough  to  quit  it.  The  family,  that  is  to  say,  my  grand- 
mother, mother,  aunt  Mary  and  my  youngest  sister,  took 
possession  of  Santanstoe  in  time  to  enjoy  some  of  its  deli- 
cious fruits  in  the  autumn  of  1782  ;  and  early  in  the  fol- 
lowing season,  after  the  treaty  was  signed,  but  while  the 
British  still  remained  in  town,  my  mother  was  enabled  to 
return  to  Lilacsbush.  As  consequences  of  these  early 
movements,  my  father  and  myself,  when  we  joined  the 
two  families,  found  things  in  a  better  state  than  might 
otherwise  have  been  the  case.  The  Neck  was  planted,  and 
had  enjoyed  the  advantage  of  a  spring's  husbandry,  while 
the  grounds  of  Lilacsbush  had  been  renovated  and  brought 
in  good  condition  by  the  matured  and  practised  taste  of  my 
admirable  mother.  And  she  was  admirable,  in  all  the  rela- 
tions of  life  !  A  lady  in  feeling  and  habits,  whatever  she 
touched  or  controlled  imbibed  a  portion  of  her  delicacy  and 
sentiment.  Even  the  inanimate  things  around  her  betrayed 
this  feature  of  their  connection  with  one  of  her  sex's  best 
qualities.  I  remember  that  Colonel  Dirk  Pollock  remarked 
to  me  one  day  that  we  had  been  examining  the  offices  to- 
gether, something  that  was  very  applicable  to  this  trait  in 
my  mother's  character,  while  it  was  perfectly  just. 

"  No  one  can  see  Mrs.  Littlepage's  kitchen,  even,"  he 
said,  "  alt'ough  she  never  seems  to  enter  it,  without  per- 
ceiving"— or  "  perceifing,"  as  he  pronounced  the  word — 
*'  that  it  is  governed  by  a  lady.  There  are  plenty  of  kitch- 
ens that  are  as  clean,  and  as  large,  and  as  well  furnished, 
but  it  is  not  common  to  see  a  kitchen  that  gives  the  same 
ideas  of  good  taste  in  the  table  and  about  the  household." 

If  this  was  true  as  to  the  more  homely  parts  of  the  hab- 
itation, how  much  truer  was  it  when  the  distinction  was 
carried  into  the  superior  apartments  !  There,  one  saw  my 
mother  in  person,  and  surrounded  by  those  appliances 
which  denote  refinement,  without,  however,  any  of  that 
elaborate  luxury  of  which  we  read  in  older  countries.  In 


THE  CHAINBEARER.  31 

America  we  had  much  fine  china,  and  a  good  deal  of  mas- 
sive plate,  regular  dinner-services  excepted,  previously  to 
the  revolution,  and  my  mother  had  inherited  more  than 
was  usual  of  both  ;  but  the  country  knew  little  of  that 
v  degree  of  domestic  indulgence  which  is  fast  creeping  in 
among  us,  by  means  of  its  enormously  increased  com- 
merce. 

Although  the  fortunes  of  the  country  had  undergone  so 
much  waste  during  seven  years  of  internal  warfare,  the 
elasticity  of  a  young  and  vigorous  nation  soon  began  to 
repair  the  evil.  It  is  true  that  trade  did  not  fully  revive, 
nor  its  connecting  interests  receive  their  great  impulse, 
until  after  the  adoption  of  the  Constitution,  which  brought 
the  States  under  a  set  of  common  custom-house  regula- 
tions ;  nevertheless,  one  year  brought  about  a  manifest  and 
most  beneficent  change.  There  was  now  some  security  in 
making  shipments,  and  the  country  immediately  felt  the 
consequences.  The  year  1784  was  a  sort  of  breathing- 
time  for  the  nation,  though  long  ere  it  was  past,  the  bone 
and  sinew  of  the  republic  began  to  make  themselves  ap- 
parent and  felt.  Then  it  was  that,  as  a  people,  this  com- 
munity first  learned  the  immense  advantage  it  had  ob- 
tained by  controlling  its  own  interests,  and  by  treating 
them  as  secondary  to  those  of  no  other  part  of  the  world. 
This  was  the  great  gain  of  all  our  labors. 


CHAPTER  III. 

"  He  tells  her  something, 

That  makes  her  blood  look  out ;  good  sooth,  she  is 
The  queen  of  curds  and  cream." — Winter's  Tale. 

HAPPY,  happy  Lilacsbush !  Never  can  I  forget  the  da- 
light  with  which  I  roamed  over  its  heights  and  glens,  and 
how  I  rioted  in  the  pleasure  of  feeling  I  was  again  a  sort 
of  master  in  those  scenes  which  had  been  the  haunts  of 
my  boyhood  !  It  was  in  the  spring  of  1784  before  I  was 
folded  to  the  arms  of  my  mother ;  and  this,  too,  after  a 
separation  of  near  two  years.  Kate  laughed,  and  wept, 
and  hugged  me,  just  as  she  would  have  done  five  years 
earlier,  though  she  was  now  a  lovely  young  woman,  turned 
of  nineteen.  As  for  aunt  Mary,  she  shook  hands,  gave  me 
a  kind  kiss  or  two,  and  smiled  on  me  affectionately,  in  her 


3§  THE  CHAIN3EAREK. 

own  quiet,  gentle  manner.  The  house  was  in  a  tumult, 
for  Jaap  returned  with  me,  his  wool  well  sprinkled  with 
gray,  and  there  were  lots  of  little  Satanstoes  (for  such  was 
his  family  name,  notwithstanding  Mrs.  Jaap  called  herself 
MJSS  Lilacsbush),  children  and  grandchildren,  to  welcome 
him.  To  say  the  truth,  the  house  was  not  decently  tran- 
quil for  the  first  twenty-four  hours. 

At  the  end  of  that 'time  I  ordered  my  horse,  to  ride 
across  the  country  to  Satanstoe,  in  order  to  visit  my  wid- 
owed grandmother,  who  had  resisted  all  attempts  to  per- 
suade her  to  give  up  the  cares  of  housekeeping,  and  to 
come  and  live  at  Lilacsbush.  The  general,  for  so  every- 
body now  called  my  father,  did  not  accompany  me,  having 
been  at  Satanstoe  a  day  or  two  before  ;  but  my  sister  did. 
As  the  roads  had  been  much  neglected  in  the  war,  we  went 
in  the  saddle,  Kate  being  one  of  the  most  spirited  horse- 
women of  my  acquaintance.  By  this  time,  Jaap  had  got 
to  be  privileged,  doing  just  such  work  as  suited  his  fancy; 
or,  it  might  be  better  to  say,  was  not  of  much  use  except 
in  the  desultory  employments  that  had  so  long  been  his 
principal  pursuits  ;  and  he  was  sent  off  an  hour  or  two  be- 
fore we  started  ourselves,  to  let  Mrs.  Littlepage,  or  his 
"ole — ole  missus,"  as  the  fellow  always  called  my  grand- 
mother, know  whom  she  was  to  expect  to  dinner. 

I  have  heard  it  said  that  there  are  portions  of  the  world 
in  which  people  get  to  be  so  sophisticated,  that  the  near- 
est of  kin  cannot  take  such  a  liberty  as  this.  The  son  will 
not  presume  to  take  a  plate  at  the  table  of  the  father  with- 
out observing  the  ceremony  of  asking,  or  of  being  asked  ! 
Heaven  be  praised !  we  have  not  yet  reached  this  pass  in 
America.  What  parent,  or  grandparent,  to  the  remotest 
living  generation,  would  receive  a  descendant  with  any- 
thing but  a  smile,  or  a  welcome,  let  him  come  when  and 
how  he  will  ?  If  there  be  not  room,  or  preparation,  the 
deficiencies  must  be  made  up  in  welcomes  ;  or,  when  abso- 
lute impossibilities  interpose,  if  they  are  not  overcome  by 
means  of  a  quick  invention,  as  most  such  "  impossibilities" 
are,  the  truth  is  frankly  told,  and  the  pleasure  is  deferred 
to  a  more  fortunate  moment.  It  is  not  my  intention  to 
throw  a  vulgar  and  ignorant  gibe  into  the  face  of  an  ad- 
vanced civilization,  as  is  too  apt  to  be  the  propensity  of 
ignorance  and  provincial  habits  ;  for  I  well  know  that 
most  of  the  usages  of  those  highly  improved  conditions  of 
society  are  founded  in  reason,  and  have  their  justification 
in  a  cultivated  common  sense  ;  but,  after  all,  mother  na 


THE  CHAINBEARER.  33 

ture  has  her  rights,  and  they  are  not  to  be  invaded  too 
boldly,  without  bringing  with  the  acts  themselves  their 
merited  punishments. 

It  was  just  nine,  on  a  fine  May  morning,  when  Kate 
Littlepage  and  myself  rode  through  the  outer  gate  of 
Lilacsbush,  and  issued  upon  the  old,  well-known  Kings- 
bridge  road.  Jfmgsbridge  I  That  name  still  remains,  as 
do  those  of  the  counties  of  Kings,  and  Queens,  and  Duchess, 
to  say  nothing  of  quantities  of  Princes  this  and  that  in 
other  States  ;  and  I  hope  they  always  may  remain,  as  so 
many  landmarks  in  our  history.  These  names  are  all  that 
now  remain  among  us  of  the  monarchy  ;  and  yet  have 
I  heard  my  father  say  a  hundred  times,  that  when  a  young 
man,  his  reverence  for  the  British  throne  was  second  only 
to  his  reverence  for  the  Church.  In  how  short  a  time  has 
this  feeling  been  changed  throughout  an  entire  nation  ; 
or,  if  not  absolutely  changed,  for  some  still  continue  to 
reverence  monarchy,  how  widely  and  irremediably  has  it 
been  impaired !  Such  are  the  things  of  the  world,  perish- 
able and  temporary  in  their  very  natures  ;  and  they  would 
do  well  to  remember  the  truth,  who  have  much  at  stake  in 
such  changes. 

We  stopped  at  the  door  of  the  inn  at  Kingsbridge  to  say 
good  morning  to  old  Mrs.  Light,  the  landlady  who  had 
now  kept  the  house  half  a  century,  and  who  had  known  us, 
and  our  parents  before  us,  from  childhood.  This  loqua- 
cious housewife  had  her  good  and  bad  points,  but  habit 
had  given  her  a  sort  of  claim  on  our  attentions,  and  I  could 
not  pass  her  door  without  drawing  the  rein,  if  it  were  only 
for  a  moment.  This  was  no  sooner  done,  than  the  land- 
lady in  person  was  on  her  threshold  to  greet  us. 

"Ay,  I  dreamt  this,  Mr.  Mordaunt,"  the  old  woman  ex- 
claimed, the  instant  she  saw  me — "I  dreamt  this  no  later 
than  last  week  !  It  is  nonsense  to  deny  it ;  dreams  do  often 
come  true  ! " 

"And  what  has  been  your  dream  this  time,  Mrs.  Light?" 
I  asked,  well  knowing  it  was  to  come,  and  the  sooner  we 
got  it  the  better. 

"I  dreamt  the  general  had  come  home  last  fall,  and  he 
had  come  home  !  Now  the  only  idee  I  had  to  help  out 
that  dream  was  a  report  that  he  was  to  be  home  that  day  ; 
but  you  know,  Mr.  Mordaunt,  or  Major  Littlepage,  they 
tell  me  I  ought  now  to  call  you — but  you  know,  Mr.  Mor- 
daunt, how  often  reports  turn  out  to  be  nothing.  I  count 
a  report  as  no  great  help  to  a  dream.  So,  last  week,  I 


-j4  THE  CHA1NBEARER. 

dreamed  you  would  certainly  be  home  this  week  ;  and  here 
you  are,  sure  enough  !  " 

"  And  all  without  any  lying  report  to  help  you,  my  good 
landlady  ? " 

"Why,  no  great  matter ;  a  few  flying  rumors,  perhaps  ; 
but  as  I  never  believe  them  when  awake,  it's  onreasonable 
to  suppose  a  body  would  believe  'em  when  asleep.  Yes, 
Jaaf  stopped  a  minute  to  water  his  horse  this  morning,  and 
I  foresaw  from  that  moment  my  dream  would  come  to  be 
true,  though  I  never  exchanged  a  word  with  the  nigger." 

"  That  is  a  little  remarkable,  Mrs.  Light,  as  I  supposed 
you  always  exchanged  a  few  words  with  your  guests." 

"  Not  with  the  blacks,  major  ;  it's  apt  to  make  'em  sassy. 
Sassiness  in  a  nigger  is  a  thing  I  can't  abide,  and  therefore 
I  keep  'em  all  at  a  distance.  Well,  the  times  that  I  have 
seen,  major,  since  you  went  off  to  the  wars  !  and  the 
changes  we  have  had  !  Our  clergyman  don't  pray  any 
longer  for  the  king  and  queen — no  more  than  if  there 
wasn't  sich  people  living." 

"  Not  directly,  perhaps,  but  as  a  part  of  the  Church  of 
God,  I  trust.  We  all  pray  for  Congress  now." 

"  Well,  I  hope  good  will  come  out  of  it !  I  must  say, 
major,  that  His  Majesty's  officers  spent  more  freely,  and 
paid  in  better  money,  than  the  continental  gentlemen. 
I've  had  'em  both  here  by  rijjiments,  and  that's  the  char- 
acter I  must  give  'em,  in  honesty." 

"You  will  remember  they  were  richer,  and  had  more 
money  than  our  people.  It  is  easy  for  the  rich  to  appear 
liberal." 

"  Yes,  I  know  that,  sir,  and  you  ought,  and  do  know  it, 
too.  The  Littlepages  are  rich,  and  always  have  been,  and 
they  are  liberal  too.  Lord  bless  your  smiling,  pretty  faces  ! 
I  knowed  your  family  long  afore  you  knowed  it  yourselves. 
I  know'd  old  Captain  Hugh  Roger,  your  great -grand'ther, 
and  the  old  general,  your  grand'ther,  and  nowT  I  know  the 
young  general,  and  you  !  Well,  this  will  not  be  the  last  of 
you,  I  dares  to  say,  and  there'll  be  light  hearts  and  happy 
ones  among  the  Bayards,  I'll  answer  for  it,  now  the  wars 
are  over,  and  young  Major  Littlepage  has  got  back  !  " 

This  terminated  the  discourse  ;  for  by  this  time  I  had 
enough  of  it;  and  making  my  bow,  Kate  and  I  rode  on. 
Still,  I  could  not  but  be  struck  with  the  last  speech  of  the 
old  woman,  and  most  of  all  with  the  manner  in  which  it 
was  uttered.  The  name  of  Bayard  was  well  known  among 
us.  belonging  to  a  family  or  which  there  were  several 


THE  CHAIXB  RARER.  35 

Dranches  spread  through  the  Middle  States,  as  far  south  as 
Delaware  ;  but  I  did  not  happen  to  know  a  single  individ- 
ual of  them  all.  What,  then,  could  my  return  have  to  do 
with  the  smiles  or  frowns  of  any  of  the  name  of  Bayard  ? 
It  was  natural  enough,  after  ruminating  a  minute  or  two 
on  the  subject,  that  I  should  utter  some  of  my  ideas,  on 
such  a  subject,  to  my  companion. 

"  What  could  the  old  woman  mean,  Kate,"  I  abruptly 
commenced,  "  by  saying  there  would  now  be  light  hearts 
•  and  happy  ones  among  the  Bayards?" 

"  Poor  Mrs.  Light  is  a  great  gossip,  Mordaunt,  and  it 
may  be  questioned  if  she  know  her  own  meaning  half  the 
time.  All  the  Bayards  we  know  are  the  family  at  the 
Hickories  ;  and  with  them,  you  have  doubtless  heard,  my 
mother  has  long  been  intimate." 

"  I  have  heard  nothing  about  it,  child.  All  I  know  is, 
that  there  is  a  place  called  the  Hickories,  up  the  river  a 
few  miles,  and  that  it  belongs  to  some  of  the  Bayards ;  but 
I  never  heard  of  any  intimacy.  On  the  contrary,  I  re- 
member to  have  heard  that  there  was  a  lawsuit  once,  be- 
tween my  grandfather  Mordaunt  and  some  old  Bayard  or 
other ;  and  I  thought  we  were  a  sort  of  hereditary  stran- 
gers." 

"  That  is  quite  forgotten,  and  my  mother  says  it  all  arose 
from  a  mistake.  We  are  decided  friends  now." 

"  I'm  sure  I  am  very  glad  to  hear  it  ;  for,  since  it  is 
peace,  let  us  have  peace  ;  though  old  enemies  are  not  apt 
to  make  very  decided  friends." 

"  But  we  never  were — that  is,  my  grandfather  never  was 
an  enemy  of  anybody  ;  and  the  whole  matter  was  amica- 
bly settled  just  before  he  went  to  Europe,  on  his  unfortu- 
nate visit  to  Sir  Harry  Bulstrode.  No — no — my  mother 
will  tell  you,  Mordaunt,  that  the  Littlepages  and 'the  Bay- 
ards now  regard  each  other  as  very  decided  friends." 

Kate  spoke  with  so  much  earnestness  that  I  was  dis- 
posed to  take  a  look  at  her.  The  face  of  the  girl  was 
flushed,  and  I  fancy  she  had  a  secret  consciousness  of  the 
fact ;  for  she  turned  it  from  me  as  if  gazing  at  some  ob- 
ject in  the  opposite  direction,  thereby  preventing  me 
from  seeing  much  of  it. 

"I  am  very  glad  to  learn  all  this,"  I  answered,  a  little 
dryly.  "As  I  am  a  Littlepage,  it  would  have  been  awk- 
ward not  to  have  known  it,  had  I  accidentally  met  with 
one  of  these  Bayards.  Does  the  peace  include  all  of  the 
name,  or  only  those  of  the  Hickories  ?  " 


36  THE  CHA1NBEARER. 

Kate  laughed  ;  then  she  was  pleased  to  tell  me  that  1 
was  to  consider  myself  the  friend  of  all  of  the  name. 

"And  most  especially  of  those  of  the  name  who  dwell 
at  the  Hickories?" 

"  How  many  may  there  be  of  this  especially  peaceful 
breed  ?  six,  a  dozen,  or  twenty  ? " 

"Only  four  ;  so  your  task  will  make  no  very  heavy  de- 
mand on  your  affections.  Your  heart  has  room,  I  trust, 
for  four  more  friends  ?  " 

"  For  a  thousand,  if  I  can  find  them,  my  dear.  I  can 
accept  as  many  friends  as  you  please,  but  have  places  for 
none  else.  All  the  other  niches  are  occupied." 

"  Occupied  ! — I  hope  that  is  not  true,  Mordaunt.  One 
place,  at  least,  is  vacant." 

"  True  ;  I  had  forgotten  a  place  must  be  reserved  for 
the  brother ^w/  will  one  day  give  me.  Well,  name  him,  as 
soon  as  you  please  ;  I  shall  be  ready  to  love  him,  child." 

"  I  may  never  make  so  heavy  a  draft  on  your  affections. 
Anneke  has  given  you  a  brother  already,  and  a  very  excel- 
lent one  he  is,  and  that  ought  to  satisfy  a  reasonable  man." 

"  Ay,  so  all  you  young  women  say  between  fifteen  and 
twenty,  but  you  usually  change  your  mind  in  the  end. 
The  sooner  you  tell  me  who  the  youth  is,  therefore,  the 
sooner  I  shall  begin  to  like  him — is  he  one  of  the  Bay- 
ards t—un  chevalier  sans  peur  et  sans  reproche  ?  " 

Kate  had  a  brilliant  complexion,  in  common  ;  but,  as  I 
now  turned  my  eyes  toward  her  inquiringly,  more  in  mis- 
chief, however,  than  with  the  expectation  of  learning  any- 
thing  new,  I  saw  the  roses  of  her  cheeks  expand  until 
they  covered  her  temples.  The  little  beaver  she  wore,  and 
which  became  her  amazingly,  did  not  suffice  to  conceal 
these  blushes,  and  I  now  really  began  to  suspect  I  had  hit 
on  a  vein  that  was  sensitive.  But  my  sister  was  a  girl 
of  spirit,  and  though  it  was  no  difficult  thing  to  make  her 
change  color,  it  was  by  no  means  easy  to  look  her  down. 
-  "  I  trust  your  new  brother,  Mordaunt,  should  there  ever 
be  such  a  person,  will  be  a  respectable  man,  if  not  abso- 
lutely without  reproach,"  she  answered.  "  But,  if  there  be 
a  Tom  Bayard,  there  is  also  a  Pris  Bayard,  his  sister." 

"  So — so — this  is  all  news  to  me,  indeed !  As  to  Mr. 
Thomas  Bayard,  I  shall  ask  no  questions,  my  interest  in 
him,  if  there  is  to  be  any,  being  altogether  ex  officio,  as  one 
may  say,  and  coming  as  a  matter  of  course  ;  but  you  will 
excuse  me  if  I  am  a  little  curious  on  the  subject  of  Miss 
Priscilla  Bayard,  a  lady,  you  will  remember,  I  never  saw." 


THE  CHAINBEARER.  3? 

My  eye  was  on  Kate  the  whole  time,  and  I  fancied  she 
looked  gratified,  though  she  still  looked  confused. 

"  Ask  what  you  will,  brother — Priscilla  Bayard  can  bear 
a  very  close  examination." 

"  In  the  first  place,  then,  did  that  old  gossip  allude  to 
Miss  Priscilla,  by  saying  there  would  be  light  hearts  and 
happy  ones  among  the  Bayards  ? " 

"  Nay,  I  cannot  answer  for  poor  Mrs.  Light's  conceits. 
Put  your  questions  in  some  other  form." 

"  Is  there  much  intimacy  between  the  people  of  the 
'Bush  and  those  of  the  Hickories  ?" 

"  Great — we  like  them  exceedingly  ;  and  I  think  they  like 

its." 

11  Does  this  intimacy  extend  to  the  young  folk,  or  is  it 
confined  to  the  old  ?" 

"That  is  somewhat  personal,"  said  Kate,  laughing,  "as 
I  happen  to  be  the  only  *  young  folk'  at  the  'Bush,  to 
maintain  the  said  intimacy.  As  there  is  nothing  to  be 
ashamed  of,  however,  but,  on  the  contrary,  much  of  which 
one  may  be  proud,  I  shall  answer  that  it  includes  'all 
ages  and  both  sexes  ;'  everybody  but  yourself,  in  a  word." 

"  And  you  like  old  Mr.  Bayard  ?" 

"  Amazingly." 

"And  old  Mrs.  Bayard?" 

"  She  is  a  very  agreeable  person,  and  an  excellent  wife 
and  mother." 

4<  And  you  love  Pris  Bayard  ?  " 

"  As  the  apple  of  mine  eye,"  the  girl  answered  with  em- 
phasi?. 

"  And  you  like  Tom  Bayard,  her  brother  ?  " 

"  As  much  as  is  decent  and  proper  for  one  young  wo- 
man to  like  the  brother  of  another  young  woman,  whom 
she  admits  that  she  loves  as  the  apple  of  her  eye." 

Although  it  was  not  easy,  at  least  not  easy  for  me,  to 
cause  Kate  Littlepage  to  hold  her  tongue,  it  was  not  easy 
for  her  to  cause  the  tell-tale  blood  always  to  remain  sta- 
tionary. She  was  surprisingly  beautiful  in  her  blushes, 
and  as  much  like  what  I  had  often  fancied  my  dear  mother 
might  have  been  in  her  best  days  as  possible,  at  the  very 
moment  she  was  making  these  replies  as  steadily  as  if  they 
gave  her  no  trouble. 

"  How  is  all  this  then,  connected  with  rejoicings  among 
the  people  of  the  Hickories,  at  my  return  ?  Are  you  the 
betrothed  of  Tom  Bayard,  and  have  you  been  waiting  for 
my  return  to  give  him  your  hand  ?  " 


38  THE  CHAINBEARRR. 

"  I  am  not  the  betrothed  of  Tom  Bayard,  and  have  not 
been  waiting  for  your  return  to  give  him  my  hand,"  an- 
swered Kate,  steadily.  "  As  for  Mrs.  Lights  gossipings. 
you  cannot  expect  me  to  explain  them.  She  gets  her  re- 
ports from  servants,  and  others  of  that  class,  and  you  know 
what  such  reports  are  usually  worth.  But,  as  for  my  wait- 
ing for  your  return,  brother,  in  order  to  announce  such  an 
event,  you  little  know  how  much  I  love  you,  if  you  sup- 
pose I  would  do  any  such  thing." 

Kate  said  this  with  feeling,  and  I  thanked  her  with  my 
eyes,  but  could  not  have  spoken,  and  did  not  speak,  until 
we  had  ridden  some  distance.  After  this  pause,  I  renewed 
the  discourse  with  some  of  its  original  spirit. 

"On  that  subject,  Katrinke,  dear,"  I  said,  "I  trust  we 
understand  each  other.  Single  or  married,  you  will  ever 
be  very  dear  to  me  ;  and  I  own  I  should  be  hurt  to  be  one 
of  the  last  to  learn  your  engagement,  whenever  that  may 
happen.  And  now  for  this  Priscilla  Bayard — do  you  ex- 
pect me  to  like  her?" 

"  Do  I  !  It  would  be  one  of  the  happiest  moments  of 
my  life,  Mordaunt,  when  I  could  hear  you  acknowledge 
that  you  love  her  ! " 

This  was  uttered  with  great  animation,  and  in  a  way  to 
show  that  my  sister  was  very  much  in  earnest.  I  felt 
some  surprise  when  I  put  this  feeling  in  connection  with 
the  landlady's  remarks,  and  began  to  suspect  there  might 
be  something  behind  the  curtain  worthy  of  my  knowledge. 
Jn  order  to  make  discoveries,  however,  it  was  necessary  to 
pursue  the  discourse. 

"  Of  what  age  is  Miss  Bayard  ?  "  I  demanded. 

"  She  is  two  months  my  senior — very  suitable,  is  it  not  ?" 

"  I  do  not  object  to  the  difference,  which  will  do  very 
well.  Is  she  accomplished  ?" 

"  Not  very.  You  know  few  of  us  girls  who  have  been 
educated  during  the  revolution,  can  boast  of  much  in 
that  way  ;  though  Priscilla  is  better  than  common." 

"  Than  of  her  class,  you  mean,  of  course  ? " 

"  Certainly — better  than  most  young  ladies  of  our  best 
families." 

"Is  she  amiable  ?" 

"As  Anneke,  herself!" 

This  was  saying  a  great  deal,  our  eldest  sister,  as  often 
happens  in  families,  being  its  paragon  in  the  way  of  all 
the  virtues,  and  Anneke's  temper  being  really  serenity 
itself. 


THE  CHAINBEARER.  39 

"  You  give  her  a  high  character,  and  one  few  girls  could 
sustain.  Is  she  sensible  and  well-informed  ? " 

"  Enough  so  as  often  to  make  me  feel  ashamed  of  my- 
self. She  lias  an  excellent  mother,  Mordaunt  ;  and  I  have 
heard  you  say,  often,  that  the  mother  would  have  great 
influence  with  you  in  choosing  a  wife." 

"  That  must  have  been  when  I  was  very  young,  child, 
before  I  went  to  the  army,  where  we  look  more  at  the 
young  than  at  the  old  women.  But,  why  a  wife  ?  Is  it 
all  settled  between  the  old  people,  that  I  am  to  propose 
to  this  Priscilla  Bayard,  and  are  you  a  party  to  the 
scheme  ?  " 

Kate  laughed  with  all  her  heart,  but  I  fancied  she  looked 
conscious. 

"  You  make  no  answer,  young  lady,  and  you  must  per- 
mit me  to  remind  you  that  there  is  an  express  compact 
between  you  and  me  to  treat  each  other  frankly  on  all  oc- 
casions. This  is  one  on  which  I  especially  desire  to  see 
the  conditions  of  the  treaty  rigidly  enforced.  Does  any 
such  project  exist  ? " 

"  Not  as  a  project,  discussed  and  planned — no — certainly 
not.  No,  a  thousand  times,  no.  But  I  shall  run  the  risk 
of  frustrating  one  of  my  most  cherished  hopes,  by  saying, 
honestly,  that  you  could  not  gratify  my  dear  mother,  aunt 
Mary,  and  myself,  more  than  by  falling  in  love  with  Pris 
Bayard.  We  all  love  her  ourselves,  and  we  wish  you  to 
be  of  the  party,  knowing  that  your  love  would  probably 
lead  to  a  connection  we  should  all  like,  more  than  I 
can  express.  There  ;  you  cannot  complain  of  a  want  of 
frankness,  for  I  have  heard  it  said,  again  and  again,  that 
the  wishes  of  friends,  indiscreetly  expressed,  are  very  apt 
to  set  young  men  against  the  very  person  it  is  desired  to 
make  them  admire." 

"  Quite  likely  to  be  true  as  a  rule,  though  in  my  case  no 
effect,  good  or  bad,  will  be  produced.*  But  how  do  the 
Bayards  feel  in  this  matter  ? " 

"  How  should  I  know  !  Of  course,  no  allusion  has  ever 
been  made  to  any  of  the  family  on  the  subject ;  and,  as 
none  of  them  know  you,  it  is  im — that  is,  no  allusion — I 
mean — certainly  not  to  more  than  one  of  them.  I  believe 
some  vague  remarks  may  have  been  ventured  to  one— 
but " 

<:  By  yourself,  and  to  your  friend  Pris  ?" 

"Never" — said  Kate,  with  emphasis.  "Such  a  subject 
could  never  be  mentioned  between  us." 


&  THE  CHAINBEARZR. 

"  Then  it  must  have  been  between  the  old  ladies — the 
two  mothers,  probably  ? " 

"  I  should  think  not.  Mrs.  Bayard  is  a  woman  of  re- 
serve, and  mamma  has  an  extreme  sense  of  propriety,  as 
you  know  yourself,  that  would  not  be  likely  to  permit 
such  a  thing." 

"  Would  the  general  think  of  contracting  me,  when  my 
back  was  turned  ? " 

"Not  he — papa  troubles  himself  very  little  about  such 
things.  Ever  since  his  return  home,  he  has  been  courting 
mamma  over  again,  he  tells  us." 

"  Surely,  aunt  Mary  has  not  found  words  for  such  an 
allusion  ! " 

"  She,  indeed  !  Poor,  dear  aunt  Mary  ;  it  is  little  she 
meddles  with  any  one's  concerns  but  her  own.  Do  you 
know,  Mordaunt,  that  mamma  has  told  me  the  whole  of 
her  story  lately;  and  the  reason  why  she  has  refused  so 
many  excellent  offers.  I  dare  say,  if  you  ask  her,  she  will 
tell  you" 

"  I  know  the  whole  story  already,  from  the  general, 
child.  But,  if  this  matter  has  been  alluded  to,  to  one  of 
the  Bayards,  and  neither  my  father,  mother,  nor  aunt  Mary, 
has  made  the  allusion  on  our  side,  and  neither  Mr.  Bay- 
ard, his  wife,  nor  daughter,  has  been  the  party  to  whom 
the  allusion  has  been  made  on  the  other,  there  remain 
only  yourself  and  Tom  to  hold  the  discourse.  I  beg  you 
to  explain  this  point  with  your  customary  frankness." 

Kate  Littlepage's  face  was  scarlet.  She  was  fairly 
caught,  though  I  distrusted  the  truth  from  the  moment  she 
so  stammered  and  hesitated  in  correcting  her  first  state- 
ment. I  will  own  I  enjoyed  the  girl's  confusion,  it  made 
her  appear  so  supremely  lovely  ;  and  I  was  almost  as  proud 
of  her,  as  I  tenderly  loved  her.  Dear,  dear  Kate  ;  from 
my  childhood  I  had  my  own  amusement  with  her,  though 
I  do  not  remember  anything  like  a  harsh  expression,  or  an 
unkind  feeling,  that  has  ever  passed,  or  indeed  existed, 
between  us.  A  finer  study  than  the  face  of  my  sister 
offered  for  the  next  minute,  was  never  presented  to  the  eye 
of  man  ;  and  I  enjoyed  it  so  much  the  more,  from  a  strong 
conviction  that,  while  so  deeply  confused,  she  was  not  un- 
happy. Native  ingenuousness,  maiden  modesty,  her  habit 
of  frank  dealing  with  me,  and  a  wish  to  continue  so  to 
deal,  were  all  struggling  together  in  her  fine  countenance, 
forming  altogether  one  of  the  most  winning  pictures  of 
womanly  feelings  I  had  ever  witnessed.  At  length,  the 


THE  CHA1NBEARER.  4I 

love  of  fair-dealing,  and  love  of  me,  prevailed  over  a  fac- 
titious shame  ;  the  color  settled  back  to  those  cheeks 
whence  it  had  appeared  to  flash,  as  it  might  be,  remain- 
ing just  enough  heightened  to  be  remarked,  and  Kate 
looked  toward  me  in  a  way  that  denoted  all  the  sisterly 
confidence  and  regard  that  she  actually  felt. 

"  I  did  not  intend  to  be  the  one  to  communicate  to  you 
a  fact,  Mordaunt,  in  which  I  know  you  will  feel  a  deep 
interest,  for  I  had  supposed  my  mother  would  save  me  the 
confusion  of  telling  it  to  you ;  but,  now,  there  is  no  choice 
between  resorting  to  equivocations  that  I  do  not  like,  and 
using  our  old  long-established  frankness." 

"The  long  and  short  of  which,  my  dear  sister,  is  to  say 
that  you  are  engaged  to  Mr.  Bayard  ?  " 

"  No  ;  not  as  strong  as  that,  brother.  Mr.  Bayard  has 
offered,  and  my  answer  is  deferred  until  you  have  met  him. 
I  would  not  engage  myself,  Mordaunt,  until  you  approved 
of  my  choice." 

"  I  feel  the  compliment,  Katrinke,  and  will  be  certain  to 
repay  it,  in  kind.  Depend  on  itty0u  shall  know,  in  proper 
season,  when  it  is  my  wish  to  marry,  and  shall  be  heard." 

"There  is  a  difference  between  the  claims  of  an  elder 
and  an  only  brother,  and  of  a  mere  girl,  who  ought  to 
place  much  dependence  on  the  advice  of  friends,  in  making 
her  own  selection." 

"  You  will  not  be  a  *  mere  girl '  when  that  time  comes, 
but  a  married  woman  yourself,  and  competent  to  give  good 
counsel  from  your  own  experience.  To  return  to  Tom, 
however  ;  he  is  the  member  of  his  family  to  whom  the  al- 
lusion was  made  ? " 

''  He  was,  Mordaunt,"  answered  Kate,  in  a  low  voice. 

"  And  you  were  the  person  who  made  it  ?  " 

"  Very  true — we  were  talking  of  you,  one  day  ;  and  I 
expressed  a  strong  hope  that  you  would  see  Priscilla  with 
the  eyes  with  which,  I  can  assure  you,  all  the  rest  of  your 
family  see  her.  That  was  all." 

"  And  that  was  quite  enough,  child,  to  cause  Tom  Bayard 
to  hang  himself,  if  he  were  a  lover  of  the  true  temper." 

"  Hang  himself,  brother !  I  am  sure  I  do  not  under- 
stand why  ?" 

"  Oh  !  merely  at  the  palpable  discouragement  such  a  wish 
would  naturally  convey  to  the  brother  of  the  young  lady, 
since  he  must  have  seen  you  were  willing  to  connect  the 
two  families  by  means  other  than  giving  him  your  owl 
hand." 


42  THE  CHA1NBEARER. 

Kate  laughed  ;  but  as  she  did  not  look  much  confused, 
or  at  all  alarmed,  I  was  induced  to  believe  that  more  im- 
portant encouragement  than  could  be  afforded  by  means 
of  her  wish  of  marrying  me  to  her  suitor's  sister  had  been 
given  Master  Tom,  and  that  my  disapproval  of  the  gentle- 
man would  cause  her  more  concern  than  she  chose  to 
avow.  We  rode  on,  however,  some  little  distance,  without 
cither's  offering  to  renew  the  discourse.  At  length,  as 
became  my  sex,  I  spoke. 

"  When  am  I  to  see  this  paragon  young  man  and  paragon 
young  woman,  Kate,  since  see  both  I  must  ? " 

"Not  paragon  young  man,  brother  ;  I  am  certain  I  have 
called  him  by  no  such  name  ;  Tom  Bayard  is  a  good 'fellow ; 
but  I  do  not  know  that  he  is  by  any  means  a  paragon." 

"  He  is  a  good-looking  fellow  in  the  bargain,  I  take  it  for 
granted  ? " 

"  Not  so  much  so  as  you  are  yourself,  if  that  will  gratify 
your  vanity." 

"  It  ought  to,  coming  from  such  a  quarter  ;  my  question 
5s  still  unanswered,  notwithstanding." 

"  To  own  the  truth  to  you,  Mordaunt,  I  expect  we  shall 
find  Tom  Bayard  and  Pris  at  Satanstoe,  to  dine  with  my 
grandmother.  She  wrote  me  word,  a  day  or  two  since,  that 
both  are  asked,  and  that  she  hoped  both  would  accept." 

"  The  old  lady  is  then  in  the  plot,  and  intends  to  marry 
me,  will  ye,  nill  ye  ?  I  had  thought  this  visit  altogether  a 
scheme  of  my  own." 

Kate  again  laughed,  and  told  me  I  might  make  my  own 
observations  on  that  point,  and  judge  for  myself.  As  for 
the  visit,  I  had  only  accidentally  favored  a  project  of  others. 
The  conversation  now  changed,  and  for  several  miles  we 
rode  along,  conversing  of  the  scenes  of  the  war,  without 
adverting  to  the  Bayards  or  to  marriages. 

We  were  within  half  a  mile  of  the  gate  of  the  Neck,  and 
within  a  mile  of  the  house,  when  we  met  Jaap  returning  to 
Lilacsbush,  and  carrying  some  fruit  to  my  mother,  after 
having  discharged  his  commission  of  an  avant-courier. 
From  Kate's  remark  I  had  discovered  we  had  been  invited 
by  letter  to  take  this  excursion,  though  the  ceremony  of 
sending  the  negro  across  with  his  message  had  been  ob- 
served for  reasons  that  were  not  very  natural  under  the 
circumstances.  I  made  no  remark,  however,  determining 
to  see  and  judge  for  myself. 

As  a  matter  of  course,  we  drew  our  reins,  and  stopped  fa 
exchange  a  few  words  with  the  black. 


THE  CHAINBEARER.  43 

M  Well,  Jaap,  how  did  the  Neck  look,  after  so  long  an 
absence?"  I  inquired. 

"  It  look,  sah,  no  means  as  well  as  ole  Missus,  who  do 
look  capital,  for  such  a  lady !  Dey  do  won'ers  with  'e 
Neck,  sah,  if  you  just  believe  all  young  nigger  say.  But 
what  you  t'ink,  Masser  Mordy,  I  hear  at  'e  tavern,  where 
I  jist  stop,  sah,  to  water  ole  Dick  ? " 

"And  to  get  a  sup  of  cider  for  old  Jaap" — hereupon 
the  negro  laughed  heartily,  though  he  had  the  impudence 
neither  to  own  nor  to  deny  the  imputation,  his  weakness 
in  favor  of  "wring-jaw"  being  a  well-established  failing — 
"Well,  what  did  you  hear,  while  taking  down  the  usual 
mug  ? " 

"  I  on'y  get  half  a  mug,  dis  time,  rah  ;  ole,  ole  Missus 
nebber  forgettin'  to  give  me  jist  as  much  as  I  want.  Well, 
sah,  while  old  Dick  drink,  'e  new  landlady,  who  come  from 
Connetick,  you  know,  sah,  she  say  to  me,  '  Where  you  go, 
ole  color'  gentleum  ?'  Dat  war'  civil,  anyhow." 

"To  which  you  answered " 

"  I  answer  her,  sah,  and  say  I  go  to  Satanstoe,  whar'  I 
come  from,  long  time  'go." 

.    "  Whereupon  she    made  some  observation    or  other — 
well,  what  was  it  ? — You  keep  Miss  Littlepage  waiting." 

"  Lor'  bless  her,  sah — it  my  business  to  wait  on  Miss 
Katrinke,  not  her  business  to  wait  on  me — why  you  speak 
so  droll,  now,  Masser  Mordy  ? " 

"Nevermind  all  that,  Jaap,  what  did  the  new  Connecti- 
cut lady  say,  when  you  told  her  you  were  going  to  Satans- 
toe, the  place  where  you  had  come  from,  a  long  time  ago  ? " 

"  What  she  say,  Masser  Mordy,  sah  ! — she  say  great  fool- 
ishness, and  make  me  mad.  *  What  you  call  by  dat  awful 
name  ? '  she  say,  making  face  like  as  if  she  see  a  spook. 
1  You  must  mean  Dibbleton,'  she  say — '  dat  'e  way  all  'e 
people  as  is  genteel  call  'e  Neck  ? '  Did  you  ebber  hear  'e 
like,  sah?" 

"  Oh  !  yes  ;  I  heard  the  like  of  it,  as  soon  as  I  was  born  ; 
the  attempt  to  change  the  name  of  our  old  place  having 
existed  now,  these  thirty  years.  Why,  some  people  call 
Hellgate,  Hurlgate  ;  after  that,  one  may  expect  anything. 
Do  you  not  know,  Jaap,  a  Yankee  is  never  satisfied,  unless 
he  is  effecting  changes  ?  One  half  his  time  h<*  is  altering 
the  pronunciation  of  his  own  names,  and  the  other  half  he 
is  altering  ours.  Let  him  call  the  place  what  he  will,  you 
and  I  will  stick  to  Satanstoe." 

"  Dat  we  will,  sah — gib  'e  debbil  his  due,  sah  ;  dat  an  ole 


44  THE  CHA1NBEARER. 

sayin'.  I'm  sure  anybody  as  has  eyes,  can  see  where 
his  toe  hab  turn  up  'e  sile,  and  shape  it  he  own  way — no 
dibble  dere,  sah." 

Thus  saying,  Jaap  rode  on,  my  sister  and  myself  doing 
the  same,  pursuing  the  discourse  that  had  thus  acciden- 
tally arisen  among  us. 

"  Is  it  not  odd,  brother,  that  strangers  should  have  this 
itching  to  alter  the  name  of  my  grandmother's  place  ? " 
said  Kate,  after  we  had  parted  from  the  black.  "  It  is  a 
homely  name,  certainly  ;  but  it  has  been  used,  now,  a  good 
deal  more  than  a  century,  and  time,  at  least,  should 
entitle  it  to  be  let  alone." 

"  Ay,  my  dear ;  but  you  are  not  yet  aware  of  the  de- 
sires, and  longings,  and  efforts,  and  ambition  of  a  *  little 
learning.'  I  have  seen  enough,  in  my  short  career,  to 
know  there  is  a  spirit  up  among  us,  that  calls  itself  by  the 
pretending  title  of  the  'spirit  of  improvement,'  which  is 
likely  to  overturn  more  important  things  than  the  name  of 
our  poor  Neck.  It  is  a  spirit  that  assumes  the  respectable 
character  of  a  love  of  liberty  ;  and  under  that  mask,  it 
gives  play  to  malice,  envy,  covetousness,  rapacity,  and  all 
the  lowest  passions  of  our  nature.  Among  other  things, 
it  takes  the  provincial  pretence  of  a  mock-refinement,  and 
flatters  an  elegance  of  thought  that  is  easiest  attained  by 
those  who  have  no  perceptions  of  anything  truly  elevated, 
by  substituting  sqeamishness  and  affectations  for  the  sim- 
plicity of  nature,  and  a  good  tone  of  manners." 


CHAPTER  IV. 

Beat.    "Against  my  will,  I  am  sent  to  bid  you  come  in  to  dinner.'* 
Bene.    "Fair  Beatrice,  I  thank  you  for  your  pains." 
Beat.    "I  took  no  more  pains  for  these  thanks,  than 

You  take  pains  to  thank  me  ;  if  it  had  been  painful, 
I  would  not  have  come." — Miich  Ado  About  Nothing. 

IN  the  porch  of  the  house  at  Satanstoe  stood  my  dear 
grandmother  and  the  notable  Tom  Bayard,  to  receive  us. 
The  first  glance  at  the  latter  told  me  that  he  was  a  "proper 
man  ; "  and  by  the  second,  I  got  the  pleasing  assurance 
that  he  had  no  eye,  just  then,  but  for  Kate.  This  was 
pleasant  to  know,  as  I  never  could  have  been  happy  in 
consenting  to  yield  that  dear  girl  to  any  but  a  man  who 


THE  CHAINBEARER.  45 

appreciated  her  worth,  and  fully  admired  her  beauty.  As 
to  my  dear  "  ole,  ole  "  grandmother,  who  was  not  so  very 
old  neither,  being  still  under  seventy,  her  reception  of  us 
was  just  what  I  had  ever  found  it ;  warm,  affectionate,  and 
gentle.  She  called  my  father,  the  general,  Corny,  even 
when  she  spjke  to  him  in  a  room  full  of  company  ;  though, 
for  that  matter,  I  have  heard  my  mother,  who  was  much 
more  of  a  woman  of  the  world,  having  lived  a  great  deal 
in  society,  do  the  same  thing,  when  she  thought  herself 
alone.  I  have  read  some  priggish  book  or  other,  written 
no  doubt  by  one  who  knew  men  only  through  pages  like 
his  own,  decry  such  familiarities  ;  but  1  have  generally 
found  those  the  happiest  families,  and  at  the  bottom,  the 
best  toned,  where  it  was  Jack,  and  Tom,  and  Bob,  and 
Dick,  and  Bess,  and  Di.  As  for  your  Louisa  Adelinas, 
and  Robert  Augustuses,  and  all  such  elaborate  respect,  I 
frankly  declare  I  have  a  contempt  for  it.  Those  are  the 
sort  of  people  who  would  call  Satanstoe,  Dibbleton  ;  Hell- 
gate,  Hurlgate  ;  and  themselves  accomplished.  Thank 
heaven,  we  had  no  such  nonsense  at  Lilacsbush,  or  at  the 
Neck.  My  father  was  Corny ;  my  mother,  Anneke  ;  Ka- 
trinke,  Kate  ;  and  I  was  Mordy,  or  Mord  ;  or,  when  there 
was  no  hurry,  Mordaunt. 

Tom  Bayard  met  my  salutations  frankly,  and  with  a 
gentlemanlike  ease,  though  there  was  a  slight  color  on  his 
cheek  which  said  to  me,  "  I  mean  to  get  your  sister."  Yet 
I  liked  the  fellow's  manner.  There  was  no  grasping  of  the 
hand,  and  coming  forward  to  rush  into  an  intimacy  at  the 
first  moment  we  met  ;  but  he  returned  my  bow  graciously 
and  gracefully,  and  his  smile  as  he  did  so  seemed  to  invite 
farther  and  better  acquaintance. 

Now  I  have  seen  a  man  cross  a  whole  room  to  shake 
hands  at  an  introduction  to  an  utter  stranger,  and  maintain 
a  countenance  the  whole  time  as  sombre  as  if  he  were 
condoling  with  him  on  the  loss  of  his  wife.  This  habit  of 
shaking  hands  dolefully  is  growing  among  us,  and  is  im- 
ported from  some  of  our  sister  States  ;  for  it  is  certainly 
not  a  New  York  custom,  except  among  intimates  ;  and  it 
is  a  bad  usage  in  my  opinion,  as  it  destroys  one  of  the  best 
means  of  graduating  feelings,  and  is  especially  ungraceful 
at  an  introduction.  But  alas !  there  are  so  many  such  in- 
novations, that  one  cannot  pretend  to  predict  where  they 
are  to  stop.  I  never  shook  hands  at  an  introduction, 
unless  it  were  under  my  own  roof,  and  when  I  wished  to 
denote  a  decidedly  hospitable  feeling,  until  after  I  was 


0  THE  CHAINBEARER. 

forty.  It  was  thought  vulgar  in  my  younger  days,  and  I 
am  not  quite  certain  it  is  not  thought  so  now. 

In  the  little  old-fashioned  drawing-room,  as  of  late  years 
my  good  grandmother  had  been  persuaded  to  call  what 
was  once  only  the  best  parlor,  we  found  Miss  Priscilla 
Bayard,  who  for  some  reason  that  was  unexplained,  did 
not  come  to  the  porch  to  meet  her  friend.  She  was  in 
truth  a  charming  girl,  with  fine  dark  eyes,  glossy  hair,  a 
delicate  and  lady-like  form,  and  a  grace  of  manner  that 
denoted  perfect  familiarity  with  the  best  company  of  the 
land.  Kate  and  Pris  embraced  each  other  with  a  warmth 
and  sincerity  that  spoke  in  favor  of  each,  and  with  perfect 
nature.  An  affected  American  girl,  by  the  way,  is  very 
uncommon  ;  and  nothing  strikes  me  sooner,  when  I  see  my 
own  countrywomen  placed  at  the  side  of  Europeans,  than 
the  difference  in  this  respect ;  the  one  seems  so  natural, 
while  the  other  is  so  artificial ! 

My  own  reception  by  Miss  Bayard  was  gracious,  though 

1  fancied  it  was  not  entirely  free   from  the  consciousness 
of  having,  on  some  idle  occasion,  heard  her  own  name  in- 
timately connected  with   mine.      Perhaps   Kate,  in  their 
confidential  moments,  may  have  said  something  to  this 
effect ;  or  I  may  have  been  mistaken. 

My  grandmother  soon  announced  that  the  whole  party 
was  to  pass  the  night-  at  Satanstoe.  As  we  were  accus- 
tomed to  such  plans,  neither  Kate  nor  myself  raised  the 
least  objection,  while  the  Bayards  submitted  to  orders, 
which  I  soon  discovered  even  they  were  not  unused  to, 
with  perfect  good  will  and  submission.  Thus  brought  to- 
gether, in  the  familiarity  of  a  quiet  and  small  party  in  a 
country  house,  we  made  great  progress  in  intimacy ;  and 
by  the  time  dinner  was  over,  or  by  four  o'clock,  I  felt  like 
an  old  acquaintance  with  those  who  had  so  lately  been 
strangers  to  me,  even  by  name.  As  for  Bayard  and  my 
sister,  they  were  in  the  best  of  humors  from  the  start,  and 
I  felt  satisfied  their  affair  was  a  settled  thing  in  their  own 
minds  ;  but  Miss  Priscilla  was  a  little  under  constraint  for 
an  hour  or  two,  like  a  person  who  felt  a  slight  embarrass- 
ment. This  wore  off,  however,  and  long  before  we  left  the 
table  she  had  become  entirely  herself ;  and  a  very  charm- 
ing self  it  was,  I  was  forced  to  admit.  I  say  forced  ;  for 
spite  of  all  I  had  said,  and  a  certain  amount  of  good  sense, 
I  hope,  it  was  impossible  to  get  rid  of  the  distrust  which 
accompanied  the  notion  that  J  was  expected  to  fall  in  love 
with  the  young  lady.  My  poor  grandmother  contributed 


THE  CHAINBEARER.  47 

ner  share,  too,  to  keeping  this  feeling  alive.  The  mannei 
in  which  she  looked  from  one  to  the  other,  and  the  satis- 
fied smile  that  passed  over  her  countenance  whenever  she 
observed  Pris  and  myself  conversing  freely,  betrayed  to  me 
completely  that  she  was  in  the  secret,  and  had  a  hand  in 
what  I  chose  to  regard  as  a  sort  of  plot. 

I  had  heard  that  my  grandmother  had  set  her  heart  on 
the  marriage  of  my  parents  a  year  or  two  before  matters 
came  round,  and  that  she  always  fancied  she  had  been  very 
instrumental  in  forming  a  connection  that  had  been  as 
happy  as  her  own.  The  recollection,  or  the  fancy  of  this 
success  most  probably  encouraged  her  to  take  a  share  in 
the  present  scheme  ;  and  I  have  always  supposed  that  she 
got  us  all  together  on  that  occasion  in  order  to  help  the 
great  project  along. 

A  walk  on  the  Neck  was  proposed  in  the  cool  of  the 
evening;  for  Satanstoe  had  many  a  pleasant  path,  pretty 
vista,  and  broad  view.  Away  we  went,  then,  the  four  of 
iis,  Kate  leading  the  way,  as  the  person  most  familiar  with 
the  "  capabilities."  We  were  soon  on  the  shore  of  the 
Sound,  and  at  a  point  where  a  firm,  wide  beach  of  sand 
had  been  left  by  the  receding  waters,  rocks  fringing  the 
inner  boundary  toward  the  main.  Here  one  could  walk 
without  confinement  of  any  sort,  there  being  room  to  go 
in  pairs,  or  all  abreast,  as  we  might  choose.  Miss  Bayard 
seeming  a  little  coy,  and  manifesting  a  desire  to  keep  near 
her  friend,  I  abandoned  the  intention  of  walking  at  her 
side,  but  fell  behind  a  little,  and  got  into  discourse  with 
her  brother.  Nor  was  I  sorry  to  have  this  early  oppor- 
tunity of  sounding  the  party  who  was  likely  soon  to  be- 
come so  nearly  connected  with  me.  After  a  few  minutes, 
the  conversation  turned  on  the  late  revolution,  and  the 
manner  in  which  it  was  likely  to  influence  the  future  fort- 
unes of  the  country.  I  knew  that  a  portion  of  the  family 
of  my  companion  had  adhered  to  the  crown,  losing  their 
estates  by  the  act  of  confiscation  ;  but  I  also  knew  that  a 
portion  did  not,  and  I  was  left  to  infer  that  Tom's  branch 
belonged  to  the  latter  division  of  his  name,  inasmuch  as 
his  father  was  known  to  be  very  easy  in  his  circumstances, 
if  not  absolutely  rich.  It  was  not  long,  however,  before  I 
ascertained  that  my  new  friend  was  a  mild  tory,  and  that 
he  would  have  been  better  pleased  had  the  rights  we  had 
sought,  and  which  he  was  willing  enough  to  admit  had 
been  violated,  been  secured  without  a  separation  of  the 
two  countries.  As  the  Littlepages  had  actually  been  is 


jg  THR  CHAINBRARER. 

arms  against  the  crown,  three  generations  of  them,  too,  at 
the  same  time,  and  the  fact  could  be  no  secret,  I  was 
pleased  with  the  candor  with  which  Tom  Bayard  expressed 
his  opinions  on  these  points  ;  for  it  spoke  well  of  the  truth 
and  general  sincerity  of  his  character. 

"  Does  it  not  strike  you  as  a  necessary  consequence  of 
the  distance  between  the  two  countries,"  I  remarked  in  the 
course  of  the  conversation,  "  that  a  separation  must,  sooner 
or  later,  have  occurred  ?  It  is  impossible  that  two  coun- 
tries should  long  have  common  rulers  when  they  are  di- 
vided by  an  ocean.  Admitting  that  our  separation  has 
been  a  little  premature,  a  circumstance  I  should  deny  in  a 
particular  discussion,  it  is  an  evil  that  every  hour  has  a 
tendency  to  lessen." 

"  Separations  in  families  are  always  painful,  Major  Little- 
page  ;  when  accompanied  by  discussions,  doubly  so." 

"  Quite  true  ;  yet  they  always  happen.  If  not  in  this 
generation,  in  the  next." 

"  I  do  think,"  said  Tom  Bayard,  looking  at  me  a  little 
imploringly,  "  that  we  might  have  got  along  with  our  diffi- 
culties without  casting  aside  our  allegiance  to  the  king." 

"  Ay,  that  has  been  the  stumbling-block  with  thousands  ; 
and  yet  it  is,  in  truth,  the  very  weakest  part  of  the  transat- 
lantic side  of  the  question.  Of  what  avail  is  allegiance  to 
the  king,  if  parliament  uses  its  power  in  a  way  to  make 
American  interests  subservient  to  those  of  England  ?  A 
great  deal  may  be  said,  that  is  reasonable,  in  favor  of  kingly 
power  ;  that  I  am  ready  enough  to  allow ;  but  very  little 
that  renders  one  people  subject  to  another.  This  thing  called 
loyalty  blinds  men  to  facts,  and  substitutes  a  fancied  for  a 
real  power.  The  question  has  been,  whether  England,  by 
means  of  a  parliament  in  which  we  have  no  representative, 
is  to  make  laws  for  us  or  nojt  ;  and  not  whether  George  III. 
is  to  be  our  sovereign,  or  whether  we  are  to  establish  the 
sovereignty  of  the  people."  * 

*  [This  short  dialogue  is  given  in  the  text,  because  it  is  found  in  Mr. 
Mordaunt  Littlepage's  manuscript,  and  not  because  the  state  of  feeling  in 
this  country  to-day  has  any  connection  with  the  opinions  expressed.  The 
American  nation,  as  a  whole,  is  now  as  completely  emancipated  from  Eng- 
lish political  influence,  as  if  the  latter  never  had  an  existence.  The  eman- 
cipation is  too  complete,  indeed,  the  effect  having  brought  with  it  a  reac- 
tion that  is,  on  many  points,  running  into  error  in  a  contrary  direction  ; 
the  third  of  our  manuscripts  having  something  to  do  with  these  excesses  of 
opinion.  But  Mr.  Mordaunt  Littlepage  appears  to  have  some  near  glim- 
merings of  the  principles  which  lay  at  the  root  of  the  American  revolution, 
though  the  principle  itself  does  not  appear  to  have  been  openly  recognized 


THE  CHAINBEARER.  4g 

Bayard  bowed,  civilly  enough,  to  my  remark,  and  he 
changed  the  subject.  Sufficient  had  been  said,  however, 
to  satisfy  me  that  there  would  be  little  political  sympathy 
between  us,  let  the  family  tie  be  drawn  as  close  as  it  might. 
The  girls  joined  us  before  we  had  got  altogether  into 
another  vein  of  discourse,  and  I  was  a  little  chagrined  at 
finding  that  Kate  entered  rather  more  into  her  admirer's 
views  of  such  subjects  than  comported  with  the  true  feel- 
ings, as  I  fancied,  of  a  Littlepage,  after  all  that  had  passed. 
Still,  as  I  should  have  liked  the  woman  I  loved  to  agree 
with  me  in  opinion  as  much  as  possible  in  everything,  I 
was  not  disposed  to  judge  harshly  of  my  sister  on  that  ac- 
count. On  the  other  hand,  to  my  surprise,  T  found  Miss 
Priscilla  a  zealous,  and,  to  say  the  truth,  a  somewhat  blind 
patriot ;  condemning  England,  the  king,  and  the  efforts  of 
parliament  with  a  warmth  that  was  only  equal  to  that  with 
which  she  defended  everything,  act,  measure,  principle,  or 
policy,  that  was  purely  American. 

I  cannot  say  I  had  as  much  tolerance  for  the  patriotism 
of  Miss  Bayard  as  I  had  for  the  petit  treason  of  my  sister. 
It  seemed  natural  enough  that  Kate  should  begin  to  look  at 
things  of  this  nature  with  the  eyes  of  the  man  she  had  made 
up  her  mind  to  marry  ;  but  it  looked  far  more  like  man- 
agement in  her  friend,  who  belonged  to  a  tory  family,  to 
volunteer  so  freely  the  sentiments  of  one  she  could  not  yet 
love,  inasmuch  as  until  that  day  she  had  never  even  seen 
him. 

"  Is  it  not  so,  Major  Littlepage  ?"  cried  this  lovely  creat- 
ure, for  very  lovely  she  was,  beyond  all  dispute ;  and 
feminine  and  delicate,  and  lady-like,  and  all  I  could  have 
wished  her,  had  she  only  been  a  little  less  of  a  whig,  and  a 
good  deal  more  of  a  tory  ;  her  eyes  sparkling  and  flashing, 
at  the  same  time,  as  if  she  felt  all  she  was  saying  from  the 
very  bottom  of  her  heart — "  Is  it  not  so,  Major  Littlepage  ? 

anywhere  at  the  time.  The  king  of  England  was  originally  kin/;  of  America, 
as  he  was  king  of  Ireland,  and  king  of  Scotland.  It  is  true,  there  was  no 
American  flag,  the  system  excluding  the  colonies  from  any  power  on  the 
ocean  ;  then  each  colony  existed  as  independent  of  the  others,  except 
through  their  common  allegiance.  The  revolution  of  1688  slowly  brought 
parliament  into  the  ascendant  ;  and  by  the  time  George  III.  ascended  the 
throne,  that  ascendency  had  got  to  be  almost  undisputed.  Now,  America 
had  no  proper  connection  with  parliament,  which,  in  that  day,  represented 
England  and  Wales  only ;  and  this  was  a  state  of  things  which  made  one 
country  dependent  on  the  other,  a  subserviency  of  interests  that  clearly 
could  last  only  so  long  as  the  party  governed  was  too  weak  to  take  care  of 
ilself.J 


50  THE  CHAINBEARER. 

— America  has  come  out  of  this  war  with  imperishable 
glory  ;  and  her  history,  a  thousand  years  hence,  will  'be 
the  wonder  and  admiration  of  all  who  read  it  !  " 

"That  will  somewhat  depend  on  what  her  history  may 
prove  to  be,  between  that  day  and  this.  The  early  history 
of  all  great  nations  fills  us  with  admiration  and  interest, 
while  mightier  deeds  effected  by  an  insignificant  people 
are  usually  forgotten." 

"  Still,  this  revolution  has  been  one  of  which  any  nation 
might  have  been  proud  !  " 

As  it  would  not  have  been  proper  to  deny  this  I  bowed, 
and  strayed  a  little  from  the  rest  of  the  party,  under  the 
pretence  of  looking  for  shells.  My  sister  soon  joined  me, 
when  the  following  short  conversation  passed  between  its. 

"You  find  Pris  Bayard  a  stanch  whig,  Major  Littlepage," 
commenced  my  warm-hearted  sister. 

"Very  much  so  ;  but  I  had  supposed  the  Bayards  exces- 
sively neutral,  if  not  absolutely  the  other  way." 

"  Oh  !  that  is  true  enough  of  most  of  them,  but  not  with 
Pris,  who  has  long  been  a  decided  whig.  There  is  Tom, 
now,  rather  moderate  in  his  opinions,  while  the  father  and 
mother  are  what  you  call  excessively  neutral  ;  but  Pris 
has  been  a  whig  almost  as  long  as  I  have  known  her." 

"  Almost  as  long  !     She  was,  then,  a  tory  once  ? " 

"  Hardly  ;  though  certainly  her  opinions  have  undergone 
a  very  gradual  change.  We  are  both  young,  you  will  re- 
member ;  and  girls  at  their  first  coming  out  do  very  little 
of  their  own  thinking.  For  the  last  three  years,  certainly, 
or  since  she  was  seventeen,  Pris  has  been  getting  to  be 
more  and  more  of  a  whig,  and  less  and  less  of  a  tory.  Do 
you  not  find  her  decidedly  handsome,  Mordaunt  ? " 

"Very  decidedly  so,  and  very  winning  in  all  that  belongs 
to  her  sex — gentle,  feminine,  lady-like,  lovely,  and  withal 
a  whig." 

"  I  knew  you  would  admire  her  !  "  cried  Kate,  in  triumph, 
"  I  shall  live  to  see  my  dearest  wish  accomplished !  " 

"  I  make  no  doubt  you  will,  child  ;  though  it  will  not  be 
by  the  marriage  of  a  Mr.  Littlepage  to  a  Miss  Bayard." 

I  got  a  laugh  and  a  blush  for  this  sally,  but  no  sign  of 
submission.  On  the  contrary,  the  positive  girl  shook  her 
head,  until  her  rich  curls  were  all  in  motion,  and  she 
laughed  none  the  less.  We  immediately  joined  our  com- 
panions, and  by  one  of  those  crossings  over  and  figurings 
in,  that  are  so  familiar  to  the  young  of  the  two  sexes,  we 
were  soon  walking  along  the  sands  again,  Tom  at  Kate's 


THE  CHAINBEARER.  51 

side,  and  I  at  that  of  Priscilla  Bayard's.  What  the  other 
two  talked  about  I  never  knew,  though  I  fancy  one  might 
guess  ;  but  the  young  lady  with  me  pursued  the  subiect  of 
the  revolution. 

"You  have  probably  been  a  little  surprised,  Major  Lit- 
tlepage,"  she  commenced,  "  to  hear  me  express  myself  so 
warmly  in  favor  of  this  country,  as  some  of  the  branches 
of  my  family  have  been  treated  harshly  by  the  nc\v  gov- 
ernment ? " 

"You  allude  to  the  confiscations?  I  never  justified 
them,  and  wish  they  had  not  been  made  ;  for  they  fall 
heaviest  on  those  who  were  quite  inoffensive,  while  most 
of  our  active  enemies  have  escaped.  Still  it  is  no  more 
than  is  usual  in  civil  wars,  and  what  would  surely  have 
befallen  us,  had  it  been  our  fortune  to  be  the  losing  party." 

"So  I  have  been  told  ;  but,  as  no  loss  has  fallen  on  any 
who  are  very  near  to  me,  my  public  virtue  has  been  able 
to  resist  private  feeling.  My  brother,  as  you  may  have 
seen,  is  less  of  an  American  than  I  am  myself." 

"I  have  supposed  he  is  one  of  the  'extremely  neutral  ; ' 
and  they,  I  have  thought,  always  incline  a  little  in  favor  of 
the  losing  party." 

"  I  hope,  however,  his  political  bias,  which  is  very  hon- 
est, though  very  much  in  error,  will  not  materially  affect 
him  in  your  good  opinion.  Too  much  depends  on  that, 
for  me  not  to  be  anxious  on  the  subject  ;  and  being  the 
only  decided  whig  in  the  family,  I  have  thought  I  would 
venture  to  speak  in  behalf  of  a  very  dearly  beloved 
brother." 

"  Well,"  I  said  to  myself,  "  this  is  being  sufficiently  man- 
aging ;  but  I  am  not  quite  so  unpractised  as  to  be  the  dupe 
of  an  artifice  so  little  concealed  !  The  deuce  is  in  the  girl ; 
yet  she  seems  in  earnest,  looks  at  me  with  the  good  faith 
and  simplicity  of  a  sister  who  feels  even  more  than  she 
expresses,  and  is  certainly  one  of  the  loveliest  creatures  I 
ever  laid  eyes  on  !  I  must  not  let  her  see  how  much  I  am 
on  my  guard,  but  must  meet  management  with  manage- 
ment. It  will  be  singular,  indeed,  if  I,  who  have  com- 
manded a  company  of  continentals  with  some  credit,  can- 
not get  along  with  a  girl  of  twenty,  though  she  were  even 
handsomer,  and  looked  still  more  innocent  than  this  Pris 
Bayard,  which  would  be  no  easy  matter,  by  the  way." 

The  reader  will  understand  this  was  what  I  said  to  my- 
self, and  it  was  soon  uttered,  for  one  talks  surprisingly  fast 
to  himself  ;  but  that  which  .1  said  to  my  fair  companion^ 


52  THE  CHA1NBEARER. 

after  a  moment's  hesitation,  was  very  different  in  language 
and  import. 

"  I  do  not  understand  in  what  way  Mr.  Bayard  can  be 
affected  by  my  opinion,  let  it  be  for  or  against  him,"  I  an- 
swered, with  just  as  much  innocency  of  expression,  ac- 
cording to  my  notion  of  the  matter,  as  the  young  lady  her- 
self had  thrown  into  her  own  pretty  countenance,  thereby 
doing  myself  infinite  credit,  in  my  own  conceit  ;  "  though 
I  am  far  from  judging  any  man  severely,  because  he  hap- 
pens to  differ  from  me  in  his  judgment  of  public  things. 
The  question  was  one  of  great  delicacy,  and  the  most  hon- 
est men  have  differed  the  widest  on  its  merits." 

u  You  do  not  know  how  glad  I  am  to  hear  you  say  this, 
Mr.  Littlepage,"  returned  my  companion,  with  one  of  the 
sweetest  smiles  woman  ever  bestowed  on  man.  "  It  will 
make  Tom  completely  happy,  for  I  know  he  has  been 
sadly  afraid  of  you,  on  this  very  point." 

I  did  not  answer  instantly  ;  for  I  believe  I  was  watching 
the  traces  of  that  bewitching  smile,  and  speculating 
against  its  influence  with  the  pertinacity  of  a  man  who 
was  determined  not  to  be  taken  in.  That  smile  haunted 
me  for  a  week,  and  it  was  a  long  time  before  I  fully  com- 
prehended it.  I  decided,  however,  to  come  to  the  point  at 
once,  as  respects  Ba)rard  and  my  sister,  and  not  be  beating 
the  bush  with  indirect  allusions. 

"  In  what  manner  can  my  opinion  influence  your 
brother,  Miss  Bayard?"  I  asked,  as  soon  as  I  was  ready  to 
say  anything.  "  To  prevent  misconceptions,  let  me  beg 
of  you  to  be  a  little  more  explicit." 

"  You  can  hardly  be  ignorant  of  my  meaning,  I  should 
think  !  "  answered  Priscilla,  with  a  little  surprise.  "  One 
has  only  to  look  at  the  couple  before  us,  to  comprehend 
how  your  opinion  of  the  gentleman  might  have  an  influ- 
ence on  himself,  at  least." 

"  The  same  might  be  said  of  us,  Miss  Bayard,  so  far  as 
my  inexperienced  eye  can  tell.  They  are  a  young  couple, 
walking  together  ;  the  gentleman  appearing  to  admire  the 
lady,  I  will  confess  ;  and  we  are  a  young  couple  walking 
together,  the  gentleman  appearing  to  admire  the  lady,  or 
he  does  no  credit  to  his  taste  or  sensibility." 

"There,"  said  I  to  myself  again,  "that  is  giving  her 
quite  as  good  as  I  received  ;  let  me  see  how  you  take  that." 

Pris  took  it  very  well  ;  laughing,  and  blushing  just 
enough  to  make  her  appear  the  loveliest  creature  I  had 
ever  laid  eyes  on.  She  shook  her  head  very  much  as  my 


THE  CHAItfBEARER.  53 

sister  had  done  not  long  before,  and  disclaimed  the  anal- 
ogy, first  in  her  manner,  and  next  with  her  tongue. 

"  The  cases  are  very  different,  sir,"  she  answered.  "We 
are  strangers  to  each  other,  while  Tom  Bayard  and  Kate 
Littlepage  are  acquaintances  of  years'  standing.  We  do 
not  love  each  other  in  the  least  ;  not  a  bit,  though  we  are 
inclined  to  think  very  well  of  each  other,  on  account  of 
the  interest  we  take  in  the  couple  before  us,  and  because 
I  am  the  intimate  friend  of  your  only  sister,  and  because 
you  are  the  only  brother  of  my  intimate  friend.  There, 
however,"  and  she  now  spoke  with  emphasis,  "our  interest 
ceases,  never  to  be  increased  beyond  a  friendly  regard, 
that  I  trust  will  grow  up  out  of  our  respective  merits  and 
respective  discernment.  It  is  very,  very  different  with  the 
couple  before  us;"  here,  again,  the  flexible  girl  spoke 
with  extreme  feeling  ;  every  tone  and  cadence  of  her  voice 
denoting  lively  sensibility.  "They  have  been  long  at- 
tached, not  admirers  of  each  other,  as  you  call  it,  Major 
Littlepage,  but  attached ;  and  your  opinion  of  my  brother 
just  at  this  moment,  is  of  the  last  importance  to  him.  I 
hope  I  have  at  last  made  myself  understood  ?" 

"  Perfectly  ;  and  I  intend  to  be  just  as  explicit.  In  the 
first  place  I  enter  a  solemn  protest  against  all  that  you  have 
said  about  the  *  other  couple,'  with  the  exception  of  the 
interest  we  each  feel  in  the  brother  or  sister.  Next,  I  pro- 
claim Kate  Littlepage  to  be  her  own  mistress,  so  far  as 
her  brother  Mordaunt  is  concerned,  and  lastly,  I  announce 
that  I  see  or  know  nothing  in  the  character,  connections, 
fortune,  person,  or  position  of  her  suitor,  Thomas  Bayard, 
of  the  Hickories,  Esquire,  that  is  in  the  least  below  her 
pretensions  or  merits.  I  hope  that  is  sufficiently  satisfac- 
tory ? " 

"  Entirely  so  ;  and  from  the  bottom  of  my  heart  I  thank 
you  for  it.  I  will  own  I  have  had  some  little  apprehen- 
sions on  the  subject  of  Tom's  political  opinions  ;  but  those 
removed,  nothing  else  can  remain  to  create  the  smallest 
uneasiness." 

"  How  is  it  possible  that  any  of  you  could  consider  my 
notions  of  so  much  importance,  when  Kate  has  a  father,  a 
mother,  and  a  grandmother  living,  all  of  whom,  as  I  un- 
derstand things,  approve  of  her  choice  ? " 

"  Ah,  Mr.  Littlepage,  you  are  not  conscious  of  your  im- 
portance in  your  own  family,  I  see.  I  know  it  better  than 
you  appear  to  know  it  yourself.  Father,  mother,  grand- 
mother, and  sister,  all  think  and  speak  of  Mordaunt  alike 


54  THE  CHAINBEARER. 

To  hear  the  general  converse  of  the  war,  you  would  sup- 
pose that  he  had  commanded  a  company,  and  Captain 
Littlepage  the  regiment.  Mr.  Littlepage  defers  to  Mor- 
daunt's  taste,  and  Mordaunt's  opinions,  and  Mordaunt's 
judgment,  even  in  housekeeping  and  hemstitching.  Kate 
is  forever  saying,  '  my  brother  says  this,'  *  my  brother 
writes  that,'  *  my  brother  does  t'other  ;'  and  as  for  the  old 
lady  here  at  the  Toe,'  she  would  hardly  think  her  peaches 
and  cherries  could  ripen,  unless  Mordaunt  Littlepage,  the 
son  of  her  son  Corny  Littlepage — by  no  accident  does  she 
ever  call  him  *  general,' — were  on  the  face  of  the  earth  to 
create  an  eternal  sunshine  !  " 

Was  there  ever  a  girl  like  this  !  That  speech  was  made 
too,  in  the  quietest,  most  gentle,  lady-like  manner  possible. 
That  the  young  lady  had  spirit  and  humor  enough,  was 
very  apparent  ;  and  for  a  moment  I  doubted  whether  both 
were  not  accompanied  by  the  most  perfect  simplicity  of 
character,  and  the  most  perfect  good  faith.  Subsequent 
remarks  and  occurrences,  however,  soon  revived  all  my 
original  distrusts. 

"  This  is  a  vivid  picture  of  family  weaknesses,  that  you 
have  so  graphically  drawn,  Miss  Bayard,"  I  answered; 
"and  I  shall  not  easily  forget  it.  What  renders  it  the 
more  lively  and  pointed,  and  the  more  likely  to  be  relished 
by  the  world,  is  the  fact  that  Mordaunt  so  little  deserves 
the  extreme  partiality  of  the  friends  you  have  mentioned." 

"  The  last  feature  forms  no  part  of  my  picture,  Major 
Littlepage,  and  I  disown  it.  As  for  the  world,  it  will  never 
know  anything  about  it.  You  and  I  are  not  the  world,  nor 
are  we  at  all  likely  ever  to  be  the  world  to  each  other  ;  I 
wish  you  particularly  to  understand  that,  which  is  the 
reason  I  am  so  frank  with  you  on  so  short  an  acquaint- 
ance. I  tell  you  your  opinion  is  of  the  last  importance  to 
Tom  ;  as  your  sister  would  not  marry  him,  did  she  believe 
you  thought  in  the  least  ill  of  him." 

"  And  she  would,  did  I  think  well  of  him  ? " 

"  That  is  a  question  a  lady  must  answer  for  herself.  And 
now  we  will  say  no  more  on  the  subject ;  for  my  mind  is 
easy  since  I  find  you  entertain  no  political  hostility  to 
Tom." 

"  Men  are  much  less  apt  to  entertain  such  feelings,  I 
fancy,  after  they  have  fairly  fought  out  a  quarrel,  than 
when  they  only  talk  over  its  heads.  Besides,  the  winning 
party  is  commonly  the  least  rancorous,  and  success  will 
make  us  whigs  forgiving.  I  give  you  my  honor,  no  objec 


THE  C*HAINBEARER.  55 

tion  will  be  raised  against  your  brother,  by  me,  on  account 
of  his  opinions  of  the  revolution.  My  dear  mother  herself 
has  been  half  a  tory  the  whole  war ;  and  Kate,  I  find,  has 
imbibed  all  her  charity." 

A  singular,  and,  as  I  found,  a  painful  smile,  crossed 
the  sweet  face  of  Priscilla  Bayard,  as  I  made  this  remark  ; 
but  she  did  not  answer  it.  It  seemed  to  me  she  was  now 
desirous  of  quitting  the  subject  entirely,  and  I  immediately 
led  the  discourse  to  other  things. 

Kate  and  I  remained  at  Satanstoe  several  days,  and 
Tom  Bayard  was  a  daily  visitor  ;  the  distance  between  the 
Neck  and  the  Hickories  being  no  great  matter.  I  saw  the 
young  lady  twice  during  the  interval ;  once,  by  riding  over 
to  her  father's  residence  with  that  express  object  ;  and 
once  when  she  came  across  on  horseback  to  see  her  friend. 
I  confess  I  was  never  more  at  a  loss  to  understand  a  char- 
acter than  I  was  that  of  this  young  woman.  She  was  either 
profoundly  managing,  or  as  innocent  and  simple  as  a  child. 
It  was  easy  to  see  that  her  brother,  my  sister,  my  grand- 
mother, and,  as  I  fancied,  the  parents  of  the  young  lady 
herself,  were  anxious  that  I  should  be  on  as  good  terms  as 
possible  with  Pris,  as  they  all  called  her  ;  though  I  could 
not  fathom  her  own  feelings  on  the  subject.  It  would  have 
been  unnatural  not  to  have  loved  to  gaze  on  her  exceeding 
beauty,  or  not  to  have  admired  her  extremely  graceful  and 
feminine  manner,  which  was  precisely  all  that  one  could 
wish  it  to  be  in  the  way  of  ease  and  self-possession,  with- 
out being  in  the  least  free  or  forward  ;  and  I  did  gaze  on 
the  one,  and  admire  the  other,  at  the  very  moment  I  was 
most  disposed  to  distrust  her  sincerity,  and  to  believe  her 
nature  the  very  perfection  of  art.  There  were  times  when 
I  was  disposed  to  fancy  this  Pris  Bayard  as  profound  and 
skilful  an  actor  as  one  of  her  sex,  years,  and  condition  in 
life  could  well  become,  without  falling  altogether ;  and 
there  were  moments,  too,  when  she  seemed  to  be  instinct 
with  all  the  sensitive  and  best  qualities  of  her  sex. 

It  is  scarcely  necessary  to  say  I  remained  heart-whole, 
under  such  circumstances,  notwithstanding  the  obvious 
wishes  of  my  friends,  and  the  young  lady's  great  advan- 
tages !  A  man  no  more  falls  blindly  in  love  when  he  dis- 
trusts anything  amiss,  than  he  sees  anything  amiss  when 
he  is  blindly  in  love.  It  has  often  been  a  matter  of  sur- 
prise to  me,  how  often  and  how  completely  the  wisest  of 
the  earthly  races  conspire  to  deceive  themselves.  When 
suspicions  are  once  excited,  testimony  is  not  needed  ;  con' 


56  THE  CHAINBEARER. 

demnation  following  much  as  a  logical  induction,  though 
founded  on  nothing  better  than  plausible  distrusts  ;  while, 
on  the  other  hand,  where  confidence  exists,  testimony  is 
only  too  apt  to  be  disregarded.  Women,  in  particular,  are 
peculiarly  apt  to  follow  the  bias  of  their  affections,  rather 
than  of  their  reasons,  in  all  cases  connected  with  guilt. 
They  are  hard  to  be  convinced  of  the  unworthiness  of 
those  who  belong  to  them  through  the  affections,  because 
the  affections  are  usually  stronger  with  them  than  their 
reasoning  powers.  How  they  cling  to  their  priests,  for 
instance,  when  the  cooler  heads  and  greater  experience  of 
men  condemn,  and  that  merely  because  their  imaginations 
choose  to  adorn  the  offenders  with  the  graces  of  that  re- 
ligion which  they  venerate,  and  on  which  they  rely  ?  He 
is  a  shrewd  man  who  can  draw  the  line  between  the  real 
and  the  false  in  these  matters  ;  but  he  is  truly  a  weak  one 
who  disregards  evidence,  when  evidence  is  complete  and 
clear.  That  we  all  have  our  sins  and  our  failings  is  true, 
but  there  are  certain  marks  of  unworthiness  which  are  in- 
fallible, and  which  ought  never  to  be  disregarded,  since 
they  denote  the  existence  of  the  want  of  principle  that 
taints  a  whole  character. 


CHAPTER  V. 

"  He  were  an  excellent  man  that  were  made  just  in  the  midway  between 
him  and  Benedick  ;  the  one  is  too  like  an  image,  and  says  nothing ;  and 
the  other,  too  like  my  lady's  eldest  son,  evermore  tattling." — Beatrice. 

THE  very  day  my  sister  and  I  left  Satanstoe,  there  was 
an  interesting  interview  between  my  grandmother  and 
myself,  that  it  may  be  well  to  relate.  It  took  place  in  the 
cool  of  the  morning,  before  breakfast,  indeed,  and  pre- 
viously to  the  appearance  of  any  of  the  rest  of  the  party  ; 
for  Tom  Bayard  and  his  sister  had  again  ridden  across 
the  country  to  pass  the  night  and  see  us  off.  My  grand- 
mother had  requested  me  to  meet  her  thus  early,  in  a  sort 
of  little  piazza,  that  modern  improvements  had  annexed 
to  one  end  of  the  old  buildings,  and  in  which  we  both  ap- 
peared accordingly  with  the  utmost  punctuality.  I  saw 
by  a  certain  sort  of  importance  that  my  good  grandmother 
wore  in  her  countenance,  that  she  had  weighty  matters  on 
her  mind,  and  took  the  chair  she  had  set  for  me  with  some 


THE  CHA1NBEARER*  57 

little  curiosity  to  learn  what  was  to  follow.  The  chairs 
were  placed  side  by  side,  or  nearly  so,  but  looking  differ- 
ent ways,  and  so  close  together  that,  when  seated,  we  were 
quite  face  to  face.  My  grandmother  had  on  her  specta- 
cles, and  she  gazed  wistfully  through  them  at  me,  parting 
the  curls  on  my  forehead,  as  had  been  her  wont  when  I 
was  a  boy.  I  saw  tears  rolling  out  from  behind  the 
glasses,  and  felt  apprehensive  I  might  have  said  or  done 
something  to  have  wounded  the  spirit  of  that  excellent 
and  indulgent  parent. 

"  For  heaven's  sake,  grandmother,  what  can  this  mean  ?" 
I  cried.  "  Have  I  done  anything  amiss?" 

"  No,  my  child,  no ;  but  much  to  the  contrary.  You  are, 
and  ever  have  been,  a  good  and  dutiful  son,  not  only  to 
your  real  parents,  but  to  me.  But  your  name  ought  to 
have  been  Hugh — that  I  will  maintain  long  as  I  live.  I 
told  your  father  as  much  when  you  were  born  ;  but  he  was 
Mordaunt  mad  then,  as,  indeed,  he  has  remained  pretty 
much  ever  since.  Not  that  Mordaunt  is  not  a  good  name 
and  a  respectable  name,  and  they  say  it  is  a  noble  name 
in  England,  but  it  is  a  family  name,  and  family  names  are 
not  for  Christian  names,  at  the  best.  Hugh  should  have 
been  your  name,  if  I  could  have  had  my  way ;  and,  if  not 
Hugh,  Corny.  Well,  it  is  too  late  for  that  now,  as  Mor- 
daunt you  are,  and  Mordaunt  you  must  live  and  die.  Did 
any  one  ever  tell  you,  my  child,  how  very,  very  like  you  are 
to  your  honored  grandfather  ?" 

"My  mother,  frequently — I  have  seen  the  tears  start 
into  her  eyes  as  she  gazed  at  me,  and  she  has  often  told 
me  my  family  name  ought  to  have  been  Mordaunt,  so  much 
do  I  resemble  her  father." 

"Her  father  !— Well,  Anneke  does  get  some  of  the  stran- 
gest conceits  into  her  head  !  A  better  woman,  or  a  dearer, 
does  not  breathe — I  love  your  mother,  my  child,  quite  as 
much  as  if  she  had  been  born  my  own  daught&r  ;  but  I 
must  say  she  does  get  some  of  the  strangest  notions  into 
her  head  that  mortal  ever  imagined.  You  like  Herman 
Mordaunt  !  You  are  the  very  image  of  your  grandfather 
Littlepage,  and  no  more  like  Herman  Mordaunt  than  you 
are  like  the  king!  " 

The  revolution  was  then,  and  is  now,  still  too  recent  to 
prevent  these  constant  allusions  to  royalty,  notwithstand- 
ing my  grandfather  had  been  as  warm  a  whig  as  there 
Was  in  the  colonies,  from  the  commencement  of  the  strug- 
gle. As  for  the  resemblance  spoken  of,  I  have  always  un- 


58  THE  CHAINBEARER. 

derstood  I  was  a  mingled  repetition  of  the  two  families,  as 
so  often  happens,  a  circumstance  that  enables  my  different 
relatives  to  trace  such  resemblances  as  best  suit  their  re- 
spective fancies.  This  was  quite  convenient,  and  may 
have  been  a  reason,  in  addition  to  the  fact  of  my  being  an 
only  son,  that  I  was  so  great  a  favorite  with  the  females  of 
my  family.  My  dear  old  grandmother,  who  was  then  in 
her  sixty-ninth  year,  was  so  persuaded  of  my  likeness  to 
her  late  husband,  the  "  old  general,"  as  he  was  now  called, 
that  she  would  not  proceed  in  her  communications  until 
she  had  wiped  her  eyes,  and  gratified  her  affections  with 
another  long  and  wistful  gaze. 

"  Oh,  those  eyes  !  "  she  murmured — "  and  that  forehead  ! 
—The  mouth,  too,  and  the  nose,  to  say  nothing  of  the 
smile,  which  is  as  much  alike  as  one  pea  is  like  another!" 

This  left  very  little  for  the  Mordaunts,  it  must  be  owned  ; 
the  chin  and  ears  being  pretty  much  all  that  were  not 
claimed  for  the  direct  line.  It  is  true  my  eyes  were  blue, 
and  the  "  old  general's  "  had  been  as  black  as  coals  ;  my 
nose  was  Grecian,  and  his  a  most  obtrusive  Roman  ;  and 
as  for  the  mouth,  I  can  only  say  mine  was  as  like  that  of 
my  mother's  as  a  man's  could  well  be  like  a  woman's.  The 
last  I  had  heard  my  father  say  a  thousand  times.  But  no 
matter  ;  age,  and  affection,  and  the  longings  of  the  parent, 
caused  my  grandmother  to  see  things  differently. 

"Well,  Mordaunt,"  the  good  old  lady  at  length  con- 
tinued, "  how  do  you  like  this  choice  of  your  sister  Kate's  ? 
Mr.  Bayard  is  a  charming  young  man,  is  he  not  ?  " 

"  Is  it  then  a  choice,  grandmother  ?  Has  Kate  actually 
made  up  her  mind  ?  " 

"  Pshaw!  "  answered  my  grandmother,  smiling  as  archly 
as  if  she  were  sixteen  herself — "  that  was  done  long  ago — 
and  papa  approved,  and  mamma  was  anxious,  and  I  con- 
sented, and  sister  Anneke  was  delighted,  and  everything 
was  as  smooth  as  the  beach  at  the  end  of  the  Neck,  but 
waiting  for  your  approbation.  '  It  would  not  be  right, 
grandmother,  for  me  to  engage  myself  while  Mordaunt  is 
away,  and  without  his  even  knowing  the  gentleman  ;  so  I 
will  not  answer  until  I  get  his  approbation  too,'  said  Kate. 
That  was  very  pretty  in  her,  was  it  not,  my  child  ?  All 
your  father's  children  have  a  sense  of  propriety  ! " 

"  Indeed  it  was,  and  I  shall  not  forget  it  soon.  But  sup- 
pose I  had  disapproved,  what  would  have  followed,  grand- 
mother ?" 

"You   should   never   ask    unpleasant   questions,   saucy 


THE  CHAINBEARF.R.  59 

fellow  ;  though  I  dare  to  say  Kate  would  at  least  have 
asked  Mr.  Bayard  to  wait  until  you  had  changed  your  mind. 
Giving  him  up  altogether  would  be  out  of  the  question, 
and  unreasonable  ;  but  she  might  have  waited  a  few  months 
or  so,  until  you  changed  your  mind  ;  and  I  would  have  ad- 
vised her  so  to  do.  But  all  that  is  unnecessary  as  matters 
are  ;  for  you  have  expressed  your  approbation,  and  Kate 
is  perfectly  happy.  The  last  letter  from  Lilacsbush,  which 
Jaap  brought,  gives  the  formal  consent  of  your  dear  par- 
ents— and  what  parents  you  have,  my  child  ! — so  Kate  wrote 
an  acceptance  yesterday,  and  it  was  as  prettily  expressed 
a  note  as  I  have  seen  in  many  a  day.  Your  own  mother 
could  not  have  done  better  in  her  young  days  ;  and  Anneke 
Mordaunt  worded  a  note  as  genteelly  as  any  young  woman 
I  ever  knew." 

"  I  am  glad  everything  has  gone  right,  and  am  sure  no 
one  can  wish  the  young  couple  more  happiness  than  I  do 
myself.  Kate  is  a  dear,  good  girl,  and  I  love  her  as  much 
as  a  brother  can  love  a  sister." 

"  Is  she  not  ?  and  as  thorough  a  Littlepage  as  ever  wras 
born  !  I  do  hope  she  will  be  happy.  All  the  marriages  in 
our  family  have  proved  so  hitherto,  and  it  would  be  strange 
if  this  should  turn  out  differently.  Well,  now,  Mordaunt, 
when  Kate  is  married,  you  will  be  the  only  one  left." 

"  That  is  true,  grandmother  ;  and  you  must  be  glad  to 
find  there  will  be  one  of  us  left  to  come  and  see  you,  with- 
out bringing  nurses  and  children  at  his  heels." 

"  I  ! — I  glad  of  anything  of  the  sort !  No,  indeed,  my 
child  ;  I  should  be  sorry  enough  did  I  think  for  a  moment, 
you  would  not  marry  as  soon  as  is  prudent,  now  that  the 
war  is  over.  As  for  the  children,  I  dote  on  them  ;  and  I 
have  ever  thought  it  a  misfortune  that  the  Littlepages 
have  had  so  few,  especially  sons.  Your  grandfather,  my 
general,  was  an  only  son  ;  your  father  was  an  only  son  ; 
and  you  are  an  only  son  ;  that  is,  so  far  as  coming  to  men's 
estates  are,  or  were  concerned.  No,  Mordaunt,  my  child, 
it  is  the  warmest  wish  of  my  heart  to  see  you  properly 
married,  and  to  hold  the  Littlepages  of  the  next  generation 
in  my  arms.  Two  of  you  I  have  had  there  already,  and  I 
shall  have  lived  the  life  of  the  blessed  to  be  able  to  hold 
the  third." 

"  My  dear,  good  grandmother  ! — what  am  I  to  under- 
stand by  all  this  ?  " 

"  That  I  wish  you  to  marry,  my  child,  now  that  the  war 
is  ended  ;  that  your  father  wishes  you  to  marry  ;  that  your 


do  THE  CHAINBEARER. 

mother  wishes  you  to  marry  ;  and  that  your  sister  wishes 
you  to  marry." 

"  And  all  of  you  wish  me  to  marry  the  same  person  ?  Is 
it  not  so  ?  " 

My  grandmother  smiled,  but  she  fidgeted  ;  fancying,  as 
I  suspected,  that  she  had  been  pushing  matters  a  little  too 
fast.  It  was  not  easy,  however,  for  one  of  her  truth  and 
simplicity  of  character  to  recede  after  having  gone  so  far  ; 
and  she  wisely  determined  to  have  no  reserves  with  me  on 
the  subject. 

"  I  believe  you  are  right,  Mordaunt,"  she  answered,  after 
a  short  pause.  ,"  We  do  all  wish  you  to  fall  in  love  as  soon 
as  you  can  ;  to  propose  as  soon  as  you  are  in  love  ;  and 
to  marry  Priscilla  Bayard,  the  instant  she  will  consent  to 
have  you." 

"This  is  honest,  and  like  yourself,  my  dear  grand- 
mother ;  arid  now  we  both  know  what  is  intended,  and  can 
speak  plainly.  In  the  first  place,  do  you  not  think  one 
connection  of  this  sort,  between  families,  quite  sufficient  ? 
If  Kate  marry  the  brother,  may  I  not  be  excused  for  over- 
looking the  attractions  of  the  sister  ?" 

"  Priscilla  Bayard  is  one  of  the  loveliest  girls  in  York 
Colony,  Mordaunt  Littlepage  !  " 

"  We  call  this  part  of  the  world  York  State,  now,  dearest 
grandmother.  I  am  far  from  denying  the  truth  of  what 
you  say  ; — Priscilla  Bayard  is  very  lovely." 

"I  do  not  knowT  what  more  you  can  wish,  than  to  get 
such  a  girl." 

"  I  shall  not  say  that  the  time  will  not  come  when  I  may 
be  glad  to  obtain  the  consent  of  the  young  lady  to  become 
my  wife  ;  but  that  time  has  not  yet  arrived.  Then,  I 
question  the  expediency,  when  friends  greatly  desire  any 
particular  match,  of  saying  too  much  about  it." 

My  poor  grandmother  looked  quite  astounded,  like  one 
who  felt  she  had  innocently  done  mischief  ;  and  she  sat 
gazing  fondly  at  me,  with  the  expression  of  a  penitent 
child  painted  in  her  venerated  countenance. 

"  Nevertheless,  Mordaunt,  I  had  a  great  share  in  bring- 
ing about  the  union  between  your  own  dear  parents,"  she 
at  length  answered  ;  "  and  that  has  been  one  of  the  hap- 
piest  marriages  I  have  ever  known  !  " 

I  had  often  heard  allusions  of  this  nature,  and  I  had 
several  times  observed  the  quiet  smile  of  my  mother,  as 
she  listened  to  them  ;  smiles  that  seemed  to  contradict 
the  opinion  to  which  my  grandmother's  mistaken  notions 


THE  CHAINBKARER.  61 

of  her  own  influence  had  given  birth.  On  one  occasion  (I 
was  still  quite  a  boy),  I  remember  to  have  asked  my 
mother  how  the  fact  was,  when  the  answer  was,  "  I  mar- 
ried your  father  through  the  influence  of  a  butcher's  boy  ;" 
a  reply  that  had  some  reference  to  a  very  early  passage 
in  the  lives  of  my  parents.  But  I  well  know  that  Cor- 
nelius Littlepage,  nor  Anneke  Mordaunt,  was  a  person  to 
be  coaxed  into  matrimony  ;  and  I  resolved  on  the  spot, 
their  only  son  should  manifest  an  equal  independence.  I 
might  have  answered  my  grandmother  to  this  eifect,  and 
in  language  stronger  than  was  my  practice  when  address- 
ing that  reverend  parent,  had  not  the  two  girls  appeared 
on  the  piazza  at  that  moment,  and  broke  up  our  private 
conference. 

Sooth  to  say,  Priscilla  Bayard  came  forth  upon  me,  that 
morning,  with  something  like  the  radiance  of  the  rising 
sun.  Both  the  girls  had  that  fresh,  attractive  look,  that  is 
apt  to  belong  to  the  toilets  of  early  risers  of  their  sex,  and 
which  probably  renders  them  handsomer  at  that  hour, 
than  at  any  other  part  of  the  day.  My  own  sister  was  a 
very  charming  girl,  as  any  one  would  allow  ;  but  her  friend 
was  decidedly  beautiful.  I  confess  I  found  it  a  little  diffi- 
cult not  to  give  in  on  the  spot,  and  to  whisper  my  anxious 
grandmother  that  I  would  pay  proper  attention  to  the 
young  lady,  and  make  an  offer  at  the  suitable  time,  as  she 
advanced  toward  us,  exchanging  the  morning  salutations, 
with  just  enough  of  ease  to  render  her  perfectly  graceful, 
and  yet  with  a  modesty  and  retenue  that  were  infinitely 
winning. 

"  Mordaunt  is  about  to  quit  me,  for  the  whole  summer, 
Miss  Bayard,"  said  my  grandmother,  who  would  be  doing 
while  there  was  a  chance  ;  <(  and  I  have  had  him  out  here, 
to  converse  a  little  together,  before  we  part.  Kate  I  shall 
see  often  during  the  pleasant  season,  I  trust ;  but  this  is  to 
be  the  last  of  Mordaunt  until  the  cold  weather  return." 

"  Is  Mr.  Littlepage  going  to  travel  ? "  inquired  the  young 
lady,  with  just  as  much  interest  as  good  breeding  demanded, 
and  not  a  particle  more  ;  "for  Lilacsbush  is  rtbt  so  distant, 
but  he  might  ride  over  once  a  week,  at  least,  to  inquire 
how  you  do." 

"  Oh,  he  is  going  a  great,  great  distance,  and  to  a  part 
of  the  world  I  dread  to  think  of  ! " 

Miss  Bayard  now  looked  really  startled,  and  a  good 
deal  astonished,  questioning  me  with  her  very  fine  eyes,, 
though  she  said  nothing  with  her  tongue,  ' 


64  ?HE  CHA2NBEAREK. 

of  Coejemans,  who  bears  this  appellation,  and  who  has  con. 
tracted  to  get  the  necessary  surveys  made,  though  he  fills 
the  humble  post  of  a  'chainbearer  'himself,  not  being  com- 
petent to  make  the  calculations." 

"  How  can  a  mere  chainbearer  contract  for  a  full  sur- 
vey ? "  asked  Tom  Bayard,  who  had  joined  the  party,  and 
had  been  listening  to  the  discourse.  "The  chainbearers, 
in  general,  are  but  common  laborers,  and  are  perfectly 
irresponsible." 

"That  is  true,  as  a  rule  ;  but  my  old  friend  forms  an  ex- 
ception. He  set  out  for  a  surveyor,  but  having  no  head 
for  sines,  and  co-sines,  and  tangents,  he  was  obliged  to 
lower  his  pretensions  to  the  humbler  duty  he  now  dis- 
charges. Still,  he  has  long  contracted  for  jobs  of  this  nat- 
ure, and  gets  as  much  as  he  can  do,  hiring  surveyors  him- 
self, the  owners  of  property  having  the  utmost  confidence 
in  his  measurements.  Let  me  tell  you,  the  man  who  car- 
ries chain  is  not  the  least  important  member  of  a  survey- 
ing party  in  the  woods.  Old  Andries  is  as  honest  as  noon 
day,  and  everybody  has  faith  in  him." 

"His  true  name  is  Coejemans,  I  think  you  said,  Major 
Littlepage  ? "  asked  Priscilla,  as  it  struck  me  assuming  an 
air  of  indifference. 

"  It  is,  Andries  Coejemans  ;  and  his  family  is  reputable, 
if  not  absolutely  of  a  high  caste.  But  the  old  man  is  so 
inveterate  a  woodsman,  that  nothing  but  patriotism,  and 
his  whig  propensities,  could  have  drawn  him  out  into 
the  open  country.  After  serving  most  gallantly  through 
the  whole  war,  he  has  gone  back  to  his  chains  ;  and 
many  is  the  joke  he  has  about  remaining  still  in  chains, 
after  fighting  so  long  and  so  often  in  the  cause  of  liberty." 

Priscilla  appeared  to  hesitate — I  thought  her  color 
increased  a  little — then  she  asked  the  question  that  was 
apparently  uppermost  in  her  thoughts,  with  surprising 
steadiness. 

"  Did  you  ever  see  the  '  Chainbearer's  '  niece,  Dus  Mai- 
bone  ? " 

This  question  not  a  little  surprised  me  ;  for,  though 
I  had  never  seen  Ursula,  the  uncle  had  talked  so  much 
to  me  of  his  ward,  that  I  almost  fancied  she  was  an  in- 
timate acquaintance.  It  often  happens  that  we  hear 
so  much  of  certain  persons,  that  we  think  and  speak 
of  them  as  of  those  we  know  ;  and  had  Miss  Bayard 
questioned  me  of  one  of  my  late  comrades  in  the  service, 
I  should  not  have  been  a  whit  more  startled  than  I  was 


THE  CHAINBEARER.  6$ 

at  hearing  her  pronounce  the  familiar  name  of  Dus  Mai- 
bone. 

"  Where,  in  the  name  of  all  that  is  curious,  did  you  ever 
hear  of  such  a  person  ! "  I  exclaimed,  a  little  inconsider- 
ately, since  the  world  was  certainly  wide  enough  to  admit 
of  two  young  women's  being  acquainted,  without  my  con- 
sent ;  more  especially  as  one  of  them  I  had  never  seen, 
and  the  other  I  had  met,  for  the  first  time,  only  a  fortnight 
before  "  Old  Andries  was  always  speaking  to  me  of  his 
niece ;  but  I  could  not  suppose  she  was  an  acquaintance 
of  one  of  your  position  in  life  !  " 

"Notwithstanding,  we  were  something  more  than 
school-fellows  ; — for  we  were,  and  I  trust  are  still  very,  very 
good  friends.  I  like  Dus  exceedingly,  though  she  is  quite 
as  singular,  in  her  way,  as  I  have  heard  her  uncle  described 
to  be,  in  his." 

"  This  is  odd  !  Will  you  allow  me  to  ask  one  question  ? 
You  will  think  it  singular,  perhaps,  after  what  you  have 
just  told  me — but  curiosity  will  get  the  better  of  my  man- 
ners— is  Dus  Malbone  a  lady — the  equal  and  companion  of 
such  a  person  as  Miss  Priscilla  Bayard  ?" 

" That  is  a  question  not  so  easily  answered,  perhaps; 
since,  in  some  respects,  she  is  greatly  the  superior  of  any 
young  woman  I  know.  Her  family,  I  have  always  heard, 
was  very  good  on  both  sides  ;  she  is  poor,  poor  even  to 
poverty,  I  fear  now."  Here  Pris.  paused  ;  there  was  a 
tremor  in  her  voice,  even,  and  I  detected  tears  starting  to 
her  eyes.  "  Poor  Dus  !"  she  continued — "she  had  much  to 
support,  in  the  way  of  poverty,  even  while  at  school ;  where 
she  was,  indeed,  as  a  dependent,  rather  than  as  a  boarder ; 
but  no  one  among  us  all,  could  presume  to  offer  her  fa- 
vors. I  was  afraid  even  to  ask  her  to  accept  a  ribbon,  as  I 
should  not  hesitate  to  do  to  Kate  here,  or  any  other  young 
lady  with  whom  I  was  intimate.  I  never  knew  a  nobler- 
minded  girl  than  Ursula  Malbone,  though  few  persons 
understand  her,  I  think." 

"This  is  old  Andries  over  again  !  He  was  poor  enough, 
heaven  knows  ;  and  I  have  known  him  actually  suffer,  in 
order  to  do  his  duty  by  this  girl,  and  to  make  a  proper  ap- 
pearance at  the  same  time,  as  a  captain  in  the  New  York 
line  ;  yet  none  of  us,  not  even  my  father,  could  ever  induce 
him  to  borrow  a  single  dollar.  He  would  give,  but  he 
would  not  receive." 

"  I  can  believe  this  readily,  it  is  so  like  Dus  !  If  she  has 
her  peculiarities,  she  has  noble  qualities  enough  to  redeem 


64  THE  CHA1NBEARER. 

of  Coejemans,  who  bears  this  appellation,  and  who  has  con- 
tracted  to  get  the  necessary  surveys  made,  though  he  fills 
the  humble  post  of  a  'chainbearer  'himself,  not  being  com- 
petent to  make  the  calculations." 

"  How  can  a  mere  chainbearer  contract  for  a  full  sur- 
vey?" asked  Tom  Bayard,  who  had  joined  the  party,  and 
had  been  listening  to  the  discourse.  "The  chainbearers, 
in  general,  are  but  common  laborers,  and  are  perfectly 
irresponsible." 

"  That  is  true,  as  a  rule  ;  but  my  old  friend  forms  an  ex- 
ception. He  set  out  for  a  surveyor,  but  having  no  head 
for  sines,  and  co-sines,  and  tangents,  he  was  obliged  to 
lower  his  pretensions  to  the  humbler  duty  he  now  dis- 
charges. Still,  he  has  long  contracted  for  jobs  of  this  nat- 
ure, and  gets  as  much  as  he  can  do,  hiring  surveyors  him 
self,  the  owners  of  property  having  the  utmost  confidence 
in  his  measurements.  Let  me  tell  you,  the  man  who  car- 
ries chain  is  not  the  least  important  member  of  a  survey- 
ing party  in  the  woods.  Old  Andries  is  as  honest  as  noon 
day,  and  everybody  has  faith  in  him." 

"  His  true  name  is  Coejemans,  I  think  you  said,  Major 
Littlepage?"  asked  Priscilla,  as  it  struck  me  assuming  an 
air  of  indifference. 

"  It  is,  Andries  Coejemans  ;  and  his  family  is  reputable, 
if  not  absolutely  of  a  high  caste.  But  the  old  man  is  so 
inveterate  a  woodsman,  that  nothing  but  patriotism,  and 
his  whig  propensities,  could  have  drawn  him  out  into 
the  open  country.  After  serving  most  gallantly  through 
the  whole  war,  he  has  gone  back  to  his  chains  ;  and 
many  is  the  joke  he  has  about  remaining  still  in  chains, 
after  fighting  so  long  and  so  often  in  the  cause  of  liberty." 

Priscilla  appeared  to  hesitate — I  thought  her  color 
increased  a  little — then  she  asked  the  question  that  was 
apparently  uppermost  in  her  thoughts,  with  surprising 
steadiness. 

"  Did  you  ever  see  the  '  Chainbearer's  '  niece,  Dus  Mai- 
bone  ? " 

This  question  not  a  little  surprised  me  ;  for,  though 
I  had  never  seen  Ursula,  the  uncle  had  talked  so  much 
to  me  of  his  ward,  that  I  almost  fancied  she  was  an  in- 
timate acquaintance.  It  often  happens  that  we  hear 
so  much  of  certain  persons,  that  we  think  and  speak 
of  them  as  of  those  we  know  ;  and  had  Miss  Bayard 
questioned  me  of  one  of  my  late  comrades  in  the  service, 
I  should  not  have  been  a  whit  more  startled  than  I  was 


THE  CHAINBEARER.  6$ 

at  hearing  her  pronounce  the  familiar  name  of  Dus  Mai- 
bone. 

"Where,  in  the  name  of  all  that  is  curious,  did  you  ever 
hear  of  such  a  person  !"  I  exclaimed,  a  little  inconsider- 
ately, since  the  world  was  certainly  wide  enough  to  admit 
of  two  young  women's  being  acquainted,  without  my  con- 
sent ;  more  especially  as  one  of  them  I  had  never  seen, 
and  the  other  I  had  met,  for  the  first  time,  only  a  fortnight 
before.  "Old  Andries  was  always  speaking  to  me  of  his 
niece ;  but  I  could  not  suppose  she  was  an  acquaintance 
of  one  of  your  position  in  life  !  " 

"Notwithstanding,  we  were  something  more  than 
school-fellows  ; — for  we  were,  and  I  trust  are  still  very,  very 
good  friends.  I  like  Dus  exceedingly,  though  she  is  quite 
as  singular,  in  her  way,  as  I  have  heard  her  uncle  described 
to  be,  in  his." 

"  This  is  odd  !  Will  you  allow  me  to  ask  one  question  ? 
You  will  think  it  singular,  perhaps,  after  what  you  have 
just  told  me — but  curiosity  will  get  the  better  of  my  man- 
ners— is  Dus  Malbone  a  lady — the  equal  and  companion  of 
such  a  person  as  Miss  Priscilla  Bayard?" 

" That  is  a  question  not  so  easily  answered,  perhaps; 
since,  in  some  respects,  she  is  greatly  the  superior  of  any 
young  woman  I  know.  Her  family,  I  have  always  heard', 
was  very  good  on  both  sides  ;  she  is  poor,  poor  even  to 
poverty,  I  fear  now."  Here  Pris.  paused  ;  there  was  a 
tremor  in  her  voice,  even,  and  I  detected  tears  starting  to 
her  eyes.  "  Poor  Dus  !"  she  continued — "she  had  much  to 
support,  in  the  way  of  poverty,  even  while  at  school ;  where 
she  was,  indeed,  as  a  dependent,  rather  than  as  a  boarder ; 
but  no  one  among  us  all,  could  presume  to  offer  her  fa- 
vors. I  was  afraid  even  to  ask  her  to  accept  a  ribbon,  as  I 
should  not  hesitate  to  do  to  Kate  here,  or  any  other  young 
lady  with  whom  I  was  intimate.  I  never  knew  a  nobler- 
minded  girl  than  Ursula  Malbone,  though  few  persons 
understand  her,  I  think." 

"  This  is  old  Andries  over  again  !  He  was  poor  enough, 
heaven  knows  ;  and  I  have  known  him  actually  suffer,  in 
order  to  do  his  duty  by  this  girl,  and  to  make  a  proper  ap- 
pearance at  the  same  time,  as  a  captain  in  the  New  York 
line  ;  yet  none  of  us,  not  even  my  father,  could  ever  induce 
him  to  borrow  a  single  dollar.  He  would  give,  but  he 
would  not  receive." 

"  I  can  believe  this  readily,  it  is  so  like  Dus  !  If  she  has 
her  peculiarities,  she  has  noble  qualities  enough  to  redeem 

5 


66  THE  CHAINBEARER. 

a  thousand  foibles.  Still,  I  would  not  have  you  to  think 
Ursula  Malbone  is  not  an  excellent  creature  in  all  re- 
spects, though  she  certainly  has  her  peculiarities." 

"Which,  doubtless,  she  has  inherited  from  the  Coeje. 
mans,  as  her  uncle,  the  Chainbearer,  has  his  peculiarities, 
too." 

"The  Malbones  have  none  of  the  blood  of  the  Coeje* 
mans,"  answered  the  lady,  quickly  ;  "  though  it  is  respect- 
able, and  not  to  be  ashamed  of.  Dus  Malbone's  mother 
was  only  half-sister  to  Captain  Coejemans,  and  they  had 
different  fathers." 

I  thought  Pris.  looked  a  little  confused,  and  as  if  she 
were  sorry  she  had  said  so  much  on  the  subject  at  all,  the  in- 
stant she  had  betrayed  so  much  intimacy  with  the  Malbone 
genealogy  ;  for  she  shrunk  back,  plucked  a  rose,  and  walked 
away  smelling  the  flower,  like  one  who  was  indisposed  to 
say  any  more  on  the  subject.  A  summons  to  breakfast, 
however,  would  otherwise  have  interrupted  us,  and  no 
more  was  said  about  the  Chainbearer,  and  his  marvellous 
niece,  Dus  Malbone.  As  soon  as  the  meal  was  ended,  our 
horses  were  brought  round,  and  Kate  and  I  took  our  leave, 
Jaap  having  preceded  us  as  usual,  an  hour  or  more,  with 
our  luggage.  The  reader  is  not  to  suppose  that  we  always 
moved  in  the  saddle,  in  that  day  ;  on  the  contrary,  my 
mother  had  a  very  neat  chaise,  in  which  she  used  to  drive 
about  the  country,  with  a  mounted  postilion  ;  my  father 
had  a  phaeton,  and  in  town  we  actually  kept  a  chariot ; 
for  the  union  of  the  Mordaunt  and  Littlepage  properties 
had  made  us  very  comfortable,  and  comfortably  we  lived. 
But  young  ladies  liked  the  saddle  twenty-five  years  ago, 
more  than  they  do  to-day  ;  and  Kate,  being  a  capital  horse- 
woman, like  her  mother,  before  her,  we  were  often  out  to- 
gether. It  was  choice,  then,  and  not  necessity,  a  little 
aided  by  bad  roads,  perhaps,  that  induced  us  to  ride  across 
to  Satanstoe  so  often,  when  we  wished  to  visit  our  grand- 
mother. 

I  kissed  my  dear  old  parent  very  affectionately  at  part- 
ing, for  I  was  to  see  her  no  more  that  summer  ;  and  I  got 
her  blessing  in  return.  As  for  Tom  Bayard,  a  warm,  broth- 
erly shake  of  the  hand  sufficed,  inasmuch  as  it  was  pretty 
certain  I  should  see  him  at  Lilacsbush  before  I  left  home. 
Approaching  his  sister,  who  held  out  her  hand  to  me,  in  a 
friendly  manner,  I  said  as  I  took  it — 

"  I  hope  this  is  not  the  last  time  I  am  to  see  you  before 
I  start  for  the  new  countries,  Miss  Bayard.  You  owe  my 


THE  CHAIXBEARER.  67 

sister  a  visit,  I  believe,  and  I  shall  trust  to  that  debt  for 
another  opportunity  of  saying  the  unpleasant  word  'fare- 
well.' " 

"  This  is  not  the  way  to  win  a  lady's  heart,  Mordaunt," 
cried  Kate,  gayly.  "It  is  only  fifteen  miles  from  your 
father's  door  to  the  Hickories,  you  ought  to  know,  sir  ; 
and  you  have  a  standing  invitation  to  darken  its  door  with 
your  military  form." 

"  From  both  my  father  and  brother" — put  in  Priscilla,  a 
little  hastily.  "  They  will  always  be  happy  to  see  Major 
Littlepage,  most  certainly." 

"  And  why  not  from  yourself,  Miss  Prude,"  added  Kate, 
who  seemed  bent  on  causing  her  friend  some  confusion. 
"  We  are  not  now  such  total  strangers  to  each  other  as  to 
render  that  little  grace  improper." 

"When  I  am  mistress  of  a  house  of  my  own,  should  that 
day  ever  arrive,  I  shall  take  care  not  to  lose  my  reputation 
for  hospitality,"  answered  Pris.,  determined  not  to  be 
caught,  "by  neglecting  to  include  all  the  Littlepage  family 
in  my  invitations.  Until  then,  Tom's  and  papa's  welcomes 
must  suffice." 

The  girl  looked  amazingly  lovely  all  the  time,  and  stood 
the  smiles  of  those  around  her  with  a  self-possession  that 
showed  me  she  knew  perfectly  well  what  she  was  about. 
I  was  never  more  at  a  loss  how  to  understand  a  young 
woman,  and  it  is  very  possible,  had  I  remained  near  her  for 
a  month  longer,  the  interest  such  uncertainty  is  apt  to 
awaken  might  have  sent  me  away  desperately  in  love. 
But  Providence  had  determined  otherwise. 

During  our  ride  toward  the  'Bush,  my  sister,  with  proper 
blushes  and  a  becoming  hesitation,  let  me  into  the  secret 
of  her  having  accepted  Tom  Bayard.  They  were  not  to  be 
married  until  after  my  return  from  the  north,  an  event  that 
was  expected  to  take  place  in  the  ensuing  autumn. 

"  Then  I  am  to  lose  you,  Kate,  almost  as  soon  as  I  find 
you,"  I  said,  a  little  despondingly. 

"  Not  lose  me,  brother  ;  no,  no,  not  lose  me,  but  ./?«</ me, 
more  than  ever.  I  am  to  be  transplanted  into  a  family 
whither  you  will  soon  be  coming  to  seek  a  wife  yourself." 

"Were  I  to  come,  what  reason  have  I  for  supposing  it 
would  be  successful  ? " 

"  That  is  a  question  you  have  no  right  to  ask.  Did  I 
even  know  of  any  particular  reason  for  believing  your 
reception  would  be  favorable,  you  cannot  believe  me  suffi- 
ciently treacherous  to  betray  my  friend,  Young  ladies  are 


63  THE  CHAINBEARER. 

not  of  the  facility  of  character  you  seem  to  suppose,  sir , 
and  no  method  but  the  direct  one  will  succeed.  I  have  no 
other  reason  for  believing  you  would  succeed  than  the 
facts  that  you  are  an  agreeable,  good-looking  youth,  how- 
ever, of  unexceptionable  family  and  fortune,  living  quite 
near  the  Hickories,  and  of  a  suitable  age,  temper,  habits, 
character,  etc.,  etc.,  etc.  Are  not  these  reasons  sufficient 
to  encourage  you  to  persevere,  my  brave  major  ? " 

"  Perseverance  implies  commencement,  and  I  have  not 
yet  commenced.  I  scarcely  know  what  to  make  of  your 
friend,  child  ;  she  is  either  the  perfection  of  nature  and 
simplicity,  or  the  perfection  of  art." 

"  Art !  Pris.  Bayard  artful !  Mordaunt,  you  never  did  a 
human  being  greater  injustice  ;  a  child  cannot  have  greater 
truth  and  sincerity  than  Tom's  sister." 

"Ay,  that's  just  it  ;  Tom's  sister  is  ex  officio  perfection  ; 
but,  you  will  please  to  remember  that  some  children  are 
very  artful.  All  I  can  say  on  the  subject  at  present  is, 
that  I  like  Tom,  and  I  like  his  parents  ;  but  I  do  not  know 
what  to  think  of  your  friend." 

Kate  was  a  little  offended,  so  she  made  me  no  answer. 
Her  good  humor  returned,  however,  before  we  had  gone 
far,  and  the  rest  of  our  ride  passed  pleasantly  enough,  no 
allusions  being  made  to  any  of  the  name  of  Bayard  ;  though, 
I  dare  say,  my  companion  thought  a  great  deal  of  a  cer- 
tain Tom,  of  that  name,  as  I  certainly  did  of  his  handsome 
and  inexplicable  sister. 

At  the  Kingsbridge  Inn  we  had  another  short  brush  with 
that  untiring  gossip,  its  landlady. 

"  A  pleasant  time  it  has  been  over  at  the  Toe,  I  dares 
to  say,"  exclaimed  Mrs.  Light,  the  instant  she  thrust  her 
head  out  of  the  door  ;  "  a  most  agreeable  and  amusing 
time  both  for  the  young  gentleman  and  for  the  young  lady. 
Mr.  Thomas  Bayard  and  Miss  Pris.  Bayard  have  been  with 
you,  days  and  days,  and  old  Madam  Littlepage  is  delighted. 
Oh !  the  'Toe  has  always  been  a  happy  house,  and  happy 
faces  have  I  long  been  used  to  see  come  out  of  it,  and  hap- 
py faces  do  I  see  to-day  !  Yes,  yes  ;  the  Toe  has  always 
sent  happy,  contented  faces  down  the  road  ;  and  a  happy 
roof  it  has  been,  by  all  accounts,  these  hundred  years." 

I  dare  say  this  was  all  true  enough.  I  have  always  heard 
that  the  old  place  contained  contented  hearts  ;  and  con- 
tented hearts  make  happy  faces.  Kate's  face  was  happi- 
ness itself,  as  she  sat  in  the  saddle  listening  to  the  crone  ; 
and  my  countenance  is  not  one  of  ill-nature.  The  "  Toe 


THE  CHAINBEARER,  69 

was  ever  a  happy  house  !"  It  recalls  old  times,  to  hear  a 
house  thus  familiarly  spoken  of  ;  for  a  set  is  rising  up 
among  us  which  is  vastly  too  genteel  to  admit  that  any  one 
—man,  woman,  child,  or  Satan,  ever  had  a  member  so 
homely  as  a  'Toe. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

"  They  love  their  land,  because  it  is  their  own, 
And  scorn  to  give  aught  other  reason  why ; 
Would  shake  hands  with  a  king  upon  his  throne, 
And  think  it  kindness  to  his  majesty  ; 
A  stubborn  race,  fearing  and  flattering  none, 
Such  are  they  nurtured,  such  they  live  and  die  ; 
All  but  a  few  apostates,  who  are  meddling 
With  merchandise,  pounds,  shillings,  pence  and  peddling." 

— HALLECK. 

A  DAY  or  two  after  my  return  to  Lilacsbush,  was  pre- 
sented one  of  these  family  scenes  which  are  so  common  in 
the  genial  month  of  June,  on  the  shores  of  the  glorious  old 
Hudson.  I  call  the  river  the  old  Hudson,  for  it  is  quite  as 
old  as  the  Tiber,  though  the  world  has  not  talked  of  it  as 
much,  or  as  long.  A  thousand  years  hence,  this  stream 
-will  be  known  over  the  whole  earth  ;  and  men  will  speak 
of  it  as  they  now  speak  of  the  Danube  and  the  Rhine.  As 
good  wine  may  not  be  made  on  its  banks  as  is  made  on  the 
acclivities  of  the  latter  river  ;  but,  even  to-day,  better,  both 
as  to  quality  and  variety,  is  actually  drunk.  On  this  last 
point,  all  intelligent  travellers  agree. 

There  stands  a  noble  linden  on  the  lawn  of  Lilacsbush, 
at  no  great  distance  from  the  house,  and  necessarily  within 
a  short  distance  of  the  water.  The  tree  had  been  planted 
there  by  my  grandmother  Mordaunt's  father,  to  whom  the 
place  once  belonged  ;  and  was  admirably  pla',ed  for  the 
purposes  of  an  afternoon's  lounge.  Beneath  its  shade  we 
often  took  our  dessert  and  wine,  in  the  wnrm  months  ; 
and  thither,  since  their  return  from  the  a  my,  General 
Littlepage  and  Colonel  Dirck  Pollock  used  to  carry  their 
pipes,  and  smoke  over  a  campaign,  or  a  botvle,  as  chance 
directed  the  discourse.  For  that  matter,  nr  battle-field 
had  ever  been  so  veiled  in  smoke,  as  would  have  been  the 
case  with  the  linden  in  question,  could  there  h;,ve  been  a 
concentration  of  all  the  vapor  it  had  seen. 

The  afternoon  of  the  day  just  mentioned,  th?  whole 
family  were  seated  beneath  the  tree,  scattered  round,  as 


70  THE  CHAINBEARER. 

shade  and  inclination  tempted  ;  though  a  small  table,  hold* 
ing  fruits  and  wine,  showed  that  the  usual  business  of  the 
hour  had  not  been  neglected.  The  wines  were  Madeira 
and  claret,  those  common  beverages  in  the  country  ;  and 
the  fruits  were  strawberries,  cherries,  oranges  and  figs  ; 
the  two  last  imported,  of  course.  It  was  a  little  too  early 
for  us  to  get  pines  from  the  islands,  a  fruit  which  is  so 
common  in  its  season  as  to  be  readily  purchased  in  town 
at  the  rate  of  four  of  a  good  size  for  a  dollar.  But,  the 
abundance,  and  even  luxury,  of  a  better  sort  of  the  com- 
mon American  tables,  is  no  news  ;  viands,  liquors  and  fruits 
appearing  on  them,  that  are  only  known  to  the  very  rich 
and  very  luxurious  in  the  countries  of  Europe.  If  the  ser- 
vice were  only  as  tasteful,  and  the  cooking  as  good  with 
us,  as  both  are  in  France,  for  instance,  America  would  be 
the  very  paradise  of  the  epicure,  let  superficial  travellers 
say  what  they  please  to  the  contrary.  I  have  been  abroad 
in  these  later  times,  and  speak  of  what  I  know. 

No  one  sat  at  the  table,  though  my  father,  Colonel 
Dirck,  and  I  were  near  enough  to  reach  our  glasses,  at 
need.  My  mother  was  next  to  me,  and  reasonably  close  ; 
for  I  did  not  smoke,  while  aunt  Mary  and  Kate  had  taken 
post  just  without  the  influence  of  the  tobacco.  On  the 
shore  was  a  large  skiff,  that  contained  a  tolerably  sized 
trunk  or  two,  and  a  sort  of  clothes-bag.  In  the  first  were 
a  portion  of  my  clothes,  while  those  of  Jaap  filled  the  bag. 
The  negro  himself  was  stretched  on  the  grass,  about  half- 
way between  the  tree  and  the  shore,  with  two  or  three  of 
his  grandchildren  rolling  about,  at  his  feet.  In  the  skiff 
was  his  son,  seated  in  readiness  to  use  the  sculls,  as  soon 
as  ordered. 

All  this  arrangement  denoted  my  approaching  depart- 
ure for  the  north.  The  wind  was  at  the  south,  and  sloops 
of  various  degrees  of  promise  and  speed  were  appearing 
round  the  points,  coming  on  one  in  the  wake  of  another, 
as  each  had  been  able  to  quit  the  wharves  to  profit  by  the 
breeze.  In  that  day,  the  river  had  not  a  tenth  part  of  the 
craft  it  now  possesses  ;  but  still,  it  had  enough  to  make  a 
little  fleet,  so  near  town,  and  at  a  moment  when  wind  and 
tide  both  became  favorable.  At  that  time,  most  of  the 
craft  on  the  Hudson  belonged  up  the  river,  and  they  par- 
took largely  of  the  taste  of  our  Dutch  ancestors.  Notable 
travellers  before  the  gales,  they  did  very  little  with  foul 
winds,  generally  requiring  from  a  week  to  a  fortnight  tc. 
tide  it  down  from  Albany,  with  the  wind  at  all  from  the 


THE  CHAINBEARER.  71 

south.  Nevertheless,  few  persons  thought  of  making  the 
journey  between  the  two  largest  towns  of  the  state  (York 
and  Albany),  without  having  recourse  to  one  of  these 
sloops.  I  was  at  that  moment  in  waiting  for  the  appear- 
ance of  a  certain  "  Eagle,  of  Albany,  Captain  Bogert," 
which  was  to  run  in  close  to  Lilacsbush,  and  receive  me 
on  board,  agreeably  to  an  arrangement  previously  made  in 
town.  I  was  induced  to  take  a  passage  in  this  vessel  from 
the  circumstance  that  she  had  a  sort  of  after-cabin  that 
was  screened  by  an  ample  green  curtain,  an  advantage 
that  all  the  vessels  which  then  plied  on  the  river  did  not 
possess  ;  though  great  improvements  have  been  making 
ever  since  the  period  of  which  I  am  now  writing. 

Of  course,  the  interval  thus  passed  in  waiting  for  the 
appearance  of  the  Eagle  was  filled  up,  more  or  less,  by  dis- 
course. Jaap,  who  was  to  accompany  me  in  my  journey 
to  Ravensnest,  knew  every  vessel  on  the  river,  as  soon  as 
he  could  see  her,  and  we  depended  on  him  to  let  us 
know  when  I  was  to  embark,  though  the  movements  of 
the  sloop  herself  could  not  fail  to  give  us  timely  notice 
of  the  necessity  of  taking  leave. 

"  I  should  like  exceedingly  to  pay  a  visit  to  old  Mrs. 
Vander  Heyden,  at  Kinderhook,  Mordaunt,"  said  my 
mother,  after  one  of  the  frequent  pauses  that  occurred  in 
the  discourse.  "  She  is  a  relation,  and  I  feel  a  great  re- 
gard for  her  ;  so  much  the  more,  from  the  circumstance  of 
her  being  associated  in  my  mind  with  that  frightful  night 
on  the  river,  of  which  you  have  heard  me  speak." 

As  my  mother  ceased  speaking,  she  glanced  affection- 
ately toward  the  general,  who  returned  the  look,  as  he  re- 
turned all  my  mother's  looks,  with  one  filled  with  manly 
tenderness.  A  more  united  couple  than  my  parents  never 
existed.  They  seemed  to  me  ordinarily  to  have  but  one 
mind  between  them  ;  and  when  there  did  occur  any  slight 
difference  of  opinion,  the  question  was  not  which  should 
prevail,  but  which  should  yield.  Of  the  two,  my  mother 
may  have  had  the  most  native  intellect,  though  the  gen- 
eral was  a  fine,  manly,  sensible  person,  and  was  very  uni- 
versally respected. 

"It  might  be  well,  Anneke,"  said  my  father,  "if  the 
major  were  to  pay  a  visit  to  poor  Guert's  grave,  and  see  if 
the  stones  are  up,  and  that  the  place  is  kept  as  it  should 
be.  I  have  not  been  there  since  the  year  '68,  when  it 
looked  as  if  a  friendly  eye  might  do  some  good  at  no  dis- 
tant day." 


72  THE  CHAINBEARER. 

This  was  said  in  a  low  voice,  purposely  to  prevent  aunt 
Mary  from  hearing  it  ;  and,  as  she  was  a  little  deaf,  it  is 
probable  the  intention  was  successful.  Not  so,  however, 
with  Colonel  Dirck,  who  drew  the  pipe  from  his  mouth, 
and  sat  attentively  listening,  in  the  manner  of  one  who  felt 
great  interest  in  the  subject.  Another  pause  succeeded. 

"  T'en  t'ere  ist  my  Lort  Howe,  Corny,"  observed  the 
colonel,  "how  is  it  wit'  his  grave?" 

"  Oh  !  the  colony  took  good  care  of  that.  They  buried 
him  in  the  main  aisle  of  St.  Peter's,  I  believe  ;  and  no  doubt 
all  is  right  with  him.  As  for  the  other,  major,  it  might  be 
well  to  look  at  it." 

"  Great  changes  have  taken  place  at  Albany,  since  we 
were  there  as  young  people  ! "  observed  my  mother, 
thoughtfully.  "  The  Cuylers  are  much  broken  up  by  the 
revolution,  while  the  Schuylers  have  grown  greater  than 
ever.  Poor  aunt  Schuyler,  she  is  no  longer  living  to  wel- 
come a  son  of  ours  !  " 

"  Time  will  bring  about  such  changes,  my  love  ;  and  we 
can  only  be  thankful  that  so  many  of  us  remain,  after  so 
long  and  blo'ody  a  war." 

I  saw  my  mother's  lips  move,  and  I  knew  she  was  mur- 
muring a  thanksgiving  to  the  power  which  had  preserved 
her  husband  and  son  through  the  late  struggle. 

"  You  will  write  as  often  as  opportunities  occur,  Mor- 
daunt,"  said  that  dear  parent,  after  a  longer  pause  than 
usual.  "  Now  there  is  peace,  I  can  hope  to  get  your  let- 
ters with  some  little  regularity." 

"  They  tell  me,  cousin  Anneke  " — for  so  the  colonel  al- 
ways called  my  mother  when  we  were  alone — "  They  tell 
me,  cousin  Anneke,"  said  Colonel  Dirck,  "t'at  t'ey  actually 
mean  to  have  a  mail  t'ree  times  a  week  petween  Alpany 
and  York!  T'ere  ist  no  knowing,  general,  what  t'is  glori- 
ous revolution  will  not  do  for  us !  " 

"  If  it  bring  me  letters  three  times  a  week  from  those  I 
love,"  rejoined  my  mother,  "I  am  sure  my  patriotism  will 
be  greatly  increased.  How  will  letters  get  out  from  Ra- 
vensnest  to  the  older  parts  of  the  colony — I  should  say 
state,  Mordaunt  ?  " 

"  I  must  trust  to  the  settlers  for  that.  Hundreds  of 
Yankees,  they  tell  me,  are  out  looking  for  farms  this  sum- 
mer. I  may  use  some  of  them  for  messengers." 

"Don't  trust  'em  too  much,  or  too  many" — growled 
Colonel  Dirck,  who  had  the  old  Dutch  grudge  against  our 
eastern  brethren.  "  See  how  they  behav't  to  Schuyler." 


THE  CHAINBEARER.  73 

"Yes,"  said  my  father,  replenishing  his  pipe,  "they 
might  have  manifested  more  justice  and  less  prejudice  to 
wise  Philip  ;  but  prejudices  will  exist,  all  over  the  world. 
Even  Washington  has  had  his  share." 

"T'AT  is  a  great  man  !"  exclaimed  Colonel  Dirck,  with 
emphasis,  and  in  the  manner  of  one  who  felt  certain  of  his 
point.  "A  ferry  great  man  !  " 

"No  one  will  dispute  with  you,  colonel,  on  that  subject  ; 
but  have  you  no  message  to  send  to  our  old  comrade,  An- 
dries  Coejemans  ?  He  must  have  been  at  Mooseridge,  with 
his  party  of  surveyors,  now  near  a  twelvemonth,  and  I'll 
warrant  you  has  thoroughly  looked  up  the  old  boundaries, 
so  as  to  be  ready  for  Mordaunt  to  start  afresh  as  soon  as 
the  boy  reaches  the  patent." 

"  I  hope  he  has  not  hiret  a  Yankee  surveyor,  Corny," 
put  in  the  colonel,  in  some  little  alarm.  "If  one  of  t'em 
animals  gets  upon  the  tract,  he  will  manage  to  carry  off 
half  of  the  lant  in  his  compass-box  !  I  hope  olt  Andries 
knows  petter." 

"  I  dare  say  he'll  manage  to  keep  all  the  land,  as  well  as 
to  survey  it.  It  is  a  thousand  pities  the  captain  has  no 
head  for  figures  ;  for  his  honesty  would  have  made  his  fort- 
une. But  I  have  seen  him  tried,  and  know  it  will  not  do. 
He  was  a  week  once  making  up  an  account  of  some  stores 
received  from  head-quarters,  and  the  nearest  he  could  get 
to  the  result  was  twenty-five  per  cent,  out  of  the  way." 

"  I  would  sooner  trust  Andries  Coejemans  to  survey  my 
property,  figures  or  no  figures,"  cried  Colonel  Dirck,  posi- 
tively, "than  any  dominie  in  New  England." 

"Well,  that  is  as  one  thinks,"  returned  my  father,  tast- 
ing the  Madeira.  "  For  my  part,  I  shall  be  satisfied  with 
the  surveyor  he  may  happen  to  select,  even  though  he 
should  be  a  Yankee.  Andries  is  shrewd,  if  he  be  no  cal- 
culator ;  and  I  dare  to  say  he  has  engaged  a  suitable  man. 
Having  taken  the  job  at  a  liberal  price,  he  is  too  honest  a 
fellow  not  to  hire  a  proper  person  to  do  the  head-work. 
As  for  all  the  rest,  I  would  trust  him  as  soon  as  I  would 
trust  any  man  in  America." 

"  T'at  is  gospel.  Mordaunt  will  haf  an  eye  on  matters 
too,  seein'  he  has  so  great  an  interest  in  the  estate.  T'ere 
is  one  t'ing,  major,  you  must  not  forget.  Five  hundred 
goot  acres  must  be  surveyed  off  for  sister  Anneke,  and  five 
hundred  for  pretty  Kate,  here.  As  soon  as  t'at  is  done, 
the  general  and  I  will  give  each  of  the  gals  a  deet." 

"Thank  you,  Dirck,"  said  my  father,  with  feeling.    "  I'll 


74  THE  CHAINBEARER. 

not  refuse  the  land  for  the  girls,  who  may  be  glad  enough 
to  own  it  some  time  or  other." 

"  It's  no  great  matter  now,  Corny  ;  put,  as  you  say,  it 
may  be  of  use  one  day.  Suppose  we  make  old  Andries  a 
present  of  a  farm,  in  his  pargain." 

"With  all  my  heart,"  cried  my  father,  quickly.  "A 
couple  of  hundred  acres  might  make  him  comfortable  for 
the  rest  of  his  days.  I  thank  you  for  the  hint,  Dirck,  and 
we  will  let  Mordaunt  choose  the  lot,  and  send  us  the  de- 
scription, that  we  may  prepare  the  deed." 

"You  forget,  general,  that  the  Chainbearer  has,  or  will 
have  his  military  lot,  as  a  captain,"  I  ventured  to  remark. 
"  Besides,  land  will  be  of  little  use  to  him,  unless  it  might 
be  to  measure  it.  I  doubt  if  the  old  man  would  not  pre- 
fer going  without  his  dinner,  to  hoeing  a  hill  of  pota- 
toes." 

"  Andries  had  three  slaves  while  he  was  with  us  ;  a  man, 
a  woman,  and  their  daughter,"  returned  my  father.  "  He 
would  not  sell  them,  he  said,  on  any  consideration  ;  and  I 
have  known  him  actually  suffering  for  money  when  he  was 
too  proud  to  accept  it  from  his  friends,  and  too  benevolent 
to  part  with  family  slaves,  in  order  to  raise  it.  *  They  were 
born  Coejemans,'  he  always  said,  'as  much  as  I  was  born 
one  myself,  and  they  shall  die  Coejemans.'  He  doubtless 
has  these  people  with  him,  at  the  Ridge,  where  you  will 
find  them  all  encamped,  near  some  spring,  with  "garden- 
stuff  and  other  small  things  growing  around  him,  if  he  can 
find  open  land  enough  for  such  a  purpose.  He  has  per- 
mission to  cut  and  till  at  pleasure." 

"  This  is  agreeable  news  to  me,  general,"  I  answered, 
"since  it  promises  a  sort  of  home.  If  the  Chainbearei 
has  really  these  blacks  with  him,  and  has  hutted  judicious- 
ly, I  dare  say  we  shall  have  quite  as  comfortable  a  time  as 
many  of  those  we  passed  together  in  camp.  Then,  I  shall 
carry  my  flute  with  me  ;  for  Miss  Priscilla  Bayard  has 

S'ven  me  reason  to  expect  a  very  wonderful  creature  in 
us,  the  niece,  of  which  old  Andries  used  to  talk  so  much. 
You  remember  to  have  heard  the  Chainbearer  speak  of 
such  a  person,  I  dare  say,  sir  ;  for  he  was  quite  fond  of 
mentioning  her." 

"  Perfectly  well ;  Dus  Malbone  was  a  sort  of  toast 
among  the  young  men  of  the  regiment  at  one  time,  though 
no  one  of  them  all  ever  could  get  a  sight  of  her,  by  hook 
or  by  crook." 

Happening  to  turn  my  head  at  that  moment,  I  found 


THE  CHAINBEARRR.  ft 

my  dear  mother's  eyes  turned  curio  isly  on  me  ;  brought 
there,  I  fancy,  by  the  allusion  to  Tom's  sister. 

"  What  does  Priscilla  Bayard  know  of  this  Chainbearer's 
niece  ? "  that  beloved  parent  asked,  a."  soon  as  she  per- 
ceived that  her  look  had  attracted  my  attention. 

"A  great  deal,  it  would  seem;  since  s'le  tells  me  they 
are  fast  friends  ;  quite  as  great,  I  should  jv.:dge  from  Miss 
Bayard's  language  and  manner,  as  Kate  and  herself." 

"  That  can  scarcely  be,"  returned  my  mother,  slightly 
smiling,  "  since  there  the  principal  reason  must  be  v\  anting. 
Then,  this  Dus  can  hardly  be  Priscilla  Bayard's  equal." 

"  One  never  knows  such  a  thing,  mother,  until  he  has 
had  an  opportunity  of  making  comparisons  ;  though  Miss 
Bayard  herself  says  Dus  is  much  her  superior  in  many 
things.  I  am  sure  her  uncle  is  my  superior  in  some  re- 
spects ;  in  carrying  chain,  particularly  so." 

"  Ay,  but  scarcely  in  station,  Mordaunt." 

"  He  was  the  senior  captain  of  the  regiment." 

*'  True  ;  but  revolutions  are  revolutions.  What  I  mean 
is,  that  your  Chainbearer  can  hardly  be  a  gentleman." 

"That  is  a  point  not  to  be  decided  in  a  breath.  He  is, 
and  he  is  not.  Old  Andries  is  of  a  respectable  family, 
though  but  indifferently  educated.  Men  vastly  his  infe- 
riors in  birth,  in  habits,  in  the  general  notions  of  the  c  iste, 
in  the  New  England  States,  are  greatly  his  superior  s  in 
knowledge.  Nevertheless,  while  we  must  all  admit  how 
necessary  a  certain  amount  of  education  has  become,  at 
the  present  time,  to  make  a  gentleman,  I  think  every  gen- 
tleman will  allow  hundreds  among  us  have  degrees  in  1  heir 
pockets  with  small  claims  to  belong  to  the  class.  Three 
or  four  centuries  ago,  I  should  have  answered  that  old 
Andries  was  a  gentleman,  though  he  had  to  bite  the  wax 
with  his  teeth  and  make  a  cross,  for  want  of  a  better  sig- 
nature." 

"  And  he  what  you  call  a  chainbearer,  Mordaunt !  "  ex- 
claimed my  sister. 

"  As  well  as  late  senior  captain  in  your  father's  regiment, 
Miss  Littlepage.  But,  no  matter,  Andries  and  Dus  are 
such  as  they  are,  and  I  shall  be  glad  to  have  them  for  com- 
panions this  summer.  Jaap  is  making  signals,  and  I  n.ust 
quit  you  all.  Heigho  !  It  is  very  pleasant  here,  ur  der 
this  linden,  and  home  begins  to  entwine  its  fibres  aro  md 
my  heart.  Never  mind ;  it  will  soon  be  autumn,  and  I 
shall  see  the  whole  of  you,  I  trust,  as  I  leave  you,  well  and 
happy  in  town." 


;6  THE  CtfAlNBEARER. 

My  dear,  dear  mother  had  tears  in  her  eyes,  when  she 
embraced  me  ;  so  had  Kate,  who,  though  she  did  love  Tom 
Bayard  most,  loved  me  very  warmly  too.  Aunt  Mary 
kissed  me,  in  her  quiet  but  affectionate  way  ;  and  I  shook 
hands  with  the  gentlemen,  who  accompanied  me  down  to 
the  boat.  I  could  see  that  my  father  was  affected.  Had 
the  war  still  continued,  he  would  have  thought  nothing  of 
the  separation  ;  but  in  that  piping  time  of  peace  it  seemed 
to  come  unseasonably. 

"  Now  don't  forget  the  great  lots  for  Anneke  and  Ka- 
trinke,"  said  Colonel  Dirck,  as  \ve  descended  to  the  shore, 
"  Let  Andries  pick  out  some  of  the  best  of  the  lant,  t'at  is 
well  watered  and  timbered,  and  we'll  call  the  lots  after  the 
gals  ;  that  is  a  goot  idea,  Corny." 

"  Excellent,  my  friend.  Mordaunt,  my  son,  if  you  come 
across  any  places  that  look  like  graves,  I  wish  you  would 
set  up  marks  by  which  they  may  be  known.  It  is  true,  a 
quarter  of  a  century  or  more  makes  many  changes  in  the 
woods  ;  and  it  is  quite  likely  no  such  remains  will  be 
found." 

"A  quarter  of  a  century  in  the  American  forests,  sir,"  I 
answered,  "  is  somewhat  like  the  same  period  in  the  wan- 
derings of  a  comet ;  lost,  in  the  numberless  years  of  its 
growth.  A  single  tree  will  sometimes  outlast  the  genera- 
tions of  an  entire  nation." 

"  You  wilt  rememper,  Mordaunt,  that  I  wilt  haf  no  Yan- 
kee tenants  on  my  estate.  Your  father  may  lease  'em  one- 
half  of  a  lot,  if  he  please  ;  but  I  will  not  lease  t'other." 

"As  you  are  tenants  in  common,  gentlemen,"  I  an- 
swered, smiling,  "  it  will  not  be  easy  to  separate  the  inter- 
ests in  this  manner.  I  believe  I  understand  you,  however  ; 
I  am  to  sell  the  lands  of  Mooseridge,  or  covenant  to  sell, 
as  your  attorney,  while  I  follow  out  my  grandfather  Mor- 
daunt's  ideas,  and  lease  those  that  are  not  yet  leased,  on 
my  own  estate.  This  will  at  least  give  the  settlers  a  choice, 
and  those  who  do  not  like  one  plan  of  obtaining  their 
farms  may  adopt  the  other." 

I  now  shook  hands  again  with  the  gentlemen,  and  step- 
ping into  the  skiff,  we  pulled  away  from  the  shore.  Jaap 
had  made  this  movement  in  good  season,  and  we  were  com- 
pelled to  row  a  quarter  of  a  mile  down  the  river  to  meet 
the  sloop.  Although  the  wind  was  perfectly  fair,  it  was 
not  so  fresh  as  to  induce  Mr.  Bogert  to  round-to  ;  but 
throwing  us  a  rope,  it  was  caught,  when  we  were  safely 
transferred,  bag  and  baggage,  to  the  decks  of  the  Eagle. 


THE  CHAINBEARER.  77 

Captain  Bogert  was  smoking  at  the  helm,  when  he  re- 
turned my  salute.  Removing  the  pipe,  after  a  puff  or  two, 
he  pointed  with  the  stem  toward  the  group  on  the  shore, 
and  inquired  if  I  wished  to  say  "good-by." 

"  Allponny" — so  the  Dutch  were  wont  to  pronounce  the 
name  of  their  town  in  the  last  century — "is  a  long  way  off," 
he  said,  "  and  maype  you  woult  like  to  see  the  frients 
ag'in." 

This  business  of  waving  hats  and  handkerchiefs  is  a  regu- 
lar thing  on  the  Hudsgn,  and  I  expressed  my  willingness 
to  comply  with  the  usage,  as  a  matter  of  course.*  In  con- 
sequence, Mr.  Bogert  deliberately  sheered  in  toward  the 
shore,  and  I  saw  the  whole  family  collecting  on  a  low  rock, 
near  the  water,  to  take  the  final  look.  In  the  background 
stood  the  Satanstoes,  a  dark,  woolly  group,  including  Mrs. 
Jaap,  and  two  generations  of  descendants.  The  whites 
were  weeping  ;  that  is  to  say,  my  dear  mother  and  Kate  ; 
and  the  blacks  were  laughing,  though  the  old  lady  kept 
her  teeth  to  herself  about  as  much  as  she  exposed  them. 
A  sensation  almost  invariably  produces  laughter  with  a 
negro,  the  only  exceptions  being  on  occasions  of  singular 
gravity. 

I  believe,  if  the  truth  were  known,  Mr.  Bogert  greatly 
exulted  in  the  stately  movement  of  his  sloop,  as  she  brushed 
along  the  shore,  at  no  great  distance  from  the  rocks,  with 
her  main-boom  guyed  out  to  starboard,  and  studding-sail 
boom  to  port.  The  flying-topsail,  too,  was  set  ;  and  the 
Eagle  might  be  said  to  be  moving  in  all  her  glory.  She 
went  so  near  the  rocks,  too,  as  if  she  despised  danger ! 
Those  were  not  the  days  of  close  calculations  that  have 
succeeded.  Then,  an  Albany  skipper  did  not  mind  losing 
a  hundred  or  two  feet  of  distance  in  making  his  run  ;  where- 
as, now,  it  would  not  be  an  easy  matter  to  persuade  a 
Liverpool  trader  to  turn  as  much  aside  in  order  to  speak  a 

*  Such  were  the  notions  of  Mr.  Mordaunt  Littlepage,  at  the  commence- 
ment of  this  century,  and  such  his  feeling  shortly  after  the  peace  of  1783. 
Nothing  of  the  sort  more  completely  illustrates  the  general  change  that  has 
come  over  the  land,  in  habits  and  material  things,  than  the  difference  be- 
tween the  movements  of  that  day  and  those  of  our  own.  Then,  the  de- 
parture of  a  sloop,  or  the  embarkation  of  a  passenger  along  the  shore, 
brought  parties  to  the  wharves,  and  wavings  of  handkerchiefs,  as  if  those 
who  were  left  behind  felt  a  lingering  wish  to  see  the  last  of  their  friends. 
Now,  literally  thousands  come  and  go  daily,  passing  about  as  many  hours 
on  the  Hudson  as  their  grandfathers  passed  days  ;  and  the  shaking  of 
hands  and  leave-takings  are  usually  done  at  home.  It  would  be  a  bold 
woman  who  \vuuld  think  now  of  waving  a  handkerchief  to  a  Hudson  River 
steamboat ! — EDITOR. 


78  THE  CHAINBEARER. 

stranger  in  the  centre  of  the  Atlantic  ;  unless,  indeed,  he 
happened  to  want  to  get  the  other's  longitude. 

As  the  sloop  swept  past  the  rocks,  I  got  bows,  waving  of 
hats  and  handkerchiefs,  and  good  wishes  enough  to  last 
the  whole  voyage.  Even  Jaap  had  his  share  ;  and  "  good- 
by,  Jaap,"  came  to  my  ears,  from  even  the  sweet  voice  oi 
Kate.  Away  we  went,  in  stately  Dutch  movement,  slow 
but  sure.  In  ten  minutes  Lilacsbush  was  behind  us,  and  1 
was  once  more  alone  in  the  world,  for  months  to  come. 

There  was  now  time  to  look  about  me,  and  to  ascertain 
who  were  my  companions  in  this  voyage.  The  skippei 
and  crew  were  as  usual  the  masters  ;  and  the  pilots,  both 
whites,  and  both  of  Dutch  extraction,  an  old  wrinkled 
negro,  who  had  passed  his  life  on  the  Hudson  as  a  foremast 
hand,  and  two  younger  blacks,  one  of  whom  was  what  was 
dignified  with  the  name  of  cabin-steward.  Then  there  were 
numerous  passengers  ;  some  of  whom  appeared  to  belong 
to  the  upper  classes.  They  were  of  both  sexes,  but  all 
were  strangers  to  me.  On  the  main-deck  were  six  or  eight 
sturdy,  decent,  quiet,  respectable-looking  laborers,  who 
were  evidently  of  the  class  of  husbandmen.  Their  packs 
were  lying  in  a  pile,  near  the  foot  of  the  mast,  and  I  did 
not  fail  to  observe  that  there  were  as  many  axes  as  theie 
were  packs. 

The  American  axe  !  It  hasjmade  more  real  and  lasting 
conquests  than  the  sword  of  any  warlike  people  that  ever 
lived  ;  but  they  have  been  conquests  that  have  left  civiliza- 
tion in  their  train  instead  of  havoc  and  desolation.  More 
than  a  million  of  square  miles  of  territory  *  have  been 
opened  up  from  the  shades  of  the  virgin  forest,  to  admit 
the  warmth  of  the  sun  ;  and  culture  and  abundance  have 
been  spread  where  the  beast  of  the  forest  so  lately  roamed, 
hunted  by  the  savage.  Most  of  this,  too,  has  been  effected 
between  the  day  when  I  went  on  board  the  Eagle,  and 
that  on  which  I  am  now  writing.  A  brief  quarter  of  a 
century  has  seen  these  wonderful  changes  wrought ;  and 
at  the  bottom  of  them  all  lies  this  beautiful,  well-prized, 
ready  and  efficient  implement,  the  American  axe  ! 

It  would  not  be  easy  to  give  the  reader  a  clear  notion  of  the 
manner  in  which  the  young  men  and  men  of  all  ages  of  the 
older  portions  of  the  new  republic  poured  into  the  woods 
to  commence  the  business  of  felling  the  forests,  and  laying 
bare  the  secrets  of  nature,  as  soon  as  the  nation  rose  from 

*  More  than  two  millions  at  the  present  day. 


THE  CHATXBRARRR.  79 

beneath  the  pressure  of  war,  to  enjoy  the  freedom  of 
peace.  The  history  of  that  day  in  New  York,  which  State 
led  the  van  in  the  righteous  strife  of  improvement,  and 
has  ever  since  so  nobly  maintained  its  vantage-ground, 
has  not  yet  been  written.  When  it  is  properly  recordec^ 
names  will  be  rescued  from  oblivion  that  better  deserve 
statues  and  niches  in  the  temple  of  national  glory,  than 
those  of  many  who  have  merely  got  the  start  of  them  by 
means  of  the  greater  facility  with  which  the  public  mind 
is  led  away  in  the  train  of  brilliant  exploits,  than  it  is 
made  sensible  of  the  merits  of  those  that  are  humane  and 
useful. 

It  was  not  usual  for  settlers,  as  it  has  become  the  prac- 
tice to  term  those  who  first  take  up  and  establish  them- 
selves on  new  lands,  to  make  their  journeys  from  the 
neighborhood  of  the  sea  to  the  interior,  other  than  by  land; 
but  a  few  passed  out  of  Connecticut  by  the  way  of  New 
York,  and  thence  up  the  river  in  sloops.  Of  this  character 
were  those  found  on  board  the  Eagle.  In  all,  we  had 
seven  of  these  men,  wTho  got  into  discourse  with  rne  the 
lirst  day  of  our  passage,  and  I  was  a  little  surprised  at  dis- 
;overing  how  much  they  already  knew  of  me,  and  of  my 
aiovements.  Jaap,  however,  soon  suggested  himself  to 
my  mind,  as  the  probable  means  of  the  intelligence  they 
had  gleaned  ;  and,  on  inquiry,  such  I  ascertained  was  the 
fact. 

The  curiosity  and  the  questioning  propensities  of  the 
people  of  New  England,  have  been  so  generally  admitted 
by  writers  and  commentators  on  American  character,  that 
I  suppose  one  has  a  right  to  assume  the  truth  of  these  char- 
acteristics. I  have  heard  various  ways  of  accounting  for 
them  ;  and  among  others,  the  circumstances  of  their  dis- 
position to  emigrate,  which  brings  with  it  the  necessity  of 
inquiring  after  the  welfare  of  friends  at  a  distance.  It  ap- 
pears to  me,  however,  this  is  taking  a  very  narrow  view  of 
the  cause,  which  I  attribut^  to  the  general  activity  of  mind 
among  a  people  little  restrained  by  the  conventional  usages 
of  more  sophisticated  conditions  of  society.  The  practice 
of  referring  so  much  to  the  common  mind,  too,  has  a  great 
influence  on  all  the  opinions  of  this  peculiar  portion  of  the 
American  population,  seeming  to  confer  the  right  to  in- 
quire into  matters  that  are  elsewhere  protected  by  the 
sacred  feeing  of  individual  privacy. 

Let  this  be  as  it  might,  my  axe-men  had  contrived  to  get 
out  of  Jaap  all  he  knew  about  Ravensnest  and  Moose- 


8o  THE  CfTAINBRARER. 

ridge,  as  well  as  my  motives  in  making  the  present  jour, 
ney.  This  information  obtained,  they  were  not  slow  in 
introducing  themselves  to  me,  and  of  asking  the  questions 
that  were  uppermost  in  their  minds.  Of  course,  I  made 
^uch  answers  as  were  called  for  by  the  case,  and  we  es- 
tablished a  sort  of  business  acquaintance  between  us,  the 
very  first  day.  The  voyage  lasting  several  days,  by  the 
time  we  reached  Albany,  pretty  much  all  that  could  be 
said  on  such  a  subject  had  been  uttered  by  one  side  or  the 
other. 

As  respected  Ravensnest,  my  own  property,  my  grand- 
father had  requested  in  his  will  that  the  farms  might  be 
leased,  having  an  eye  to  my  children's  profit,  rather  than 
to  mine.  His  request  was  a  law  to  me,  and  I  had  fully 
determined  to  offer  the  unoccupied  lands  of  that  estate,  or 
quite  three-fourths  of  the  whole  patent,  on  leases  similar 
in  their  conditions  to  those  which  had  already  been  granted. 
On  the  other  hand,  it  was  the  intention  to  part  with  the 
lots  of  Mooseridge  in  .  fee.  These  conditions  were  made 
known  to  the  axe-men,  as  my  first  essay  in  settling  a  new 
country  ;  and,  contrary  to  what  had  been  my  expectation, 
I  soon  discovered  that  these  adventurers  inclined  more  to 
the  leases  than  to  the  deeds.  It  is  true,  I  expected  a  small 
payment  down,  in  the  case  of  each  absolute  sale,  while  I 
was  prepared  to  grant  leases,  for  three  lives,  at  very  low 
rents  at  the  best ;  and  in  the  cases  of  a  large  proportion  of 
the  lots,  those  that  were  the  least  eligible  by  situation,  or 
through  their  quality,  to  grant  them  leases  without  any 
rent  at  all,  for  the  first  few  years  of  their  occupation. 
These  last  advantages,  and  the  opportunity  of  possessing 
lands  a  goodly  term  of  years,  for  rents  that  were  put  as  low 
as  a  chilling  an  acre,  were  strong  inducements,  as  I  soon 
discovered,  with  those  who  carried  all  they  were  worth  in 
their  packs,  and  who  thus  reserved  the  little  money  they 
possessed  to  supply  the  wants  of  their  future  husbandry. 

We  talked  these  matters  over  during  the  week  we  were 
on  board  the  sloop  ;  and  by  the  time  we  came  in  sight  of 
the  steeples  of  Albany,  my  men's  minds  were  made  up  to 
follow  me  to  the  Nest.  These  steeples  were  then  two  in 
number,  viz.  :  that  of  the  English  church,  that  stood  near 
the  margin  of  the  town,  against  the  hill ;  and  that  of  the 
Dutch  church,  which  occupied  an  humbler  site,  on  the  low 
land,  and  could  scarcely  be  seen  rising  above  the  pointed 
roofs  of  the  adjacent  houses  ;  though  these  last,  themselves. 
were  neither  particularly  high  nor  particularly  imposing. 


THE  CHAINBEARER.  8* 


CHAPTER  VII. 

"  Who  is  that  graceful  female  here 
With  yon  red  hunter  of  the  deer? 
Of  gentle  mien  and  shape,  she  seems 

For  civil  halls  design' d  ; 
Yet  with  the  stately  savage  walks, 

As  she  were  of  his  kind." — PINCKNEY. 

I  MADE  little  stay  in  Albany,  but,  giving  the  direction  to 
the  patent  to  the  axe-men,  left  it  the  very  day  of  our  arrival. 
There  were  very  few  public  conveyances  in  that  early  day, 
and  I  was  obliged  to  hire  a  wagon  to  transport  Jaap  and 
myself,  with  our  effects,  to  Ravensnest.  A  sort  of  dull 
calm  had  come  over  the  country,  after  the  struggles  of  the 
late  war ;  but  one  interest  in  it  appearing  to  be  alive  and 
very  active.  That  interest,  fortunately  for  me,  appeared 
to  be  the  business  of  "land-hunting"  and  "settling."  Of 
this  I  had  sufficient  proof  in  Albany  itself  ;  it  being  diffi- 
cult to  enter  the  principal  street  of  that  town,  and  not  find 
in  it  more  or  less  of  those  adventurers,  the  emblems  of 
whose  pursuit  were  the  pack  and  the  axe.  Nine  out  of 
ten  came  from  the  Eastern  or  New  England  States  ;  then 
the  most  peopled,  while  they  were  not  very  fortunate  in 
either  soil  or  climate. 

We  were  two  days  in  reaching  Ravensnest;  tr  property 
which  I  had  owned  for  several  years,  but  which  I  now  saw 
for  the  first  time.  My  grandfather  had  left  a  sort  of  agent 
on  the  spot,  a  person  of  the  name  of  Jason  Newcome,  who 
was  of  my  father  the  general's  age,  and  who  had  once  been 
a  schoolmaster  in  the  neighborhood  of  Satanstoe.  This 
agent  had  leased  extensively  himself,  and  was  said  to  be 
the  occupant  of  the  only  mills  of  any  moment  on  the  prop- 
erty. With  him  a  correspondence  had  been  maintained  ; 
and  once  or  twice  during  the  war  my  father  had  managed 
to  have  an  interview  with  this  representative  of  his  and  my 
interests.  As  for  myself,  I  was  now  to  see  him  for  the 
first  time.  We  knew  each  other  by  reputation  only  ;  and 
certain  passages  in  the  agency  had  induced  me  to  give 
Mr.  Newcome  notice  that  it  was  my  intention  to  make  a 
change  in  the  management  of  the  property. 

Any  one  who  is  familiar  with  the  aspect  of  things  \n 
what  is  called  a  "  new  country  "  in  America,  must  be  well 
it  is  not  very  inviting.  The  lovers  of  the  picturesque 


82  THE  CHAINBEARER. 

can  have  little  satisfaction  in  looking  even  on  the  finest 
natural  scenery  at  such  moments  ;  the  labor  that  has  been 
effected  usually  having  done  so  much  to  mar  the  beauties 
of  nature,  without  having  yet  had  time  to  supply  the  de- 
ficiencies by  those  of  art.  Piles  of  charred  or  half-burned 
logs:  fields  covered  with  stumps,  or  ragged  with  stubs; 
fences  of  the  rudest  sorts,  and  filled  with  brambles  ;  build- 
ings of  the  meanest  character  ;  deserted  clearings  ;  and  all 
the  other  signs  of  a  state  of  things  in  which  there  is  a 
manifest  and  constant  struggle  between  immediate  neces- 
sity and  future  expediency,  are  not  calculated  to  satisfy 
either  the  hopes  or  the  tastes.  Occasionally  a  different 
state  of  things,  however,  under  circumstances  peculiarly 
favorable,  does  exist ;  and  it  may  be  well  to  allude  to  it,  lest 
the  reader  form  but  a  single  picture  of  this  transition  state 
of  American  life.  When  the  commerce  of  the  country  is 
active,  and  there  is  a  demand  for  the  products  of  new  lands, 
a  settlement  often  presents  a  scene  of  activity  in  which  the 
elements  of  a  thriving  prosperity  make  themselves  appar- 
ent amid  the  smoke  of  fallows,  and  the  rudeness  of  border 
life.  Neither,  however,  was  the  case  at  Ravensnest  when 
I  first  visited  the  place  ;  though  the  last  was,  to  a  certain 
extent,  its  condition  two  or  three  years  later,  or  after  the 
great  European  war  brought  its  wheat  and  ashes  into  active 
demand. 

I  found  but  few  more  signs  of  cultivation,  between  the 
point  where  I  left  the  great  northern  road  and  the  bounds 
of  the  patent,  than  had  been  found  by  my  father,  as  he 
had  described  them  to  me  in  his  first  visit,  which  took 
place  a  quarter  -of  a  century  earlier  than  this  of  mine. 
There  was  one  log  tavern,  it  is  true,  in  the  space  men- 
tioned ;  but  it  afforded  nothing  to  drink  but  rum,  and 
nothing  to  eat  but  salted  pork  and  potatoes,  the  day  I 
stopped  there  to  dine.  But  there  were  times  and  seasons 
when,  by  means  of  venison,  wild-fowl  and  fish,  a  luxurious 
board  might  have  been  spread.  That  this  was  not  the 
opinion  of  my  landlady,  nevertheless,  was  apparent  from 
the  remarks  she  made  while  I  was  at  table. 

"  You  are  lucky,  Major  Littlepage,"  she  said,  "  in  not 
having  come'among  us  in  one  of  what  I  call  our  *  starving 
times ' — and  awful  times  they  be,  if  a  body  may  say  what 
she  thinks  on  'em." 

"  Starvation  is  a  serious  matter  at  any  time,"  I  answered, 
(v  though  I  did  not  know  you  were  ever  reduced  to  such 
difficulties  in  a  country  as  rich  and  abundant  as  this." 


THE  CHAINBEARER.  $3 

"  Of  what  use  is  riches  and  abundance  if  a  man  will  do 
nothing  but  fish  and  shoot  ?  I've  seen  the  day  when  there 
wasn't  a  mouthful  to  eat  in  this  house,  but  a  dozen  or  two 
of  squabs,  a  string  of  brook  trout,  and  maybe  a  deer,  or  a 
salmon  from  one  of  the  lakes." 

"A  little  bread  would  have  been  a  welcome  addition  to 
such  a  meal." 

"  Oh  !  as  for  bread,  I  count  that  for  nothin'.  We  always 
have  bread  and  potatoes  enough  ;  but  1  hold  a  family  to 
be  in  a  desperate  way,  when  the  mother  can  see  the  bot- 
tom of  the  pork  barrel.  Give  me  the  children  that's  raised 
on  good  sound  pork,  afore  all  the  game  in  the  country. 
Game's  good  as  a  relish,  and  So's  bread  ;  but  pork  is  the 
staff  of  life  !  To  have  good  pork,  a  body  must  have  good 
corn  ;  and  good  corn  needs  hoeing  ;  and  a  hoe  isn't  a  fish- 
pole  or  a  gun.  No,  my  children  I  calkerlate  to  bring  up 
on  pork,  with  just  as  much  bread  and  butter  as  they  may 
want ! " 

This  was  American  poverty  as  it  existed  in  1784.  Bread, 
butter,  and  potatoes,  ad  libitum  ;  but  little  pork,  and  no 
tea.  Game  in  abundance  in  its  season  ;  but  the  poor  man 
who  lived  on  game  was  supposed  to  be  keeping  just  as 
poor  an  establishment  as  the  epicure  in  town  who  gives  a 
dinner  to  his  brethren,  and  is  compelled  to  apologize  for 
there  being  no  game  in  the  market.  Curious  to  learn 
more  from  this  woman,  I  pursued  the  discourse. 

"  There  are  countries,  I  have  read,"  I  continued,  "  in 
which  the  poor  do  not  taste  meat  of  any  sort,  not  even 
game,  from  the  beginning  of  the  year  to  its  end  ;  and  some- 
times not  even  bread." 

"Well,  I'm  no  great  hand  for  bread,  as  I  said  afore,  and 
should  eat  no  great  matter  of  it,  so  long  as  I  could  get 
pork,"  the  woman  answered,  evidently  interested  in  what 
I  had  said  ;  "  but  I  shouldn't  like  to  be  without  it  alto- 
gether ;  and  the  children,  especially,  do  love  to  have  it 
with  their  butter.  Living  on  potatoes  alone  must  be  a 
wild  animal  sort  of  a  life." 

"Very  tame  animals  do  it,  and  that  from  dire  neces- 
sity." 

"  Is  there  any  law  ag'in  their  using  bread  and  meat  ? " 

"  No  other  law  than  the  one  which  forbids  their  using 
that  which  is  the  property  of  another." 

"  Good  land  ! "  This  is  a  very  common  American  expres- 
sion among  the  women — "  Good  land  !  Why  don't  they  go 
to  work  and  get  in  crops,  so  they  might  live  a  little  ?" 


84  THE  CHAINBEARER. 

"  Simply  because  they  have  no  land  to  till,  The  land 
belongs  to  others,  too." 

"  I  should  think  they  might  hire,  if  they  couldn't  buy. 
It's  about  as  good  to  hire  as  it  is  to  buy— some  folks  (folk) 
think  it's  better.  Why  don't  they  take  land  on  shares,  and 
live  ? " 

"  Because  land  itself  is  not  to  be  had.  With  us,  land  is 
abundant ;  we  have  more  of  it  than  is  necessary,  or  than 
will  be  necessary,  for  ages  to  come  ;  perhaps  it  would  be 
better  for  our  civilization  were  there  less  of  it,  but,  in  the 
countries  of  which  I  speak,  there  are  more  people  than 
there  is  land." 

"  Well,  land  is  a  good  thing,  I  admit,  and  it's  right  there 
should  be  an  owner  to  it  ;  yet  there  are  folks  who  would 
rather  squat  than  buy  or  hire,  any  day.  Squatting  comes 
nat'ral  to  'em." 

"  Are  there  many  squatters  in  this  part  of  the  country?" 

The  woman  looked  a  little  confused,  and  she  did  not'an- 
swer  me,  until  she  had  taken  time  to  reflect  on  what  she 
should  say. 

"  Some  folks  call  us  squatters,  I  s'pose,"  was  the  reluc- 
tant answer,  "  but  /  do  not.  We  have  bought  the  better- 
ments of  a  man  who  hadn't  much  of  a  title,  I  think  likely  ; 
but  as  we  bought  his  betterments  fairly,  Mr.  Tinkum"- 
that  was  the  husband's  name — "  is  of  opinion  that  we  live 
under  title,  as  it  is  called.  What  do  you  say  to  it,  Major 
Littlepage  ?  " 

"  I  can  only  say  that  naught  will  produce  naught  ;  noth- 
ing, nothing.  If  the  man  of  whom  you  purchased  owned 
nothing,  he  could  sell  nothing.  The  betterments  he  called 
his,  were  not  his  ;  and  in  purchasing  them,  you  purchased 
what  he  did  not  own." 

"Well,  it's  no  great  shakes,  if  he  hadn't  any  right,  sin' 
Tinkum  only  gi'n  an  old  saddle,  that  warn't  worth  two 
dollars,  and  part  of  a  set  of  single  harness,  that  I'd  defy  a 
conjuror  to  make  fit  any  mule,  for  the  whull  right.  One 
year's  rent  of  this  house  is  worth  all  put  together,  and  that 
twice  over,  if  the  truth  must  be  said  ;  and  we've  been  in  it, 
now  seven  years.  My  four  youngest  were  all  born  under 
this  blessed  roof,  such  as  it  is  !  " 

"In  that  case,  you  will  not  have  much  reason  to  com- 
plain, when  the  real  owner  of  the  soil  appears  to  claim  it. 
The  betterments  came  cheap,  and  they  will  go  as  cheap." 

"  That's  just  it  ;  though  I  don't  call  ourselves  much  of 
squatters,  a'ter  all,  seein'  we  have  paid  suthin*  for  the  bet- 


THE  CHAINBEARER.  85 

They  say  an  old  nail,  paid  in  due  form,  will 
make  a  sort  of  title  in  the  highest  court  of  the  state.  I'm 
sure  the  laws  should  be  considerate  of  the  poor." 

"Not  more  so  than  of  the  rich.  The  laws  should  be 
equal  and  just ;  and  the  poor  are  the  last  people  who  ought 
to  wish  them  otherwise,  since  they  are  certain  to  be  the 
losers  when  any  other  principle  governs.  Rely  on  it,  my 
good  woman,  the  man  who  is  forever  preaching  the  rights 
of  the  poor  is  at  bottom  a  rogue,  and  means  to  make  that 
cry  a  stalking-horse  for  his  own  benefit  ;  since  nothing  can 
serve  the  poor  but  severe  justice.  No  class  suffers  so  much 
by  a  departure  from  the  rule,  as  the  rich  have  a  thousand 
other  means  of  attaining  their  ends,  when  the  way  is  left 
clear  to  them,  by  setting  up  any  other  master  than  the  right." 

"  I  don't  know  but  it  may  be  so  ;  but  I  don't  call  our- 
selves squatters.  There  is  dreadful  squatters  about  here, 
though,  and  on  your  lands  too,  by  the  tell." 

"  On  my  lands  ?  I  am  sorry  to  hear  it,  for  I  shall  feel  it 
a  duty  to  get  rid  of  them.  I  very  well  know  that  the  great 
abundance  of  land  that  we  have  in  the  country,  its  little 
comparative  value,  and  the  distance  at  which  the  owners 
generally  reside  from  their  estates,  have  united  to  render 
the  people  careless  of  the  rights  of  those  who  possess  real 
property  ;  and  I  am  prepared  to  view  things  as  they  are 
among  ourselves,  rather  than  as  they  exist  in  older  coun- 
tries ;  but  I  shall  not  tolerate  squatters." 

"Well,  by  all  I  hear,  I  think  you'll  call  old  Andries,  the 
Chainbearer,  a  squatter  of  the  first  class.  They  tell  me 
the  old  chap  has  come  back  from  the  army  as  fierce  as  a 
catamount,  and  that  there  is  no  speaking  to  him,  as  one 
used  to  could,  in  old  times." 

"You  are,  then,  an  old  acquaintance  of  the  Chain- 
bearer  ? " 

"  I  should  think  I  was !  Tinkum  and  I  have  lived 
about,  a  good  deal,  in  our  day  ;  and  old  Andries  is  a 
desp'ate  hand  for  the  woods.  He  surveyed  out  for  us, 
once,  or  half-surveyed,  another  betterment  ;  but  he  proved 
to  be  a  spiteful  rogue  afore  he  got  through  with  the  busi- 
ness ;  and  we  have  not  set  much  store  by  him  ever  sin* 
that  time." 

"  The  Chainbearer  a  rogue  !  Andries  Coejemans  any 
thing  but  an  honest  man  !  You  are  the  first  person,  Mrs 
Tinkum,  I  have  ever  heard  call  in  question  his  sterling  in- 
tegrity." 

"  Sterling  money  doesn't  pass  now,  I  conclude,  sin'  it's 


86  THE  CHAINBEARER. 

revolution  times.  We  all  know  which  side  your  family 
was  on  in  the  war,  Major  Littlepage  ;  so  it's  no  offence  to 
you.  A  proper  sharp  lookout  they  had  of  it  here,  when 
you  quit  college  ;  for  some  said  old  Herman  Mordaunt 
had  ordered  in  his  will  that  you  should  uphold  the  king  ; 
and  then,  most  of  the  tenants  concluded  they  would  get  the 
lands  altogether.  It  is  a  sweet  thing,  major,  for  a  tenant 
to  get  his  farm  without  paying  for  it,  as  you  may  judge ! 
Some  folks  was  desp'ate  sorry  when  they  heern  tell  that 
the  Littlepages  went  with  the  colonies." 

"  I  hope  there  are  few  such  knaves  on  the  Ravensnest 
estate  as  to  wish  anything  of  the  sort.  But,  let  me  hear 
an  explanation  of  your  charge  against  the  Chainbearer. 
I  have  no  great  concern  for  my  own  rights  in  the  patent 
that  I  claim." 

The  woman  had  the  audacity,  or  the  frankness,  to  draw 
a  long,  regretful  sigh,  as  it  might  be,  in  my  very  face.  That 
sigh  expressed  her  regrets  that  I  had  not  taken  part  with 
the  crown  in  the  last  struggle  ;  in  which  case,  I  do  suppose, 
she  and  Tinkum  would  have  contrived  to  squat  on  one  of 
the  farms  of  Ravensnest.  Having  sighed,  however,  the 
landlady  did  not  disdain  to  answer. 

"As  for  the  Chainbearer,  the  simple  truth  is  this,"  she 
said.  "  Tinkum  hired  him  to  run  a  line  between  some 
betterments  we  had  bought,  and  some  that  had  been 
bought  by  a  neighbor  of  our'n.  This  was  long  afore  the 
war,  and  when  titles  were  scarcer  than  they're  gettin'  to 
be  now,  some  of  the  landlords  living  across  the  water. 
Well,  what  do  you  think  the  old  fellow  did,  major  ?  He 
first  asked  for  our  deeds,  and  we  showed  them  to  him  ;  as 
good  and  lawful  warrantees  as  was  ever  printed  and  filled 
up  by  a  'squire.  He  then  set  to  work,  all  by  himself,  job- 
bing the  whull  survey,  as  it  might  be,  and  a  prettier  line 
was  never  run,  as  far  as  he  went,  which  was  about  half- 
way. I  thought  it  would  make  etarnel  peace  atween  us 
and  our  neighbor,  for  it  had  been  etarnel  war  afore  that, 
for  three  whull  years;  sometimes  with  clubs,  and  some- 
times with  axes,  and  once  with  scythes.  But,  somehow — I 
never  know'd  how — but  somehmv^  old  Andries  found  out 
that  the  man  who  deeded  to  us  had  no  deed  to  himself,  or 
no  mortal  right  to  the  land,  any  more  than  that  sucking 
pig  you  see  at  the  door  there  ;  when  he  gi'n  right  up,  re- 
fusing to  carry  out  another  link,  or  p'int  another  needle, 
he  did!  Warn't  that  being  cross-grained  and  wilful !  No, 
there's  no  dependence  to  be  put  on  the  Chainbearer." 


THE  CHAINBEARER.  87 

"  Wilful  in  the  cause  of  right,  as  glorious  old  Andries 
always  is  !  I  love  and  honor  him  all  the  better  for  it." 

"  La  !  Do  you  love  and  honor  sich  a  one  as  him  !  Well, 
L  should  have  expected  suthin'  else  from  sich  a  gentleman 
as  vou  !  I'd  no  idee  Major  Littlepage  could  honor  an  old, 
worn-out  chainbearer,  and  he  a  man  that  couldn't  get  up 
in  the  world,  too,  when  he  had  hands  and  feet,  all  on  'em 
together  on  some  of  the  very  best  rounds  of  the  ladder! 
Why,  I  judge  that  even  Tinkum  would  have  gone  ahead, 
if  he  had  been  born  with  sich  a  chance." 

"  Andries  has  been  a  captain  in  my  own  regiment,  it  is 
true,  and  was  once  my  superior  officer  ;  but  he  served  for 
his  country's  sake,  and  not  for  his  own.  Have  you  seen 
him  lately  ? " 

"  That  we  have  !  He  passed  here  about  a  twelvemonth 
ago,  with  his  whull  party,  on  their  way  to  squat  on  your 
own  land,  or  I'm  mistaken.  There  was  the  Chainbearer 
himself,  two  helpers,  Dus  and  young  Malbone." 

" Young  who?"  I  asked,  with  an  interest  that  induced 
the  woman  to  turn  her  keen,  sunken,  but  sharp  gray  eyes, 
intently  on  me. 

"  Young  Malbone,  I  said  ;  Dus's  brother,  and  the  young- 
ster who  does  all  old  Andries's  'rithmetic.  I  suppose  you 
know  as  well  as  I  do,  that  the  Chainbearer  can't  calkerlate 
any  more  than  a  wild  goose,  and  not  half  as  well  as  a  crow. 
For  that  matter,  I've  known  crows  that,  in  plantin'  time, 
would  measure  a  field  in  half  the  number  of  minutes  that 
the  state  surveyor  would  be  hours  at  it." 

"  This  young  Malbone,  then,  is  the  Chainbearer's 
nephew?  And  he  it  is  who  does  the  surveying  ? " 

"  He  does  the  'rithmetic  part,  and  he  is  a  brother  of  old 
Andries's  niece.  I  know'd  the  Coejemans  when  I  was  a 
gal,  and  I've  known  the  Malbones  longer  than  I  want  to 
know  them." 

"  Have  you  any  fault  to  find  with  the  family,  that  you 
speak  thus  of  them  ?  " 

"  Nothin'  but  their  desperate  pride,  which  makes  them 
think  themselves  so  much-better  than  everybody  else  ;  yet, 
they  tell  me,  Dus  and  all  on  'em  are  just  as  poor  as  I  am 
myself." 

"  Perhaps  you  mistake  their  feeling,  good  woman  ;  a 
thing  I  think  the  more  probable,  as  you  seem  to  fancy 
money  the  source  of  their  pride,  at  the  very  moment  you 
deny  their  having  any.  Money  is  a  thing  on  which 
few  persons  of  cultivated  minds  pride  themselves.  The 


88  THE  CHAINBEARER. 

purse-proud  are,  almost  invariably,  the  vulgar  and  igno- 
rant." 

No  doubt  this  was  a  moral  thrown  away  with  such  an 
auditor  ;  but  I  was  provoked  ;  and  when  a  man  is  pro- 
voked, he  is  not  always  wise.  The  answer  showed  the 
effect  it  had  produced. 

*'  I  don't  pretend  to  know  how  that  is  ;  but  if  it  isn't 
pride,  what  is  it  that  makes  Dus  Malbone  so  different  from 
my  da'ters  ?  She'd  no  more  think  of  being  like  one  on 
'em,  scouring  about  the  lots,  riding  bare-backed,  and  scam- 
pering through  the  neighborhood,  than  you'd  think  of 
cooking  my  dinner — that  she  wouldn't." 

Poor  Mrs.  Tinkum — or,  as  she  would  have  been  apt  to 
call  herself,  Miss  Tinkum  !  She  had  betrayed  one  of  the 
commonest  weaknesses  of  human  nature,  in  thus  imputing 
pride  to  the  Chainbearer's  niece  because  the  latter  behaved 
differently  from  her  and  hers.  How  many  persons  in  this 
good  republic  of  ours  judge  their  neighbors  on  precisely 
the  same  principle  ;  inferring  something  unsuitable,  be- 
cause it  seems  to  reflect  on  their  own  behavior !  But  by 
this  time,  I  had  got  to  hear  the  name  of  Dus  with  some  in- 
terest, and  I  felt  disposed  to  push  the  subject  further. 

"  Miss  Malbone,  then,"  I  said,  "  does  not  ride  bare -back  ?  " 

"  La !  major,  what  in  natur'  puts  it  into  your  head  to 
call  the  gal  Miss  Malbone  !  There's  no  Miss  Malbone  liv- 
ing sin'  her  own  mother  died." 

"Well,  Dus  Malbone,  I  mean  ;  she  is  above  riding  bare- 
backed ? " 

"That  she  is;  even  a  pillion  would  be  hardly  grand 
enough  for  her,  allowing  her  own  brother  to  use  the 
saddle." 

"  Her  own  brother !  This  young  surveyor,  then,  is  Dus's 
brother  ? " 

"  Sort  o',  and  sort  o'  not,  like.  They  had  the  same  father, 
but  different  mothers." 

"  That  explains  it ;  I  never  heard  the  Chainbearer  speak 
of  any  nephew,  and  it  seems  the  young  man  is  not  related 
to  him  at  all — he  is  the  fia/f-brother  of  his  niece." 

"Why  can't  that  niece  behave  like  other  young  women  ? 
that's  the  question  I  ask.  My  girls  hasn't  as  much  pride 
as  would  be  good  for  'em,  not  they  !  If  a  body  wants  to 
borrow  an  article  over  at  the  Nest,  and  that's  seven 
miles  off,  the  whull  way  in  the  woods,  just  name  it  to  Poll, 
and  she'd  jump  on  an  ox,  if  there  warn't  a  hoss,  and  away 
she'd  go  a'ter  it,  with  no  more  bit  of  a  saddle,  and  may  be 


THE  CtfAlNBEARER.  89 

/lothin'  but  a  halter,  like  a  deer  !  Give  me  Poll,  afore  all 
the  gals  I  know,  for  ar'nds  ?" 

By  this  time,  disrelish  for  vulgarity  was  getting  the  bet- 
ter of  curiosity  ;  and  my  dinner  of  fried  pork  being  done, 
I  was  willing  to  drop  the  discourse.  I  had  learned  enough 
of  Andries  and  his  party  to  satisfy  my  curiosity,  and  Jaap 
was  patiently  waiting  to  succeed  me  at  the  table.  Throw- 
ing down  the  amount  of  the  bill,  I  took  a  fowling-piece, 
with  which  we  always  travelled  in  those  days,  bade  Mrs. 
Tinkum  good-day,  ordered  the  black  and  the  wagoner  to 
follow  with  the  team  as  soon  as  ready,  and  went  on  toward 
my  own  property  on  foot. 

In  a  very  few  minutes  I  was  quite  beyond  the  Tinkum 
betterments,  and  fairly  in  the  forest  again.  It  happened 
that  the  title  to  a  large  tract  of  land  adjoining  Ravensnest 
was  in  dispute,  and  no  attempt  at  a  serious  settlement  had 
ever  been  made  on  it.  Some  one  had  "  squatted  "  at  this 
spot,  to  enjoy  the  advantage  of  selling  rum  to  those  who 
went  and  came  between  my  own  people  and  the  inner 
country  ;  and  the  place  had  changed  hands  half  a  dozen 
times,  by  fraudulent,  or  at  least,  by  worthless  sales,  from 
one  squatter  to  another.  Around  the  house,  by  this  time 
a  decaying  pile  of  logs,  time  had  done  a  part  of  the  work 
of  the  settler,  and  aided  by  that  powerful  servant  but  fear- 
ful master,  fire,  had  given  to  the  small  clearing  somewhat 
of  the  air  of  civilized  cultivation.  The  moment  these  nar- 
row limits  were  passed,  however,  the  traveller  entered  the 
virgin  forest,  with  no  other  sign  of  man  around  him  than 
what  was  offered  in  the  little  worked  and  little  travelled 
road.  The  highway  was  not  much  indebted  to  the  labors 
of  man  for  any  facilities  it  afforded  the  traveller.  The  trees 
had  been  cut  out  of  it,  it  is  true,  but  their  roots  had  not 
been  extracted,  and  time  had  done  more  toward  destroy- 
ing them  than  the  axe  or  the  pick.  Time  had  done  a  good 
deal,  however,  and  the  inequalities  were  getting  to  he- 
smooth  under  the  hoof  and  wheel.  A  tolerably  good  bridle- 
path had  long  been  made,  and  I  found  no  difficulty  in 
walking  in  it,  since  that  answered  equally  well  for  man  and 
beast. 

The  virgin  forest  of  America  is  usually  no  place  for  the 
ordinary  sportsman.  The  birds  that  are  called  game  an; 
but  rarely  found  in  it,  one  or  two  excepted  ;  and  it  is  a 
well-known  fact  that  while  the  frontier-man  is  certain  death 
with  a  rifle-bullet,  knocking  the  head  off  a  squirrel  or 
a  wild  turkey  at  his  sixty  or  eighty  yards,  it  is  necessary 


go  THE  CHAINBEARER. 

to  go  into  the  older  parts  of  the  country,  and  princi- 
pally among  sportsmen  of  the  better  classes,  in  order  to 
find  those  who  knock  over  the  woodcock,  snipe,  quail, 
grouse,  and  plover,  on  the  wing.  I  was  thought  a  good 
shot  on  the  "  plains,"  and  over  the  heaths  or  commons  of 
the  Island  of  Manhattan,  and  among  the  rocks  of  West- 
chester  ;  but  I  saw  nothing  to  do  up  there,  where  I  then 
was,  surrounded  by  trees  that  had  stood  there  centuries. 
It  would  certainly  have  been  easy  enough  for  me  to  kill  a 
blue  jay  now  and  then,  or  a  crow,  or  even  a  raven,  or  per- 
haps an  eagle,  had  I  the  proper  shot ;  but  as  for  anything 
that  is  ordinarily  thought  to  adorn  a  game-bag,  not  a 
feather  could  I  see.  For  the  want  of  something  better  to 
do,  then,  if  a  young  man  of  three  or  four  and  twenty  ought 
thus  to  express  himself,  I  began  to  ruminate  on  the  charms 
of  Pris  Bayard,  and  on  the  singularities  of  Dus  Malbone. 
In  this  mood  I  proceeded,  getting  over  the  grounds  at  a 
rapid  rate,  leaving  Miss  Tinkum,  the  clearing  with  its  bet- 
terments, and  the  wagon,  far  behind  me. 

I  had  walked  an  hour  alone,  when  the  silence  of  the 
woods  was  suddenly  interrupted  by  the  words  of  a  song 
that  came  not  from  any  of  the  feathered  race,  though  the 
nightingale  itself  could  hardly  have  equalled  the  sweet- 
ness of  the  notes,  which  were  those  of  a  female  voice.  The 
low  notes  struck  me  as  the  fullest,  richest,  and  mosl 
plaintive  I  had  ever  heard  ;  and  I  fancied  they  could  not 
be  equalled,  until  the  strain  carried  the  singer's  voice  into 
a  higher  key,  where  it  seemed  equally  at  home.  I  thought 
I  knew  the  air,  but  the  words  were  guttural,  and  in  an  un- 
known tongue.  French  and  Dutch  were  the  only  two 
foreign  languages  in  which  one  usually  heard  any  music 
in  our  part  of  the  woods  at  that  day  ;  and  even  the  first 
was  by  no  means  common.  But  with  both  these  languages 
I  had  a  little  acquaintance,  and  I  was  soon  satisfied  that 
the  words  I  heard  belonged  to  neither.  At  length  it 
flashed  on  my  mind  that  the  song  was  Indian  ;  not  the 
music,  but  the  words.  The  music  was  certainly  Scotch,  or 
that  altered  Italian  that  time  has  attributed  to  the  Scotch  ; 
and  there  was  a  moment  when  I  fancied  some  Highland 
girl  was  singing  near  me  one  of  the  Celtic  songs  of  the 
country  of  her  childhood.  But  closer  attention  satisfied 
me  that  the  words  were  really  Indian  ;  probably  belonging 
to  the  Mohawk,  or  some  other  language  that  I  had  often 
heard  spoken. 

The  reader  may  be  curious  to  know  whence  these  sounds 


THE  CHAINBEARER.  gi 

proceeded,  and  why  I  did  not  see  the  being  who  gave  birth 
to  such  delicious  harmony.  It  was  owing  to  the  fact  that 
the  song  came  from  out  of  a  thicket  of  young  pines,  that 
grew  on  an  ancient  opening  at  a  little  distance  from  the 
road,  and  which  I  supposed  contained  a  hut  of  some  sort 
or  other.  These  pines,  however,  completely  concealed  all 
within  them.  So  long  as  the  song  lasted,  no  tree  of  the 
forest  was  more  stationary  than  myself  ;  but  when  it 
ended,  I  was  about  to  advance  toward  the  thicket,  in  order 
to  pry  into  its  mysteries,  when  I  heard  a  laugh  that  had 
scarcely  less  of  melody  in  it  than  the  strains  of  the  music 
itself.  It  was  not  a  vulgar,  clamorous  burst  of  girlish  im- 
pulses, nor  was  it  even  loud ;  but  it  was  light-hearted, 
mirthful,  indicating  humor,  if  a  mere  laugh  can  do  so  much ; 
and  in  a  sense  it  was  contagious.  It  arrested  my  move- 
ment, in  order  to  listen  ;  and  before  any  new  impulse  led 
me  forward,  the  branches  of  the  pines  opened,  and  a 
man  passed  out  of  the  thicket  into  the  road.  A  single 
glance  sufficed  to  let  me  know  that  the  stranger  was  an 
Indian. 

Notwithstanding  I  was  apprised  of  the  near  vicinity  of 
others,  I  was  a  little  startled  with  this  sudden  apparition. 
Not  so  with  him  who  was  approaching  ;  he  could  not  have 
known  of  my  being  anywhere  near  him  ;  yet  he  mani- 
fested no  emotion  as  his  cold,  undisturbed  glance  fell 
on  my  form.  Steadily  advancing,  he  came  to  the  centre 
of  the  road  ;  and,  as  I  had  turned  involuntarily  to  pur- 
sue my  own  way,  not  sure  it  was  prudent  to  remain  in 
that  neighborhood  alone,  the  red  man  fell  in,  with  his  moc- 
casined  foot,  at  my  elbow,  and  I  found  that  we  were  thus 
strangely  pursuing  our  journey,  in  the  same  direction,  side 
by  side. 

The  Indian  and  myself  walked  in  this  manner,  within  a 
yard  of  each. other,  in  the  midst  of  that  forest,  for  two  or 
three  minutes  without  speaking.  I  forbore  to  say  any- 
thing, because  I  had  heard  that  an  Indian  respected  those 
most  who  knew  best  how  to  repress  their  curiosity ;  which 
habit,  most  probably,  had  its  effect  on  my  companion.  At 
length,  the  red  man  uttered,  in  the  deep,  guttural  manner 
of  his  people,  the  common  conventional  salutation  of  the 
frontier — 

"Sa-a-go?" 

This  word,  which  has  belonged  to  some  Indian  language 
once,  passes  everywhere  for  Indian  with  the  white  man  ; 
and,  quite  likely  for  English,  with  the  Indian,  A  set  of 


92  THE  CHAINBRARER. 

such  terms  has  grown  up  between  the  two  races,  including 
such  words  as  "moccasin,"  "pappoose,"  "tomahawk," 
"squaw,"  and  many  others.  "  Sa-a-go,"  means  "how 
d'ye  do  ? " 

"  Sa-a-go  ?  " — I  answered  to  my  neighbor's  civil  saluta- 
tion. 

After  this  we  walked  along  for  a  few  minutes  more, 
neither  party  speaking.  I  took  this  opportunity  to  exam- 
ine my  red  brother,  an  employment  that  was  all  the  easier 
from  the  circumstance  that  he  did  not  once  look  at  me  ; 
the  single  glance  sufficing  to  tell  him  all  he  wanted  to 
knowT.  In  the  first  place,  I  was  soon  satisfied  that  my  com- 
panion did  not  drink,  a  rare  merit  in  a  red  man  who  lived 
near  the  whites.  This  was  evident  from  his  countenance, 
gait,  and  general  bearing,  as  I  thought,  in  addition  to  the 
fact  that  he  possessed  no  bottle,  or  anything  else  that 
would  hold  liquor.  What  I  liked  the  least  was  the  cir- 
cumstance of  his  being  completely  armed  ;  carrying  knife, 
tomahawk,  and  rifle,  and  each  seemingly  excellent  of  its 
kind.  He  was  not  painted,  however,  and  he  wore  an 
ordinary  calico  shirt,  as  was  then  the  usual  garb  of  his  peo- 
ple in  the  warm  season.  The  countenance  had  the  stern 
severity  that  is  so  common  to  a  red  warrior ;  and,  as  this 
man  was  turned  of  fifty,  his  features  began  to  showT  the 
usual  signs  of  exposure  and  service.  Still,  he  was  a  vig- 
orous, respectable-looking  red  man,  and  one  who  was  evi- 
dently accustomed  to  live  much  among  civilized  men.  I 
had  no  serious  uneasiness,  of  course,  at  meeting  such  a 
person,  although  we  were  so  completely  buried  in  the  for- 
est but,  as  a  soldier,  I  could  not  help  reflecting  how  in- 
ferior my  fowling-piece  would  necessarily  prove  to  be  to 
his  rifle  should  he  see  fit  to  turn  aside,  and  pull  upon  me 
from  behind  a  tree,  for  the  sake  of  plunder.  Tradition 
said  such  things  had  happened  ;  though,  on  the  whole,  the 
red  man  of  America  has  perhaps  proved  to  be  the  most 
honest  of  the  two,  as  compared  with«those  who  have  sup- 
planted him. 

"  How  ole  chief  ?"  the  Indian  suddenly  asked,  without 
even  raising  his  eyes  from  the  road. 

"  Old  chief  !     Do  you  mean  Washington,  my  friend  ?  " 

<(  Not  so — mean  ble  chief,  out  here,  at  Nest.  Mean 
fader." 

"  My  father  !     Do  you  know  General  Littlepage  ?  " 

"  Be  sure,  know  him.  Your  fader — see  " — holding  up 
bis  two  forefingers— "just  like— dat  him  ;  dis  you," 


THE  CHAINBEARER.  93 

•'This  is  singular  enough!  And  were  you  told  that  I 
was  coming  to  this  place  ? " 

"  Hear  dat,  too.     Always  talk  about  chief." 

"  Is  it  long  since  you  saw  my  father  ?" 

"  See  him  in  war-time — nebber  hear  of  ole  Sureflint  ? " 

I  had  heard  the  officers  of  our  regiment  speak  of  such 
an  Indian,  who  had  served  a  good  deal  with  the  corps,  and 
been  exceedingly  useful,  in  the  two  great  northern  cam- 
paigns especially.  He  never  happened  to  be  with  the 
regiment  after  I  joined  it,  though  his  name  and  services 
were  a  good  deal  mixed  up  with  the  adventures  of  1776 
and  1777. 

"  Certainly,"  I  answered,  shaking  the  red  man  cordially 
by  the  hand.  "  Certainly,  have  I  heard  of  you,  and  some- 
thing that 'is  connected  with  times  before  the  war.  Did 
you  never  meet  my  father  before  the  war  ? " 

"  Sartain  ;  meet  in  ole  war.  Gin'ral  young  man,  den — • 
just  like  son." 

<;  By  what  name  were  you  then  known,  Oneida  ? " 

"  No  Oneida — Onondago — sober  tribe.  Hab  plenty 
name.  Sometime  one,  sometime  anoder.  Pale-face  say 

*  Trackless,'  cause  he  can't  find  his  trail— warrior  call  him 

*  Susquesus.'  " 


CHAPTER   VIII. 

"With  what  free  growth  the  elm  and  plane 

Fling  their  huge  arms  across  my  way  ; 
Gray,  old,  and  cumber' d  with  a  train 

Of  vines,  as  huge,  and  old,  and  gray ! 
Free  stray  the  lucid  streams,  and  find 

No  taint  in  these  fresh  lawns  and  shades  ; 
Free  spring  the  flowers  that  scent  the  wind, 

Where  never  scythe  has  swept  the  glades,,  "*~-BRY  ANT. 

I  HAD  heard  enough  of  my  father's  early  adventures  to 
know  that  the  man  mentioned  in  the  last  chapter  had  been 
a  conspicuous  actor  in  them,  and  remembered  that  the  lat- 
ter enjoyed  the  fullest  confidence  of  the  former.  It  was 
news  to  me,  however,  that  Sureflint  and  the  Trackless 
were  the  same  person  ;  though,  when  I  came  to  reflect 
on  the  past,  I  had  some  faint  recollection  of  having  once 
before  heard  something  of  the  sort.  At  any  rate,  I  was  now 
with  a  friend,  and  no  longer  thought  it  necessary  to  be  on 
my  guard.  This  was  a  great  relief,  in  every  pcint  of  view, 
as  one  does  not  like  to  travel  at  the  side  of  a  stranger, 


94  THE  CHA1NBRARER. 

with  an  impression,  however  faint,  that  the  latter  may 
blow  his  brains  out,  the  first  time  he  ventures  to  turn  his 
own  head  aside. 

Susquesus  was  drawing  near  to  the  decline  of  life.  Had 
he  been  a  white  man,  I  might  have  said  he  was  in  a 
"green  old  age;"  but  the  term  of  "red old  age"  would 
suit  him  much  better.  His  features  were  still  singularly 
fine  ;  while  the  cheeks,  without  being  very  full,  had  that 
indurated,  solid  look,  that  flesh  and  muscles  get  from  use 
and  exposure.  His  form  was  as  erect  as  in  his  best  days, 
a  red  man's  frame  rarely  yielding  in  this  way  to  any  press- 
ure but  that  of  exceeding  old  age,  and  that  of  rum.  Sus- 
quesus never  admitted  the  enemy  into  his  mouth,  and 
consequently  the  citadel  of  his  physical  man  was  secure 
against  every  invader  but  time.  In-toed  and  yielding  in 
his  gait,  the  old  warrior  and  runner  still  passed  over  the 
ground  with  an  easy  movement ;  and  when  I  had  occasion 
to  see  him  increase  his  speed,  as  soon  after  occurred,  I  did 
not  fail  to  perceive  that  his  sinews  seemed  strung  to  their 
utmost  force,  and  that  every  movement  was  free. 

For  a  time,  the  Indian  and  I  talked  of  the  late  war,  and 
of  the  scenes  in  which  each  of  us  had  been  an  actor.  If 
my  own  modesty  was  as  obvious  as  that  of  Sureflint,  I  had 
no  reason  to  be  dissatisfied  with  myself  ;  for  the  manner 
in  which  he  alluded  to  events  in  which  I  knew  he  had 
been  somewhat  prominent,  was  simple  and  entirely  free 
from  that  boasting  in  which  the  red  man  is  prone  to  in- 
dulge ;  more  especially  when  he  wishes  to  provoke  his 
enemies.  At  length  I  changed  the  current  of  the  discourse, 
by  saying  abruptly  : 

"You  were  not  alone  in  that  pine  thicket,  Susquesus; 
that  from  which  you  came  when  you  joined  me  ?" 

"  No — sartain  ;  wasn't  alone.     Plenty  people  dere." 

"  Is  there  an  encampment  of  your  tribe  among  those 
bushes  ?" 

A  shade  passed  over  the  dark  countenance  of  my  com- 
panion, and  I  saw  a  question  had  been  asked  that  gave 
him  pain.  He  paused  some  little  time  before  he  an- 
swered ;  and  when  he  did,  it  was  in  a  way  that  seemed  sad, 

"  Susquesus  got  tribe  no  longer.  Quit  Onondagos  t'irty 
summer,  now  ;  don't  like  Mohawk." 

"  I  remember  to  have  heard  something  of  this  from  my 
father,  who  told  me  at  the  same  time,  that  the  reason  why 
you  left  your  people  was  to  your  credit.  But  you  had 
music  in  the  thicket?" 


THE 

"Yes  ;  gal  sing — gal  love  sing  ;  warrior  like  to  listen." 

"  And  the  song  ?     In  what  language  were  the  words  ?" 

"  Onondago,"  answered  the  Indian,  in  a  low  tone. 

"  I  had  no  idea  the  music  of  the  red  people  was  so  sweet. 
It  is  many  a  day  since  I  have  heard  a  song  that  went  so 
near  to  my  heart,  though  I  could  not  understand  what  was 
said." 

"  Bird,  pretty  bird — sing  like  wren." 

"And  is  there  much  of  this  music  in  your  family,  Sus- 
quesus  ?  If  so,  I  shall  come  often  to  listen." 

"Why  not  come  ?  Path  got  no  briar  ;  short  path,  too. 
Gal  sing,  when  you  want." 

"  Then  I  shall  certainly  be  your  guest,  some  day,  soon. 
Where  do  you  live,  now  ?  Are  you  Sureflint,  or  Trackless, 
to-day  ?  I  see  you  are  armed,  but  not  painted." 

"  Hatchet  buried  berry  deep,  dis  time.  No  dig  him  up, 
in  great  many  year.  Mohawk  make  peace  ;  Oneida  make 
peace ;  Onondago  make  peace — all  bury  'e  hatchet." 

"  Well,  so  much  the  better  for  us  landholders.  I  have 
come  to  sell  and  lease  my  lands  ;  perhaps  you  can  tell  me  if 
many  young  men  are  out  hunting  for  farms  this  summer  ? " 

"Wood  full.     Plenty  as  pigeons.     How  you  sell  land  ?" 

"  That  will  depend  on  where  it  is,  and  how  good  it  is. 
Do  you  wish  to  buy,  Trackless  ? " 

"Injin  own  all  land,  for  what  he  want  now.  I  make 
wigwam  where  I  want ;  make  him,  too,  when  I  want." 

"  I  know  very  well  that  you  Indians  do  claim  such  a 
right ;  and,  so  long  as  the  country  remains  in  its  present 
wild  state,  no  one  will  be  apt  to  refuse  it  to  you.  But  you 
cannot  plant  and  gather,  as  most  of  your  people  do  in 
their  own  country." 

"  Got  no  squaw — got  no  papoose— little  corn  do  for 
Susquesus.  No  tribe — no  squaw — no  pappose  !  " 

This  was  said  in  a  low,  deliberate  voice,  and  with  a 
species  of  manly  melancholy  that  I  found  very  touching. 
Complaining  men  create  very  little  sympathy,  and  those 
who  whine  are  apt  to  lose  our  respect  ;  but  I  know  no 
spectacle  more  imposing  than  that  of  one  of  stern  nature 
smothering  his  sorrows  beneath  the  mantle  of  manliness 
and  self-command. 

"  You  have  friends,  Susquesus,"  I  answered,  "if  you  have 
no  wife  nor  children." 

"  Fader,  good  friend  ;  hope  son  friend,  too.  Grandfader 
great  friend,  once  ;  but  he  gone  far  away,  and  nebber  come 
back.  Know  moder,  know  fader — all  good." 


96  THE  CHAINBEAR&R. 

"  Take  what  land  you  want,  Trackless — till  it,  sell  it — do 
what  you  wish  with  it." 

The  Indian  eyed  me  keenly,  and  I  detected  a  slight 
smile  of  pleasure  stealing  over  his  weather-worn  face.  It 
was  not  easy  to  throw  him  off  his  habitual  guard  over  his 
emotions,  however  ;  and  the  gleam  of  illumination  passed 
away,  like  a  ray  of  sunshine  in  mid-winter.  The  sternest 
white  man  might  have  grasped  my  hand,  and  something 
like  a  sign  of  gratitude  would  probably  have  escaped  him  ; 
but,  the  little  trace  of  emotion  I  have  mentioned  having 
disappeared,  nothing  remained  on  the  dark  visage  of  my 
companion  that  in  the  least  resembled  an  evidence  of  yield- 
ing to  any  of  the  gentler  feelings.  Nevertheless,  he  was 
too  courteous,  and  had  too  much  of  the  innate  sentiment 
of  a  gentleman,  not  to  make  some  return  for  an  offer  that 
had  so  evidently  and  spontaneously  come  from  the  heart. 

"  Good  " — he  said,  after  a  long  pause.  "  Berry  good, 
dat  ;  good,  to  come  from  young  warrior  to  ole  warrior. 
T'ankee — bird  plenty  ;  fish  plenty  ;  message  plenty,  now  ; 
and  don't  want  land.  Time  come,  maybe — s'pose  he  must 
come — come  to  all  old  red  men,  hereabout  ;  so  s'pose  must 
come." 

"What  time  do  you  mean,  Trackless?  Let  it  come 
when  it  may,  you  have  a  friend  in  me.  What  time  do  you 
mean,  my  brave  old  Sureflint?" 

The  Trackless  stopped,  dropped  the  breech  of  his  rifle 
on  the  ground,  and  stood  meditating  a  minute,  motionless, 
and  as  grand  as  some  fine  statue. 

"Yes  ;  time  come,  do  s'pose,"  he  continued.  "One  time, 
ole  warrior  live  in  wigwam,  and  tell  young  warrior  of 
scalp,  and  council-fire,  and  hunt,  and  war-path  ;  now,  make 
broom  and  basket'' 

It  was  not  easy  to  mistake  this  ;  and  I  do  not  remembei 
ever  to  have  felt  so  lively  an  interest,  on  so  short  an  ac- 
quaintance, as  I  began  to  feel  in  this  Onondago.  Priscilhi 
Bayard  herself,  however  lovely,  graceful,  winning,  and 
feminine,  had  not  created  a  feeling  so  strong  and  ani- 
mated, as  that  which  was  awakened  within  me  in  behalf  of 
old  Sureflint.  But  I  fully  understood  that  this  was  to  be 
shown  in  acts,  and  not  in  words.  Contenting  myself  for 
the  present,  after  the  fashion  of  the  pale-faces,  by  grasp- 
ing and  squeezing  the  sinewy  hand  of  the  warrior,  we 
walked  on  together,  making  no  farther  allusion  to  a  sub- 
ject that  I  can  truly  say  was  as  painful  to  me  as  it  was  to 
my  companion. 


THE  CHAINBEARER.  97 

"  I  have  heard  your  name  mentioned  as  one  of  those 
who  were  at  the  Nest  with  my  father  when  he  was  a  young 
man,  Susquesus,"  I  resumed,  "and  when  the  Canada  In- 
dians attempted  to  burn  the  house." 

"  Good — Susquesus  dere — young  Dutch  chief  kill  dat 
time." 

"  Very  true — his  name  was  Guert  Ten  Eyke  ;  and  my 
father  and  mother,  and  your  old  friend  Colonel  Follock, 
who  was  afterward  major  of  our  regiment,  you  will  re- 
member, they  love  his  memory  to  this  day,  as  that  of  a 
very  dear  friend." 

"  Dat  all,  love  memory  now  ? "  asked  the  Indian,  throw- 
ing one  of  his  keenest  glances  at  me. 

I  understood  the  allusion,  which  was  to  aunt  Mary,  whom 
I  had  heard  spoken  of  as  the  betrothed,  or  at  least  as  the 
beloved  of  the  young  Albanian. 

"  Not  all  ;  for  there  is  a  lady  who  still  mourns  his  loss, 
as  if  she  had  been  his  widow." 

"  Good — do'  squaw  don't  mourn  fery  long  time.  Some- 
time not  always." 

"Pray,  Trueflint,  do  you  happen  to  know  any  thing  of 
a  man  called  the  Chainbearer  ?  He  was  in  the  regiment, 
too,  and  you  must  have  seen  him  in  the  war." 

"  Sartain — know  Chainbearer — know  him  on  war-path 
— know  him  when  hatchet  buried.  Knew  Chainbearer 
afore  ole  French  war.  Live  in  wood  wid  him — one  of  us. 
Chainbearer  my  friend." 

"  I  rejoice  to  hear  this,  for  he  is  also  mine  ;  and  I 
shall  be  glad  to  come  into  the  compact,  as  a  friend  of 
both." 

"  Good — Susquesus  and  young  landlord  friend  of  Chain- 
bearer — good. " 

"  It  is  good,  and  a  league  that  shall  not  be  forgotten 
easily  by  me.  The  Chainbearer  is  as  honest  as  light,  and 
as  certain  as  his  own  compass,  Trueflint — true,  as  your- 
self." 

" 'Fraid  he  make  broom  'fore  great  while,  too,"  said  the 
Indian,  expressing  the  regret  I  have  no  doubt  he  felt,  very 
obviously  in  his  countenance. 

Poor  old  Andries  !  But  for  the  warm  and  true  friends 
he  had  in  my  father,  Colonel  Dirck,  and  myself,  there  was 
some  danger  this  might  be  the  case,  indeed.  The  fact 
that  he  had  served  his  country  in  a  revolution  would  prove 
of  little  avail,  that  country  being  too  poor  to  provide  for 
its  old  servants,  and  possibly  indisposed,  had  she  the 


98  THE  CHAINBEARER. 

means.*  I  say  this  without  intending  to  reflect  on  either 
the  people  or  the  government  ;  for  it  is  not  easy  to  make 
the  men  of  the  present  day  understand  the  deep  depres- 
sion, in  a  pecuniary  sense,  that  rested  on  the  land  for  a 
year  or  two  after  peace  was  made.  It  recovered,  as  the 
child  recovers  from  indisposition,  by  the  vigor  of  its  con- 
stitution and  the  power  of  its  vitality  ;  and  one  of  the 
means  by  which  it  recovered,  was  by  turning  to  the  soil, 
and  wielding  the  sickle  instead  of  the  sword.  To  continue 
the  discourse. 

"  The  Chainbearer  is  an  honest  man,  and,  like  too  many 
of  his  class,  poor,"  I  answered  ;  "  but  he  has  friends  ;  and 
and  neither  he  nor  you,  Sureflint,  shall  be  reduced  to  that 
woman's  work  without  your  own  consent,  so  long  as  I 
have  an  unoccupied  house,  or  a  farm,  at  Ravensnest." 

Again  the  Indian  manifested  his  sense  of  my  friendship 
for  him  by  that  passing  gleam  on  his  dark  face  ;  and  again 
all  signs  of  emotion  passed  slowly  away. 

"  How  long  since  see  him  ?"  he  asked  me  suddenly. 

4<  See  him — the  Chainbearer,  do  you  mean  ?  I  have  not 
seen  him,  now,  for  more  than  a  twelvemonth  ;  not  since 
we  parted  when  the  regiment  was  disbanded." 

11  Don't  mean  Chainbearer — mean  him"  pointing  ahead 
— "  house,  tree,  farm,  land,  Nest." 

"  Oh  !  How  long  is  it  since  I  saw  the  patent  ?  I  never 
saw  it,  Sureflint ;  this  is  my  first  visit." 

"  Da't  queer !    How  you  own  land,  when  nebber  see  him  ? " 

"  Among  the  pale-faces'we  have  such  laws,  that  prop- 
erty passes  from  parent  to  child  ;  and  I  inherit  mine  in 
this  neighborhood,  from  my  grandfather,  Herman  Mor- 
daunt." 

"  What  dat  mean,  'herit  ?  How  man  haf  land,  when  he 
don't  keep  him  ?" 

*  This  must  pass  for  one  of  the  hits  the  republic  is  exposed  to,  partly 
because  it  deserves  them,  and  partly  because  it  is  a  republic.  One  hears 
a  great  deal  of  this  ingratitude  of  republics,  but  few  take  the  trouble  of  ex- 
amining into  the  truth  of  the  charge,  or  its  reason,  if  true.  I  suppose  the 
charge  to  be  true  in  part,  and  for  the  obvious  reason  that  a  government 
founded  on  the  popular  will,  is  necessarily  impulsive  in  such  matters,  and 
feels  no  necessity  to  be  just,  in  order  to  be  secure.  Then,  a  democracy  is 
always  subject  to  the  influence  of  the  cant  of  economy,  which  is  next  thing 
to  the  evil  of  being  exposed  to  the  waste  and  cupidity  of  those  who  take 
because  they  have  the  power.  As  respects  the  soldiers  of  the  revolution, 
however,  America,  under  the  impulsive  feeling,  rather  than  in  obedience 
to  a  calm,  deliberate  desire  to  be  just,  has,  since  the  time  of  Mr.  Mordaunt 
Littlepage,  made  such  a  liberal  provision  for  pensioning  them,  as  to  in- 
clude a  good  many  of  her  enemies,  as  well  as  all  her  friends. — EDITOR. 


THE  CHAINBEARER.  99 

"  We  do  keep  it,  if  not  by  actually  remaining  on  the  spot, 
by  means  of  our  laws  and  our  titles.  The  pale-faces  regu- 
late all  these  things  on  paper,  Sureflint." 

"  T'ink  dat  good  ?  Why  no  let  man  take  land  where  he 
vvant  him,  when  he  want  him  ?  Plenty  land.  Got  more 
land  dan  got  people.  'Nough  for  ebberybody." 

"  That  fact  makes  our  laws  just  ;  if  there  were  not  land 
enough  for  everybody,  these  restrictions  and  divisions 
might  seem  to  be,  and  in  fact  be,  unjust.  Now,  any  man 
can  have  a  farm,  who  will  pay  a  very  moderate  price  for 
it.  The  state  sells,  and  landlords  sell ;  and  those  who  don't 
choose  to  buy  of  one  can  buy  of  the  other." 

"  Dat  true  'nough  ;  but  don't  see  need  of  dat  paper, 
When  he  want  to  stay  on  land,  let  him  stay  ;  when  he  want 
to  go  somewhere,  let  'noder  man  come.  What  good  pay  for 
betterment  ?  " 

"  So  as  to  have  betterments.  These  are  what  we  call  the 
rights  of  property,  without  which  no  man  would  aim  at 
being  anything  more  than  clad  and  fed.  Who  would  hunt, 
if  anybody  that  came  along  had  a  right  to  pick  up  and 
skin  his  game  ?" 

"  See  dat  well  'nough — nebber  do  ;  no,  nebber.  Don't 
see  why  land  go  like  skin,  when  skin  go  wid  warrior  and 
hunter,  and  land  stay  where  he  be." 

"  That  is  because  the  riches  of  you  red  men  are  confined 
to  movable  property,  and  to  your  wigwams,  so  long  as  you 
choose  to  live  in  them.  Thus  far,  you  respect  the  rights 
of  property  as  well  as  the  pale-faces  ;  but  you  must  see  a 
great  difference  between  your  people  and  mine  !  between 
the  red  man  and  the  white  man  ?  " 

"  Be  sure,  differ  ;  one  strong,  t'oder  weak — one  rich, 
t'oder  poor — one  great,  t'oder  little — one  drive  'way,  t'oder 
haf  to  go — one  get  all,  t'oder  keep  nuttin' — one  march  large 
army,  t'oder  go  Indian  file,  fifty  warrior,  p'raps — dat  reason 
t'ing  so." 

"  And  why  can  the  pale-faces  march  in  large  armies,  with 
cannon,  and  horses,  and  bayonets,  and  the  red  man  not  do 
the  same  ? " 

"  Cause  he  no  got  'em — no  got  warrior — no  got  gun — no 
got  baggonet — no  got  nuttin'." 

"  You  have  given  the  effect  for  the  cause,  Sureflint,  or  the 
consequences  of  the  reason  for  the  reason  itself.  I  hope  I 
make  you  understand  me.  Listen,  and  I  will  explain. 
You  have  lived  much  with  the  white  men,  Susquesus,  and 
can  believe  what  I  say.  There  are  good,  and  there  are  bad, 


loo  THE  CHAINBEARER. 

among  all  people.  Color  makes  no  difference  in  this  re- 
spect. Still,  all  people  are  not  alike.  The  white  man  is 
stronger  than  the  red  man,  and  has  taken  away  his  country, 
because  he  knows  most." 

"  He  most,  too.  Count  army,  den  count  war-trail  ;  yor 
see." 

"  It  is  true  the  pale-faces  are  the  most  numerous,  now ; 
but  once  they  were  not.  Do  not  your  traditions  tell  you 
how  few  the  Yangeese  were,  when  they  first  came  across 
the  salt  lake  ?•" 

"  Come  in  big  canoe — two,  t'ree  full — no  more." 

"Why  then  did  two  or  three  shipfuls  of  white  men  be- 
come so  strong  as  to  drive  back  from  the  sea  all  the  red 
warriors,  and  become  masters  of  the  land  ?  Can  you  give 
a  reason  for  that  ? " 

"'Cause  he  bring  fire-water  wid  him,  and  red  man  big 
fool  to  drink." 

"  Even  that  fire-water,  which  doubtless  has  proved  a 
cruel  gift  to  the  Indians,  is  one  of  the  fruits  of  the  white 
man's  knowledge.  No,  Susquesus  ;  the  red-skin  is  as  brave 
as  the  pale-face  ;  as  willing  to  defend  his  rights,  and  as 
able-bodied  ;  but  he  does  not  know  as  much.  He  had  no 
gunpowder  until  the  white  man  gave  it  to  him — no  rifle — 
no  hoe,  no  knife,  no  tomahawk,  but  such  as  he  made  him- 
self from  stones.  Now,  all  the  knowledge,  and  all  the  arts 
of  life  that  the  white  man  enjoys  and  turns  to  his  profit, 
come  from  the  rights  of  property.  No  man  would  build  a 
wigwam  to  make  rifles  in,  if  he  thought  he  could  not  keep 
it  as  long  as  he  wished,  sell  it  when  he  pleased,  and  leave 
it  to  his  son  when  he  went  to  the  land  of  spirits.  It  is  by 
encouraging  man's  love  of  himself,  in  this  manner,  that  he 
is  got  to  do  so  much.  Thus  it  is,  too,  that  the  father  gives 
to  the  son  what  he  has  learned,  as  well  as  what  he  has 
built  or  bought  ;  and  so,  in  time,  nations  get  to  be  power- 
ful, as  they  get  to  be  what  we  called  civilized.  Without 
these  rights  of  property,  no  people  could  be  civilized  ;  for 
no  people  would  do  their  utmost,  unless  each  man  were 
permitted  to  be  master  of  what  he  can  acquire,  subject  to 
the  great  and  common  laws  that  are  necessary  to  regulate 
such  matters.  I  hope  you  understand  my  meaning,  Track- 
less." 

"  Sartain  —  no  like  Trackless*  moccasin  —  my  young 
friend's  tongue  leave  trail.  But  you  t'ink  Great  Spirit  say 
who  shall  haf  land  ;  who  no  haf  him  ? " 

"  The  Great  Spirit  has  created  man  as  he  is,  and   the 


THE  CHAINBEARER.  101 

earth  as  it  is  ;  and  he  has  left  the  one  to  be  master  of  the 
other.  If  it  were  not  his  pleasure  that  man  should  not  do 
as  he  has  done,  it  would  not  be  done.  Different  laws  and 
different  feelings  would  then  bring  about  different  ends. 
When  the  law  places  all  men  on  a  level,  as  to  rights,  it 
does  as  much  as  can  be  expected  of  it.  Now,  this  level 
does  not  consist  in  pulling  everything  to  pieces  periodi- 
cally, but  in  respecting  certain  great  principles  that  are 
just  in  themselves  ;  but  which,  once  started,  must  be  left 
to  follow  their  own  course.  When  the  rights  of  property 
are  first  established,  they  must  be  established  fairly,  on 
some  admitted  rule  ;  after  which  they  are  to  remain  in- 
violable— that  is  to  say,  sacred." 

"  Understand — no  live  in  clearin'  for  nuttin'.  Mean,  haf 
no  head  widout  haf  farm." 

"  That  is  the  meaning,  substantially,  Sureflint  ;  though  I 
might  have  explained  it  a  little  differently.  I  wish  to  say 
pale-faces  would  be  like  the  red  man  without  civilization  ; 
and  without  civilization  if  they  had  no  rights  in  their  land. 
No  one  will  work  for  another  as  he  will  work  for  himself. 
We  see  that  every  day,  in  the  simplest  manner,  when  we 
see  that  the  desire  to  get  good  wages  will  not  make  the 
common  laborer  do  as  much  by  the  day  as  he  will  do  by 
the  job." 

"  Dat  true,"  answered  the  Indian,  smiling  ;  for  he  seldom 
laughed  ;  and  repeating  a  common  saying  of  the  country 
— "  By — de — day — by — de — day — By  de  job,  job,  job  !  Dat 
pale-face  religion,  young  chief." 

"  I  don't  know  that  our  religion  has  much  to  do  with  it  ; 
but  I  will  own  it  is  our  practice.  I  fancy  it  is  the  same 
with  all  races  and  colors.  A  man  must  work  for  himself 
to  do  his  most ;  and  he  cannot  work  for  himself  unless  he 
enjoy  the  fruits  of  his  labor.  Thus  it  is,  that  he  must  have 
a  right  of  property  in  land,  either  bought  or  hired,  in  order 
to  make  him  cause  that  land  to  produce  all  that  nature  in- 
tended it  should  produce.  On  this  necessity  is  founded 
the  rights  of  property  ;  the  gain  being  civilization  ;  the 
loss  ignorance,  and  poverty,  and  weakness.  It  is  for  this 
reason,  then,  that  we  buy  and  sell  land,  as  well  as  clothes 
and  arms,  and  beads." 

"  T'ink,  understand.  Great  Spirit,  den,  say  must  have 
farm  ? " 

"The  Great  Spirit  has  said  we  must  have  wants  and 
wishes,  that  can  be  met,  or  gratified  only  by  having  farms. 
To  have  farms  we  must  haye  owners ;  and  owners  cannof 


102  THE  CHAINBEARER. 

exist  unless  their  rights  in  their  lands  are  protected.  As 
soon  as  these  are  gone,  the  whole  building  would  tumble 
down  about  our  ears,  Susquesus." 

"  Well,  s'pose  him  so.  We  see,  some  time.  Young  chief 
know  where  he  is  ?  " 

"  Not  exactly  ;  but  I  suppose  we  are  drawing  near  to  the 
lands  of  Ravensnest." 

"Well,  queer  'nough,  too  !  Own  land,  but  don't  know 
him.  See — marked  tree — dat  sign  your  land  begin." 

"  Thank  you,  Sureflint — a  parent  would  not  know  his 
own  child,  when  he  saw  him  for  the  first  time.  If  I  am 
owner  here,  you  will  remember  that  this  is  my  first  visit  to 
the  spot." 

While  conversing,  the  Trackless  had  led  me  from  the 
highway  into  a  footpath,  which,  as  I  afterward  discovered, 
made  a  short-cut  across  some  hills,  and  saved  us  near  two 
miles  in  the  distance.  In  consequence  of  this  change  in 
our  course,  Jaap  could  not  have  overtaken  me,  had  he 
moved  faster  than  he  did  ;  but,  owing  to  the  badness  of  the 
road,  our  gait  on  foot  was  somewhat  faster  than  that  of  the 
jaded  beasts  who  dragged  the  wagon.  My  guide  knew  the 
way  perfectly  ;  and,  as  we  ascended  a  hill,  he  pointed  out 
the  remains  of  an  old  fire,  near  a  spring,  as  a  spot  where 
he  was  accustomed  to  "  camp,"  when  he  wished  to  remain 
near,  but  not  in  the  'Nest. 

"Too  much  rum  in  tavern,"  he  said.  "No  good  stay 
near  rum." 

This  was  extraordinary  forbearance  for  an  Indian  ;  but 
Susquesus,  I  had  ever  understood,  was  an  extraordinary 
Indian.  Even  for  an  Onondago,  he  was  temperate  and 
self-denying.  The  reason  why  he  lived  away  from  his  tribe 
was  a  secret  from  most  persons  ;  though  I  subsequently 
ascertained  it  was  known  to  the  Chainbearer,  as  well  as  my 
father.  Old  Andries  always  affirmed  it  was  creditable  to 
his  friend  ;  but  he  would  never  betray  the  secret.  Indeed, 
I  found  that  the  sympathy  which  existed  between  these 
two  men,  each  of  whom  was  so  singular  in  his  way,  was 
cemented  by  some  occurrences  of  their  early  lives,  to 
which  occasional,  but  vague  allusions  were  made,  but 
which  neither  ever  revealed  to  me,  or  to  any  other  person, 
so  far  as  I  could  ascertain. 

Soon  after  passing  the  spring,  Sureflint  led  me  out  to  a 
cleared  spot  on  the  eminence,  which  commanded  an  ex- 
tensive view  of  most  of  that  part  of  my  possessions  which 
was  under  lease  and  occupied.  Here  we  halted,  seating 


THE  CHAINBEARER.  103 

ourselves  on  a  fallen  tree,  for  which  one  could  never  go 
amiss  in  that  region,  and  at  that  day  ;  and  I  examined  the 
view  with  the  interest  which  ownership  is  apt  to  create  in 
us  all.  The  earth  is  very  beautiful  in  itself  ;  but  it  is  most 
beautiful  in  the  eye  of  those  who  have  the  largest  stake  in 
it,  I  fear. 

Although  the  property  of  Ravensnest  had  been  settled 
fully  thirty  years  when  I  first  saw  it,  none  of  those  signs 
of  rapid  and  energetic  improvement  were  visible  that  we 
have  witnessed  in  the  efforts  of  similar  undertakings  since 
the  Revolution.  Previously  to  that  great  event,  the  country 
filled  up  very  slowly,  and  each  colony  seemed  to  regard 
itself,  in  some  measure,  as  a  distinct  country.  Thus  it  was 
that  we  in  New  York  obtained  very  few  immigrants  from 
New  England,  that  great  hive  which  has  so  often  swarmed 
since,  and  the  bees  of  which  have  carried  their  industry 
and  ingenuity  over  so  much  of  the  republic  in  our  own 
time.  We  of  New  York  have  our  prejudices  against  the 
Yankees,  and  have  long  looked  upon  them  with  eyes  of  dis- 
trust and  disfavor.  They  have  repaid  us  in  kind,  perhaps  ; 
but  their  dislikes  have  not  been  strong  enough  to  prevent 
them  from  coming  to  take  possession  of  our  lands.  For 
my  own  part,  while  I  certainly  see  much  in  the  New  Eng- 
land character  that  I  do  not  like  (more  in  their  manners 
and  minor  ways,  perhaps,  than  in  essentials),  I  as  certainly 
see  a  great  deal  to  command  my  respect.  If  the  civiliza- 
tion that  they  carry  with  them  is  not  of  a  very  high  order, 
as  is  connected  with  the  tastes,  sentiments,  and  nicer  feel- 
ings, it  is  superior  to  that  of  any  other  country  I  have  vis- 
ited, in  its  common-sense  provisions,  and  in  its  care  over 
the  intellectual  being,  considered  in  reference  to  the  foun- 
dations of  learning.  More  persons  are  dragged  from  out 
the  mire  of  profound  ignorance  under  their  system,  than 
under  that  of  any  other  people  ;  and  a  greater  number  of 
candidates  are  brought  forward  for  intellectual  advance- 
ments. That  so  few  of  these  candidates  rise  very  high  in 
the  scale  of  knowledge,  is  in  part  owing  to  the  circum- 
stance that  their  lives  are  so  purely  practical  ;  and,  possi- 
bly, in  part  to  the  fact  that  while  so  much  attention  has 
been  paid  to  the  foundations  of  the  social  edifice,  that 
little  art  or  care  has  as  yet  been  expended  on  the  super- 
structure. Nevertheless,  the  millions  of  Yankees  that  are 
spreading  themselves  over  the  land,  are  producing,  and 
have  already  produced,  a  most  salutary  influence  on  its- 
practical  knowledge,  on  its  enterprise,  on  its  improve 


104  TffE  CHA1NBEARER. 

ments,  and  consequently  on  its  happiness.  If  they  have 
not  done  much  for  its  tastes,  its  manners,  and  its  higher 
principles,  it  is  because  no  portion  of  the  earth  is  perfect. 
I  am  fully  aware  that  this  is  conceding  more  than  my  own 
father  would  have  conceded  in  their  favor,  and  twice  as 
much  as  could  have  been  extracted  from  either  of  my 
grandfathers.  But  prejudice  is  wearing  away,  and  the 
Dutchman  and  the  Yankee,  in  particular,  find  it  possible  to 
live  in  proximity  and  charity.  It  is  possible  that  my  son 
may  be  willing  to  concede  even  more.  Our  immigrant 
friends  should  remember  one  thing,  however,  and  it  would 
render  them  much  more  agreeable  as  companions  and 
neighbors,  which  is  this  : — he  who  migrates  is  bound  to 
respect  the  habits  and  opinions  of  those  whom  he  joins ;  it 
not  being  sufficient  for  the  perfection  of  everything  under 
the  canopy  of  heaven,  that  it  should  come  from  our  own 
little  corner  of  the  earth.  Even  the  pumpkin-pies  of  the 
Middle  States  are  vastly  better  than  those  usually  found  in 
New  England.  To  return  to  Ravensnest. 

The  thirty  years  of  the  settlement  of  my  patent,  then, 
had  not  done  much  for  it,  in  the  way  of  works  of  art. 
Time,  it  is  true,  had  effected  something,  and  it  was 
something  in  a  manner  that  was  a  little  peculiar,  and 
which  might  be  oftener  discovered  in  the  country  at  the 
time  of  which  I  am  writing,  than  at  the  present  day. 
The  timber  of  the  'Nest,  with  the  exception  of  some 
mountain-land,  was  principally  what,  in  American  par- 
lance, is  termed  "hard  wood."  In  other  words,  the  trees 
were  not  perennial,  but  deciduous  ;  and  the  merest  tyro 
in  the  woods  knows  that  the  roots  of  the  last  decay  in  a 
fourth  of  the  time  that  the  roots  of  the  first  endure,  after 
the  trunk  is  severed.  As  a  consequence,  the  stumps  had 
nearly  all  disappeared  from  the  fields  ;  a  fact  that,  of  itself, 
gave  to  the  place  the  appearance  of  an  old  country,  ac- 
cording to  our  American  notions.  It  is  true,  the  virgin 
forest  still  flourished  in  immediate  contact  with  those  fields, 
shorn,  tilled,  and  smoothed  as  they  were,  giving  a  wild  and 
solemn  setting  to  the  rural  picture  the  latter  presented. 
The  contrast  was  sufficiently  bold  and  striking,  but  it  was 
not  without  its  soft  and  pleasant  points.  From  the  height 
whither  the  Indian  had  led  me,  I  had  a  foreground  of  open 
land,  dotted  with  cottages  and  barns,  mostly  of  logs,  beau- 
tified by  flourishing  orchards,  and  garnished  with  broad 
meadows,  or  enriched  by  fields,  in  which  the  corn  was  wav- 
ing under  the  currents  of  a  light  summer  air.  Two  ot 


THE  CHAINBEARER.  lo$ 

three  roads  wound  along  the  settlement,  turning  aside  with 
friendly  interest,  to  visit  every  door  ;  and  at  the  southern 
termination  of  the  open  country  there  was  a  hamlet,  built 
of  wood  framed,  which  contained  one  house  that  had  little 
taste,  but  a  good  deal  more  of  pretension  than  any  of  its 
neighbors  ;  another,  that  was  an  inn  ;  a  store,  a  blacksmith's- 
shop,  a  school-house,  and  three  or  four  other  buildings, 
besides  barns,  sheds,  and  hog-pens.  Near  the  hamlet,  01 
the  "  'Nest  Village,"  as  the  place  was  called,  were  the  mills 
of  the  region.  These  were  a  grist-mill,  a  saw-mill,  a  full- 
ing-mill, and  an  oil-mill.  All  were  of  moderate  dimensions, 
and,  most  probably,  of  moderate  receipts.  Even  the  best 
house  was  not  painted,  though  it  had  some  very  ambitious 
attempts  at  architecture,  and  enjoyed  the  benefits  of  no 
less  than  four  exterior  doors,  the  uses  of  one  of  which,  as 
it  opened  into  the  air  from  the  second  story,  it  was  not 
very  easy  to  imagine.  Doubtless  some  great  but  unfinished 
project  of  the  owner  lay  at  the  root  of  this  invention.  But 
living  out  of  doors,  as  it  were,  is  rather  a  characteristic  of 
a  portion  of  our  people. 

The  background  of  this  picture,  to  which  a  certain  degree 
of  rural  beauty  was  not  wanting,  was  the  "  boundless 
woods."  Woods  stretched  away,  north,  and  south,  and  east, 
far  as  eye  could  reach  ;  woods  crowned  the  sides  and 
summits  of  all  the  mountains  in  view  ;  and  woods  rose  up, 
with  their  leafy  carpeting,  from  out  the  ravines  and  dells. 
The  war  had  prevented  any  very  recent  attempts  at  clear- 
ing, and  all  the  open  ground  wore  the  same  aspect  of 
homely  cultivation,  while  the  dark  shades  of  an  intermi- 
nable forest  were  spread  around,  forming  a  sort  of  mysteri- 
ous void,  that  lay  between  this  obscure  and  remote  people, 
and  the  rest  of  their  kind.  That  forest,  however,  was  not 
entirely  savage.  There  were  other  settlements  springing 
up  in  its  bosom  ;  a  few  roads  wound  their  way  through  its 
depth  ;  and,  here  and  there,  the  hunter,  the  squatter,  or 
the  red  man,  had  raised  his  cabin,  and  dwelt  amid  the 
sullen  but  not  unpleasant  abundance  and  magnificence  of 
the  wilderness. 


THE  CHAINBEARER* 


CHAPTER  IX. 

e<  O  masters  !  if  I  were  disposed  to  stir 
Your  hearts  and  minds  to  mutiny  and  rage, 
I  should  do  Brutus  wrong,  and  Cassius  wrong, 
Who,  you  all  know,  are  honorable  men  ; 
I  will  not  do  them  wrong  ;  I  rather  choose 
To  wrong  the  dead,  to  wrong  myself  and  you, 
Than  I  will  wrong  such  honorable  men." — SHAKSPEARE. 

"Tms,  then,  is  Ravensnest ! "  I  exclaimed,  after  gazing  on 
the  scene  for  several  minutes  in  silence ;  the  estate  left  me 
by  my  grandfather,  and  where  events  once  occurred  that 
are  still  spoken  of  in  my  family  as  some  of  the  most  mo- 
mentous in  its  history  ;  events,  Susquesus,  in  which  you 
were  an  actor." 

The  Indian  made  a  low  interjection,  but  it  is  not  prob- 
able he  fully  understood  me.  What  was  there  so  remark- 
able in  a  savage  inroad,  a  house  besieged,  men  slain  and 
scalps  taken,  that  he  should  remember  such  things  for  a 
quarter  of  a  century  ! 

"  I  do  not  see  the  'Nest  itself,  Trueflint,"  I  added  ;  "  the 
house  in  which  my  grandfather  once  lived." 

The  Onondago  did  not  speak,  but  he  pointed  with  a 
finger  in  a  northeasterly  direction,  making  the  action  dis- 
tinct and  impressive,  as  is  usual  with  his  people.  I  knew 
the  place  by  the  descriptions  I  had  heard,  though  it  was 
now  mouldering,  and  had  gone  far  into  decay.  Logs  piled 
up  green,  and  confined  in  such  a  structure,  will  last  some 
thirty  or  forty  years,  according  to  the  nature  of  the  trees 
from  which  they  come,  and  the  manner  in  which  they  have 
been  covered.  At  that  distance  I  could  not  well  distin- 
guish how  far,  or  how  much,  time  had  done  its  work  ;  but 
I  fancied  I  knew  enough  of  such  matters  to  understand  I 
was  not  to  expect  in  the  'Nest  a  very  comfortable  home.  A 
family  dwelt  in  the  old  place,  and  I  had  seen  some  cheeses 
that  had  been  made  on  the  very  fine  farm  that  was  attached 
to  it.  There  was  a  large  and  seemingly  a  flourishing  or- 
chard, and  the  fields  looked  well ;  but  as  for  the  house,  at 
that  distance  it  appeared  sombre,  dark,  and  was  barely  to 
be  distinguished  by  its  form  and  chimneys,  from  any  other 
pile  of  logs. 

I  was  struck  with  the  silent,  dreamy,  sabbath-like  air  of 
the  fields,  far  and  near.  With  the  exception  of  a  few 


THE  CHAINBEARE*.  lo? 

half-naked  children  who  were  visible  around  the  dwellings 
to  which  we  were  the  closest,  not  a  human  being  could  I 
discover.  The  fields  were  tenantless,  so  far  as  men  were 
concerned,  though  a  good  many  horned  cattle  were  to  be 
seen  grazing. 

"My  tenants  are  not  without  stock,  I  find,  Trueflint,"  I 
remarked.  "  There  are  plenty  of  cattle  in  the  pastures." 

"You  see,  all  young,"  answered  the  Onondago.  "  War 
do  dat.  Kill  ole  one  for  soldier." 

"  By  the  way,  as  this  settlement  escaped  plunder,  I 
should  think  its  people  may  have  done  something  by 
selling  supplies  to  the  army.  Provisions  of  all  kinds 
were  very  high  and  scarce,  I  remember,  when  we  met  Bur- 
goyne." 

"  Sartain.  Your  people  sell  both  side — good  trade,  den. 
Feed  Yankees — feed  Yengeese." 

"  Well,  I  make  no  doubt  it  was  so  ;  for  the  husbandman 
is  not  very  apt  to  hesitate  when  he  can  get  a  good  price  ; 
and  if  he  were,  the  conscience  of  the  drover  would  stand 
between  him  and  treason.  But  where  are  all  the  men  of 
this  country  ?  I  do  not  see  a  single  man,  far  or  near." 

"  No  see  him  ! — dere,"  answered  the  Indian,  pointing  in 
the  direction  of  the  hamlet.  "'Squire  light  council-fire 
to-day,  s'pose,  and  make  speech." 

"True  enough — there  they  are,  gathered  about  the 
school-house.  But  whom  do  you  mean  by  the  'squire,  who 
is  so  fond  of  making  speeches  ?  " 

"  Ole  schoolmaster.  Come  from  salt  lake — great  friend 
of  grandfader." 

"Oh!  Mr.  Newcome,  my  agent — true;  I  might  have 
known  that  he  was  king  of  the  settlement.  Well,  True- 
flint,  let  us  go  on  ;  and  when  we  reach  the  tavern  we  shall 
be  able  to  learn  what  the  '  great  council '  is  about.  Say 
nothing  of  my  business  ;  for  it  will  be  pleasant  to  look  on 
a  little,  before  I  speak  myself." 

The  Indian  arose,  and  led  the  way  down  the  height,  fol- 
lowing a  foot-path  with  which  he  appeared  to  be  familiar. 
In  a  few  minutes  we  were  in  a  highway,  and  at  no  great 
distance  from  the  hamlet.  I  had  laid  aside  most  of  the 
dress  that  it  was  the  fashion  of  gentlemen  to  wear  in  1784, 
and  put  on  a  hunting-shirt  and  leggings,  as  rrore  fitting 
for  the  woods  ;  consequently  it  would  not  have  been  easy 
for  one  who  was  not  in  the  secret  to  imagine  that  he  who 
arrived  on  foot,  in  such  a  garb,  carrying  his  fowling-piece, 
and  accompanied  by  an  Indian,  was  the  owner  of  the 


Io8  THE  CHAINBEARER. 

estate.  I  had  sent  no  recent  notice  of  my  intended  arrival ; 
and  as  we  went  along,  I  took  a  fancy  to  get  a  faint  glimpse 
of  things  incognito.  In  order  to  do  this  it  might  be  neces- 
sary to  say  a  word  more  to  the  Indian. 

"Susquesus,"  I  added,  as  \ve  drew  near  the  school-house, 
which  stood  between  us  and  the  tavern,  "  I  hope  you  have 
understood  me — there  is  no  need  of  telling  any  one  who  J 
am.  If  asked,  you  can  answer  I  am  your  friend.  That 
will  be  true,  as  you  will  find  as  long  as  you  live." 

"  Good — young  chief  got  eyes  ;  want  to  look  wid  'em 
himself.  Good — Susquesus  know." 

In  another  minute  we  stopped  in  the  crowd,  before  the 
door  of  the  school-house.  The  Indian  was  so  well  known, 
and  so  often  at  the  'Nest,  that  his  appearance  excited  no 
attention.  Some  important  business  appeared  on  the  car- 
pet, for  there  was  much  caucusing,  much  private  conver- 
sation, many  eager  faces,  and  much  putting  together  of 
heads.  While  the  public  mind  was  thus  agitated,  few  were 
disposed  to  take  any  particular  notice  of  me,  though  I  had 
not  stood  long  in  the  outer  edge  of  the  crowd,  which  may 
have  contained  sixty  or  seventy  men,  besides  quite  as  many 
well-grown  lads,  before  I  overheard  an  interrogatory  put 
as  to  who  I  was,  and  whether  I  had  "aright  to  a  vote."  My 
curiosity  was  a  good  deal  excited,  and  I  was  on  the  point 
of  asking  some  explanation,  when  a  man  appeared  in  the 
door  of  the  school-house,  who  laid  the  whole  matter  bare, 
in  a  speech.  This  person  had  a  shrivelled,  care-worn,  but 
keen  look,  and  was  somewhat  better  dressed  than  most 
around  him,  though  not  particularly  elegant,  or  even  very 
neat,  in  his  toilette.  He  was  gray-headed,  of  a  small,  thin 
figure,  and  might  have  been  drawing  hard  upon  sixty.  He 
spoke  in  a  deliberate,  self-possessed  manner,  as  if  long  ac- 
customed to  the  sort  of  business  in  which  he  was  engaged, 
but  in  a  very  decided  Connecticut  accent.  I  say  Connecticut, 
in  contradistinction  to  that  of  New  England  generally ;  for 
while  the  Eastern  States  have  many  common  peculiarities 
in  this  way,  a  nice  and  practised  ear  can  tell  a  Rhode-Island- 
er from  a  Massachusetts  man,  and  a  Connecticut  man  from 
either.  As  the  orator  opened  his  mouth  to  remove  a  chew 
of  tobacco  previously  to  opening  it  to  speak,  a  murmur 
near  me  said—"  Hist!  there's  the  squire;  now  we  shall  get 
suthin'."  This,  then,  was  Mr.  Jason  Newcome,  my  agent, 
and  the  principal  resident  in  the  settlement. 

"Fellow-citizens" — Mr.  Newcorne  commenced — "you 
are  assembled  this  day  on  a  most  important,  and,  I  ma)' 


THE  CHA1NBEARER.  109 

say,  trying  occasion  ;  an  occasion  calculated  to  exercise  all 
our  spirits.  Your  business  is  to  decide  on  the  denomina- 
tion of  the  church  building  that  you  are  about  to  erect; 
and  the  futur'  welfare  of  your  souls  may,  in  one  sense,  be 
said  to  be  interested  in  your  decision.  Your  deliberations 
have  already  been  opened  by  prayer  ;  and  now  you  are 
about  to  come  to  a  final  vote.  Differences  of  opinion  have, 
and  do  exist  among  you  ;  but  differences  of  opinion  exist 
everywhere.  They  belong  to  liberty,  the  blessings  of 
which  are  not  to  be  enj'yed  without  full  and  free  differ- 
ences of  opinion.  Religious  liberty  demands  differences 
of  opinion,  as  a  body  might  say  ;  and  without  them  there 
would  be  no  religious  liberty.  You  ail  know  the  weighty 
reason  there  is  for  coming  to  some  conclusion  speedily. 
The  owner  of  the  sile  will  make  his  appearance  this  sum- 
mer, and  his  family  are  all  of  a  desperate  tendency  toward 
an  idolatrous  church,  which  is  unpleasant  to  most  of  you. 
To  prevent  any  consequences,  therefore,  from  his  interfe- 
rence, we  ought  to  decide  at  once,  and  not  only  have  the 
house  raised,  but  ruffed  in  afore  he  arrives.  Among  our- 
selves, however,  we  have  been  somewhat  divided,  and  that 
is  a  different  matter.  On  the  former  votes  it  has  stood 
twenty-six  for  Congregational  to  twenty-five  Presbytery, 
fourteen  Methodist,  nine  Baptist,  three  Universal,  and  one 
Episcopal.  Now,  nothin'  is  clearer  than  that  the  majority 
ought  to  rule,  and  that  it  is  the  duty  of  the  minority  to 
submit.  My  first  decision,  as  moderator,  was  that  the 
Congregationals  have  it  by  a  majority  of  one,  but  some 
being  dissatisfied  with  that  opinion,  I  have  been  ready  to 
hear  reason,  and  to  take  the  view  that  twenty-six  is  not  a 
majority,  but  a  plurality,  as  it  is  called.  As  twenty-six,  or 
twenty-five,  however,  is  a  majority  over  nine,  and  over 
three,  and  over  one,  taking  their  numbers  singly  or  to- 
gether, your  committee  report  that  the  Baptists,  Univer- 
sals  and  Episcopals  ought  to  be  dropped,  and  that  the  next 
vote,  now  to  be  taken,  shall  be  confined  to  the  three  high- 
est numbers  ;  that  is  to  say,  to  the  Congregationals,  the 
Presbyterians,  and  the  Methodists.  Everybody  has  a  right  to 
vote  for  which  he  pleases,  provided  he  vote  for  one  of  them 
three.  I  suppose  I  am  understood,  and  shall  now  put  the 
question,  unless  some  gentleman  has  any  remarks  to  make." 

"  Mr.  Moderator,"  cried  out  a  burly,  hearty-looking  yeo- 
man, "  is  it  in  order  now  to  speak  ? '' 

"  Quite  so,  sir — order,  gentlemen,  order — Major  Hosmer 
is  up." 


HO  THE  CHAINBEARER. 

Up  we  all  were,  if  standing  on  one's  feet  be  up  ;  but  the 
word  was  parliamentary,  and  it  appeared  to  be  understood. 

"  Mr.  Moderator,  I  am  of  the  Baptist  order,  and  I  do  not 
think  the  decision  just ;  sin'  it  compels  us  Baptists  to  vote 
for  a  denomination  we  don't  like,  or  not  to  vote  at  all." 

"  But  you  will  allow  that  the  majority  ought  to  rule  ?  " 
interrupted  the  chair. 

"  Sartain — I  agree  to  that;  for  that  is  a  part  of  my  relig- 
ion, too,"  returned  the  old  yeoman  heartily,  and  with  an 
air  of  perfect  good  faith — "  the  majority  ought  to  rule  ; 
but  I  do  not  see  that  a  majority  is  in  favor  of  the  Congre- 
gationals  any  more  than  it  is  of  the  Baptists." 

"We  will  put  it  to  vote  ag'in,  major,  just  for  your  satis- 
faction," returned  Mr.  Newcome,  with  an  air  of  great  can- 
dor and  moderation.  "  Gentlemen,  those  of  you  who  are 
in  favor  of  the  Baptists  not  being  included  in  the  next  vote 
for  denomination,  will  please  to  hold  up  your  hands." 

As  every  man  present  who  was  not  a  Baptist  voted  "ay," 
there  were  sixty-nine  hands  shown.  The  "  no's "  were 
then  demanded  in  the  same  way,  and  the  Baptists  got  their 
nine  own  votes,  as  before.  Major  Hosmer  admitted  he 
was  satisfied,  though  he  looked  as  if  there  might  be  some- 
thing wrong  in  the  procedure,  after  all.  As  the  Baptists 
were  the  strongest  of  the  three  excluded  sects,  the  other 
two  made  a  merit  of  necessity,  and  said  nothing.  It  was 
understood  they  were  in  a  minority  ;  and  a  minority,  as  it 
very  often  happens  in  America,  has  very  few  rights. 

"  It  now  remains,  gentlemen,"  resumed  the  moderator, 
who  was  a  model  of  submission  to  the  public  voice,  "  to 
put  the  vote,  as  between  the  Congregationals,  the  Presby- 
terians, and  the  Methodists.  I  shall  first  put  the  Congre- 
gationalists.  Those  who  are  in  favor  of  that  sect,  the  old 
Connecticut  standing  order,  will  please  to  hold  up  their 
hands." 

The  tone  of  voice,  the  coaxing  expression  of  the  eye, 
and  the  words  " old  Connecticut  standing  order,"  let  me 
at  once  into  the  secret  of  the  moderator's  wishes.  At  first 
but  thirty-four  hands  appeared  ;  but  the  moderator  having 
counted  these,  he  looked  round  the  crowd,  until  he  fairly 
looked  up  three  more  ;  after  which  he  honestly  enough  an- 
nounced the  vote  to  be  thirty-seven  for  the  Congregation- 
alists.  So  eleven  of  the  thirteen  of  silenced  sects,  had 
most  probably  voted  with  the  moderator.  >  The  Presbyteri- 
ans came  next,  and  they  got  their  own  people,  and  two 
of  the  Baptists,  making  twenty-seven  in  all,  on  a  trial  in 


THE  CHAINBEARER.  in 

their   behalf.     The   Methodists   got  only  their  own  four- 
teen. 

"  It  evidently  appearing,  gentleman,"  said  the  modera- 
tor, "  that  the  Methodists  gain  no  strength,  and  being  less 
than  half  the  Congregational  vote,  and  much  lower  than 
the  Presbyterian, 'l  put  it  to  their  own  well-known  Chris- 
tian humility,  whether  they  ought  not  to  withdraw  ? " 

"  Put  it  openly  to  vote,  as  you  did  ag'in  us,"  came  out  a 
Baptist. 

"  Is  that  your  pleasure,  gentlemen  ?  Seeing  that  it  is, 
I  will  now  try  the  vote.  Those  who  are  in  favor  of  the 
Methodists  withdrawing,  will  hold  up  their  hands." 

Sixty-four  hands  were  raised  for,  and  fourteen  against 
the  withdrawal. 

"  It  is  impossible  for  any  religion  to  flourish  ag'in  such 
a  majority,"  said  the  moderator,  with  great  apparent  can- 
dor ;  "  and  though  I  regret  it,  for  I  sincerely  wish  we  were 
strong  enough  to  build  meetin'-houses  for  every  denomina- 
tion in  the  world  ;  but  as  we  are  not,  we  must  take  things 
as  they  are,  and  so  the  Methodists  must  withdraw.  Gen- 
tlemen, the  question  is  now  narrowed  down  to  the  Con- 
gregationals  and  the  Presbyterians.  There  is  not  much 
difference  between  them,  and  it  is  a  thousand  pities  there 
should  be  any.  Are  you  ready  for  the  question,  gentlemen  ? 
No  answer  being  given,  I  shall  put  the  vote." 

And  the  vote  was  put,  the  result  being  thirty-nine  to 
thirty-nine,  or  a  tie.  I  could  see  that  the  moderator  was 
disappointed,  and  supposed  he  would  claim  a  casting  vote, 
in  addition  to  the  one  he  had  already  given  ;  but  I  did  not 
know  my  man.  Mr.  Newcome  avoided  all  appearances  of 
personal  authority  ;  majorities  were  his  cardinal  rule,  and 
to  majorities  alone  he  would  defer.  Whenever  he  chose 
to  govern,  it  was  by  means  of  majorities.  The  exercise  of 
a  power  as  accidentally  bestowed  as  that  of  presiding 
officer,  might  excite  heart-burnings  and  envy  ;  but  he  who 
went  with  a  majority  was  certain  of  having  the  weight  of 
public  sympathies  on  his  side.  No — no — Mr.  Newcome 
never  had  an  opinion,  as  against  numbers. 

I  am  sorry  to  say  that  very  mistaken  notions  of  the 
power  of  majorities  are  beginning  to  take  root  among  us. 
It  is  common  to  hear  it  asserted,  as  a  political  axiom,  that 
the  majority  must  rule !  The  axiom  may  be  innocent 
enough,  when  its  application  is  properly  made,  which  is 
simply  to  say  that  in  the  control  of  those  interests  of  which 
the  decision  is  referred  to  majorities,  majorities  must  rule* 


J 12  THE  CHAIN-BEARER. 

but,  God  forbid  that  the  majorities  should  ever  rule  in 
all  things,  in  this  republic  or  anywhere  else  !  Such  a  state 
of  things  would  soon  become  intolerable,  rendering  the 
government  that  admitted  of  its  existence  the  most  odious 
tyranny  that  has  been  known  in  Christendom  in  modern 
times.  The  government  of  this  country  is  the  sway  of  cer- 
tain great  and  incontestable  principles,  that  are  just  in  them- 
selves, and  which  are  set  forth  in  the  several  constitutions, 
and  under  which  certain  minor  questions  are  periodically 
referred  to  local  majorities,  or  of  necessity,  out  of  the  fre- 
quency of  which  appeals  has  arisen  a  mistake  that  is  get- 
ting to  be  dangerously  general.  God  forbid,  I  repeat,  that 
a  mere  personal  majority  should  assume  the  power  which 
alone  belongs  to  principles. 

Mr.  Newcome  avoided  a  decision,  as  from  the  chair;  but 
three  several  times  did  he  take  the  vote,  and  each  time  was 
there  a  tie.  I  could  now  perceive  that  he  was  seriously 
uneasy.  Such  steadiness  denoted  that  men  had  made  up 
their  minds,  and  that  they  would  be  apt  to  adhere  to  them, 
since  one  side  was  apparently  as  strong  as  the  other.  The 
circumstance  called  for  a  display  of  democratical  tactics  ; 
and  Mr.  Newcome  being  very  expert  in  such  matters,  he 
could  have  little  difficulty  in  getting  along  with  the  simple 
people  with  whom  he  had  to  deal. 

"You  see  how  it  is,  fellow-citizens.  The  public  has 
taken  sides,  and  formed  itself  into  two  parties.  From  this 
moment  the  aifair  must  be  treated  as  a  party  question,  and 
be  decided  on  party  principles  ;  though  the  majority  must 
rule.  Oh  !  here,  neighbor  Willis  ;  will  you  just  step  over 
to  my  house,  and  ask  Miss  Newcome  (Anglice,  Mrs.  New- 
come)  to  hand  you  the  last  volume  of  the  State  Laws  ? 
Perhaps  they  have  a  word  to  say  in  the  matter."  Here 
neighbor  Willis  did  as  desired,  and  moved  out  of  the  crowd. 
As  I  afterward  discovered,  he  was  a  warm  Presbyterian, 
who  happened,  unfortunately  for  his  sect,  to  stand  so  di- 
rectly before  the  moderator,  as  unavoidably  to  catch  his 
eye.  I  suspected  that  'Squire  Newcome  would  now  call  a 
vote  on  the  main  question.  But  I  did  not  know  my  man. 
This  would  have  been  too  palpably  a  trick,  and  he  careful- 
ly avoided  committing  the  blunder.  There  was  plenty  of 
time,  since  the  moderator  knew  his  wife  could  not  very 
readily  find  a  book  he  had  lent  to  a  magistrate  in  another 
settlement  twenty  miles  off  ;  so  that  he  did  not  hesitate  to 
have  a  little  private  conversation  with  one  or  two  of  his. 
friends, 


THE  CHAINBEARER.  113 

"Not  to  be  losing  time,  Mr.  Moderator,"  said  one  of 
'Squire  Newcome's  confidants,  "  I  will  move  you  that  it  is 
the  sense  of  this  meeting,  that  the  government  of  churches 
by  means  of  a  presbytery  is  anti-republican,  opposed  to 
our  glorious  institutions,  and  at  variance  with  the  best  in- 
terests of  the  human  family.  I  submit  the  question  to  the 
public  without  debate,  being  content  to  know  the  unbiased 
sentiments  of  my  fellow-citizens  on  the  subject." 

The  question  was  duly  seconded  and  put,  the  result  be- 
ing thirty-nine  for,  and  thirty-eight  against  ;  or  a  majority 
of  one^  that  Presbyterian  rule  was  anti-republican.  This 
was  a  great  coup  de  maitre.  Having  settled  that  it  was  op- 
posed to  the  institutions  to  have  a  presbytery,  a  great  deal 
was  gained  toward  establishing  another  denomination  in 
the  settlement.  No  religion  can  maintain  itself  against 
political  sentiments  in  this  country,  politics  coming  home 
daily  to  men's  minds  and  pockets. 

It  is  odd  enough  that,  while  all  sects  agree  in  saying  that 
the  Christian  religion  comes  from  God,  and  that  its  dog- 
mas are  to  be  received  as  the  laws  of  Infinite  Wisdom,  men 
should  be  found  sufficiently  illogical,  or  sufficiently  pre- 
sumptuous, to  imagine  that  any,  the  least  of  its  rules,  are 
to  be  impaired  or  strengthened  by  their  dissemblance  or 
their  conformity  to  any  provisions  of  human  institutions. 
As  well  might  it  be  admitted  at  once,  that  Christianity  is 
not  of  divine  origin,  or  the  still  more  extravagant  position 
be  assumed,  that  the  polity  which  God  himself  has  estab- 
lished can  be  amended  by  any  of  the  narrow  and  short- 
sighted devices  of  man.  Nevertheless,  it  is  not  to  be 
concealed,  that  here,  as  elsewhere,  churches  are  fashioned 
to  suit  the  institutions,  and  not  the  institutions  to  suit  the 
church. 

Having  achieved  so  much  success,  the  moderator's  con- 
fidant pushed  his  advantage. 

"Mr.  Moderator,"  he  continued,  "as. this  question  has 
altogether  assumed  a  party  character,  it  is  manifestly 
proper  that  the  party  which  has  the  majority  should  not 
be  encumbered  in  its  proceedings  by  the  movements  of 
the  minority.  Presbytery  has  been  denounced  by  this 
meeting,  and  its  friends  stand  in  the  light  of  a  defeated 
party  at  a  state  election.  They  can  have  nothin'  to  do 
with  the  government.  I  move,  therefore,  that  those  who 
are  opposed  to  presbytery  go  into  caucus,  in  order  to  ap- 
point a  committee  to  recommend  to  the  majority  a  denom- 
ination which  will  be  acceptable  to  the  people  of  Ravens- 
* 


H4  THE  CHAINBEARER. 

nest.  I  hope  the  motion  will  be  put  without  debate.  The 
subject  is  a  religious  one,  and  it  is  unwise  to  awaken  strife 
on  anything  at  all  connected  with  religion." 

Alas  !  alas  !  How  much  injury  has  been  done  to  the 
cause  of  Christianity,  how  much  wrong  to  the  laws  of 
God,  and  even  to  good  morals,  by  appeals  of  this  nature, 
that  are  intended  to  smother  inquiry,  and  force  down  on 
the  timid,  the  schemes  of  the  designing  and  fraudulent  ! 
Integrity  is  ever  simple  and  frank  ;  while  the  devil  resorts 
to  these  plans  of  plausible  forbearance  and  seeming  con- 
cessions, in  order  to  veil  his  nefarious  devices. 

The  thing  took,  however  ;  for  popular  bodies,  once  un- 
der control,  are  as  easily  managed  as  the  vessel  that  obeys 
her  helm  ;  the  strength  of  the  current  always  giving  addi- 
tional power  to  that  material  portion  of  the  ship.  The 
motion  was  accordingly  seconded  and  put.  As  there  was 
no  debate,  which  had  been  made  to  appear  anti-religious, 
the  result  was  precisely  the  same  as  on  the  last  question. 
In  other  words,  there  was  one  majority  for  disfranchising 
just  one-half  the  meeting,  counting  the  above  man  ;  and 
this,  too,  on  the  principle  that  the  majority  ought  to  rule. 
After  this  the  caucus  people  went  into  the  school-house, 
where  it  was  understood  a  committee  of  twenty-six  was 
appointed,  to  recommend  a  denomination  to  the  majority. 
This  committee,  so  respectable  in  its  character,  and  of  so 
much  influence  by  its  numbers,  was  not  slow  in  acting. 
As  became  its  moral  weight,  it  unanimously  reported  that 
the  Congregational  polity  was  the  one  most  acceptable  to 
the  people  of  Ravensnest.  This  report  was  accepted  by 
acclamation,  and  the  caucus  adjourned  sine  die. 

The  moderator  now  called  the  whole  meeting  to  order 
again. 

"  Mr.  Moderator,"  said  the  confidant,  "  it  is  time  that 
this  community  should  come  to  some  conclusion  in  the 
premises.  It  has  been  agitated  long  enough,  in  its  relig- 
ious feelings,  and  further  delay  might  lead  to  unpleasant 
and  lasting  divisions.  I  therefore  move  that  it  is  the  sense 
of  this  meetin'  that  the  people  of  Ravensnest  ardently  wish 
to  see  the  new  meetin'-us,  which  is  about  to  be  raised,  de- 
voted and  set  apart  for  the  services  of  the  Congregational 
church,  and  that  a  Congregational  church  be  organized, 
and  a  Congregational  pastor  duly  called.  I  trust  this  ques- 
tion, like  all  the  others,  will  be  passed  in  perfect  harmony, 
and  without  debate,  as  becomes  the  solemn  business  we 
are  on." 


THE  CHAIN3EARER.  115 

The  question  was  taken,  and  the  old  majority  of  one  was 
found  to  be  in  its  favor.  Just  as  Mr.  Moderator  meekly 
announced  the  result,  his  messenger  appeared  in  the 
crowd,  bawling  out,  "  'Squire,  Miss  Newcome  says  she 
can't  noway  find  the  volum',  which  she  kind  o'  thinks 
you've  lent." 

"  Bless  me  !  so  I  have!"  exclaimed  the  surprised  mag' 
istrate.  "  It's  not  in  the  settlement,  I  declare  ;  but  it's  of 
no  importance  now,  as  a  majority  has  fairly  decided.  Fel- 
low-citizens, we  have  been  dealing  with  the  most  impor- 
tant interest  that  consarns  man  ;  his  religious  state,  govern- 
ment, and  well-being.  Unanimity  is  very  desirable  on  such 
a  question  ;  and  as  it  is  to  be  presumed  no  one  will  oppose 
the  pop'lar  will,  I  shall  now  put  the  question  to  vote  for 
the  purpose  of  obtaining  that  unanimity.  Those  who  are 
in  favor  of  the  Congregationals,  or  who  ardently  wish  that 
denomination,  will  hold  up  their  hands." 

About  three-fourths  of  the  hands  went  up  at  once.  Cries 
of  "unanimity — unanimity  "—followed,  until  one  hand 
after  another  went  up,  and  I  counted  seventy-three.  The 
remaining  voters  continued  recusant  ;  but  as  no  question 
was  taken  on  the  other  side,  the  vote  may  be  said  to  have 
been  a  very  decided  one,  if  not  positively  unanimous.  The 
moderator  and  two  or  three  of  his  friends  made  short 
speeches,  commending  the  liberality  of  a  part  of  the  citizens, 
and  congratulating  all,  when  the  meeting  was  adjourned. 

Such  were  the  facts  attending  the  establishment  of  the 
Congregational  church  in  the  settlement  of  Ravensnest, 
on  purely  republican  principles  ;  the  question  having  been 
carried  unanimously  in  favor  of  that  denomination,  al- 
though fifty-two  votes  out  of  seventy-eight  were  pretty 
evidently  opposed  to  it.  But  republican  principles  were 
properly  maintained,  and  the  matter  was  settled  ;  the  peo- 
ple having  solemnly  decided  that  they  ardently  wished  for 
a  church  that  in  truth  they  did  not  desire  at  all. 

No  complaints  were  made,  on  the  spot  at  least.  The 
crowd  dispersed,  and  as  Mr.  Newcome  walked  through  it, 
with  the  air  of  a  beaten,  rather  than  of  a  successful  man, 
I  came  under  his  observation  for  the  first  time.  He  ex- 
amined me  keenly,  and  I  saw  a  certain  air  of  doubt  and 
misgiving  in  his  manner.  Just  at  that  moment,  however, 
and  before  he  had  time  to  put  a  question,  Jaap  drove  up 
in  the  wagon,  and  the  negro  was  an  old  acquaintance,  hav- 
ing often  been  at  the  Nest,  and  knowing  the  'squire  for 
more  than  a  quarter  of  a  century.  This  explained  the 


fi6  THE  CHAINBEARER. 

whole  affair,  a  certain  mixed  resemblance  to  both  father  and 
mother  which  I  am  said  to  bear  probably  aiding  in  mak- 
ing the  truth  more  apparent. 

Mr.  Newcome  was  startled — that  was  apparent  in  his 
countenance  —  but  he  was,  nevertheless,  self-possessed. 
Approaching,  he  saluted  me,  and  at  once  let  me  know  he 
understood  who  I  was. 

"This  is  Major  Littlepage,  I  s'pose,"  he  said  "I  can 
see  a  good  deal  of  the  gin'ral  in  you,  as  I  know'd  your 
father  when  a  young  man  ;  and  something  of  Herman 
Mordaunt,  your  mother's  father.  How  long  is  it  sin'  your 
arrival,  Major  Littlepage?" 

"  But  a  few  minutes,"  I  answered,  evasively.  You  see 
my  wagon  and  servant  there,  and  we  are  fresh  from  Al- 
bany. My  arrival  has  been  opportune,  as  all  my  tenants 
must  be  collected  here  at  this  moment." 

"  Why,  yes,  sir — yes  ;  here  are  pretty  much  the  whull 
of  them'.  We  have  had  a  little  meetin'  to-day,  to  decide 
on  the  natur'  of  our  religion,  as  one  might  say.  I  s'pose 
the  major  didn't  get  here  until  matters  were  coming  to  a 
head  ? " 

"  You  are  quite  right,  Mr.  Newcome,  matters  were  com- 
ing to  a  head,  as  you  say,  before  I  got  on  the  ground." 

The  'squire  was  a  good  deal  relieved  at  this,  for  his  con- 
science doubtless  pricked  him  a  little  on  the  subject  of  the 
allusion  he  had  made  to  me,  and  my  own  denomination. 
As  for  myself,  I  was  not  sorry  to  have  got  so  early  behind 
the  curtain  as  to  the  character  of  my  agent.  It  was  pretty 
clear  he  was  playing  his  own  game  as  to  some  things,  and 
it  might  be  necessary  for  me  to  see  that  this  propensity 
did  not  extend  itself  into  other  concerns.  It  is  true,  my 
mind  was  made  up  to  change  him,  but  there  were  long  and 
intricate  accounts  to  settle. 

"Yes,  sir,  religion  is  an  interest  of  the  greatest  impor- 
tance to  man's  welfare,  and  it  has  b'en  (Anglice,  been)  too 
long  neglected  among  us,"  continued  the  late  moderator. 
"  You  see  yonder  the  frame  of  a  meetin'-us,  the  first  that 
was  ever  commenced  in  this  settlement,  and  it  is  our  in- 
tention to  put  it  up  this  a'ternoon.  The  bents  are  all  ready. 
The  pike-poles  are  placed,  and  all  is  waiting  for  the  word 
to  *  heave.'  You'll  perceive,  'squire,  it  was  judicious  to  go 
to  a  sartain  p'int,  afore  we  concluded  on  the  denomination. 
Up  to  that  p'int  every  man  would  nat'rally  work  as  if  he 
was  workin'  for  his  own  order,  and  we've  seen  the  benefit 
of  such  policy,  as  there  you  can  see  the  clapboards  planed 


THE  ctfAINBEARER.  ii) 

the  sash  made  and  glazed,  stuff  cut  for  pews,  and  every- 
thing ready  to  put  together.  The  very  nails  and  paints 
are  bought  and  paid  for.  In  a  word,  nothing  remains  to 
be  done,  but  to  put  together,  and  finish  off,  and  preach." 

"Why  did  you  not  erect  the  edifice,  'and  finish  off/  as 
you  call  it,  before  you  came  to  the  test-vote,  that  I  perceive 
you  have  just  taken  ? " 

"  That  would  have  been  goin'  a  le-e-e-tle  too  far,  major 
— a  very  le-e-e-tle.  If  you  give  a  man  too  tight  a  hold,  he 
doesn't  like  to  let  go,  sometimes.  We  talked  the  matter 
over  among  us,  and  concluded  to  put  the  question  before 
we  went  any  further.  All  has  turned  out  happily,  and  we 
have  unanimously  resolved  to  be  Congregational.  Unan- 
imity in  religion  is  a  blessed  thing  ! " 

"  Do  you  apprehend  no  falling  off  in  zeal,  in  consequence 
of  this  work  ?  no  refusing  to  help  pay  the  carpenters,  and 
painters,  and  priest  ?  " 

"  No  much — a  little,  perhaps  ;  but  no  great  matter,  I 
should  judge.  Your  own  liberal  example,  major,  has  had 
its  influence,  and  I  make  no  doubt  will  produce  an  effect." 

"My  example,  sir  !  I  do  not  understand  you,  Mr.  New- 
come,  never  having  heard  of  the  church,  until  I  heard 
your  own  allusions  to  it,  as  chairman  of  this  very  meet- 
ing." 

'Squire  Newcome  hemmed,  cleared  his  throat,  took  an 
extra-sized  chew  of  tobacco,  and  then  felt  himself  equal  to 
attempting  an  answer. 

"  I  call  it  your  example,  sir ;  though  the  authority  for 
what  I  have  done  came  from  your  honored  father,  General 
Littlepage,  as  long  ago  as  before  the  revolution.  War- 
times, you  know,  major,  is  no  time  for  buildin'  meetin'- 
uses  ;  so  we  concluded  to  defer  the  matter  until  peace. 
Peace  we  have,  and  our  own  eends  are  fast  approaching ; 
and  I  thought  if  the  work  was  ever  to  be  done,  so  that 
this  generation  should  get  the  benefit  of  it,  it  should  be 
done  now.  I  was  in  hopes  we  should  have  had  preachin' 
in  the  house  afore  your  arrival,  and  surprised  you  with 
the  cheerin'  sight  of  a  worshipping  people  on  your  lands. 
Here  is  your  father's  letter,  from  which  I  read  a  paragraph 
to  the  people,  half  an  hour  sin'." 

"  I  trust  the  people  have  always  been  worshippers, 
though  it  may  not  have  been  in  a  house  built  expressly 
for  the  purpose.  With  your  permission,  I  will  read  the 
letter." 

This  document  bore  the  date  of  1770,  or  fourteen  years 


ii8  THE  CHAINBEARER. 

before  the  time  the  building  was  erected,  and  five  years 
before  the  battle  of  Lexington  was  fought.  I  was  a  little 
surprised  at  this,  but  read  on.  Among  other  things,  I 
found  that  my  father  had  given  a  general  consent  to  credit 
his  tenants  with  five  hundred  dollars  to  aid  in  the  erec- 
tion of  a  place  of  worship  ;  reserving  to  himself,  as  my 
guardian,  a  voice  in  the  choice  of  the  denomination.  I  ma\ 
add,  here,  that  on  examining  the  leases,  I  found  credits 
had  been  given,  in  1770,  for  the  full  amount  ;  and  that  the 
money,  or  what  passed  for  money,  the  proceeds  of  work 
produce,  cattle,  butter,  cheese,  &c.,  had  been  in  Mr.  New- 
come's  hands  the  whole  of  the  intervening  time,  no  doubt 
to  his  great  advantage.  Thus,  by  a  tardy  appropriation 
of  my  father's  bounty,  the  agent  was  pretty  certain  of 
being  able  to  finish  the  job  in  hand,  even  admitting  that 
some  of  the  people  should  prove  restive  under  the  recent 
decision. 

"And  the  money  thus  appropriated  has  gone  to  its  des- 
tination ?"  I  asked,  on  returning  the  letter. 

"  Every  copper  has  thus  gone,  major,  or  will  soon  go. 
When  the  First  Congregational,  of  Ravensnest,  is  up,  you 
can  contemplate  the  house  with  the  satisfaction  of  know- 
ing that  your  own  money  has  largely  aided  in  the  good 
work  of  its  erection.  What  a  delightful  sentiment  that 
must  awaken  !  It  must  be  a  great  blessin'  to  landlords,  to 
be  able  to  remember  how  much  of  their  money  goes  for 
the  good  of  their  fellow-mortals." 

"  In  my  case,  it  certainly  should,  as  I  understand  my 
father,  and  indeed  have  myself  seen,  by  the  accounts  ren- 
dered to  me,  that  not  one  dollar  of  rent  has  ever  yet  left  the 
settlement,  to  go  into  the  pocket  of  the  owner  of  the  estate 
— nay,  that  the  direct  outlays  of  my  grandfather  were  con- 
siderable, in  addition  to  the  first  cost  of  the  patent." 

"  I  do  not  deny  it,  major  ;  I  do  not  deny  it.  It  is  quite 
probable.  But,  you  will  consider  what  the  spirit  of  Public 
Improvement  demands  ;  and  you  gentlemen-proprietors 
nat'rally  look  forward  to  futur'  generations  for  your  reward 
—yes,  sir,  to  futur'  generations.  Then  will  come  the  time 
when  these  leased  lands  will  turn  to  account,  and  you  will 
enj'y  the  fruits  of  your  liberality." 

I  bowed,  but  made  no  answer.  By  this  time  the  wagon 
had  reached  the  inn,  and  Jaap  was  getting  out  the  trunk 
and  other  luggage.  A  rumor  had  gone  forth  among  the 
people  that  their  landlord  had  arrived,  and  some  of  the 
older  tenants,  those  who  had  known  "  Herman  Mordaunt,'' 


THE  CHAINBEARER.  rig 

as  they  all  called  my  grandfather,  crowded  around  me  in  a 
frank,  hearty  manner,  in  which  good  feeling  was  blended 
with  respect.  They  desired  to  take  my  hand.  I  shook 
hands  with  all  who  came,  and  can  truly  say  that  I  took  no 
man's  palm  into  my  own  that  day,  without  a  sentiment 
that  the  relation  of  landlord  and  tenant  was  one  that 
should  induce  kind  and  confidential  feelings.  The  Ravens- 
nest  property  was  by  no  means  necessary  to  my  comfort- 
able subsistence  ;  and  I  was  really  well  enough  disposed 
to  look  forward,  if  not  to  "future  generations,"  at  least  to 
a  future  day,  for  the  advantages  that  were  to  be  reaped 
from  it.  I  asked  the  crowd  in,  ordered  a  tub  of  punch 
made,  for,  in  that  day,  liquor  was  a  necessary  accompani- 
ment of  every  welcome,  and  endeavored  to  make  myself 
acceptable  to  my  new  friends.  A  throng  of  women,  of 
whom -I  have  not  yet  spoken,  were  also  in  attendance  ;  and 
I  had  to  go  through  the  ceremony  of  being  introduced  to 
many  of  the  wives  and  daughters  of  Ravensnest.  On  the 
whole,  the  meeting  was  friendly,  and  my  reception  warm. 


CHAPTER    X. 

"  Bear,  through  sorrow,  wrong,  and  ruth,  _ 

In  thy  heart  the  dew  of  youth, 
On  thy  lips  the  smile  of  truth." — LONGFELLOW. 

THE  ceremony  of  the  introduction  was  not  half  through, 
when  there  was  a  noisy  summons  to  the  pike-poles.  This 
called  away  the  crowd  in  a  body  ;  a  raising  in  the  country 
being  an  incident  of  too  much  interest  to  be  overlooked. 
I  profited  by  the  occasion  to  issue  a  few  orders  that  re- 
lated to  my  own  comfort,  when  I  went,  myself,  to  the 
scene  of  present  toil  and  future  Congregationalism. 

Everybody  in  America,  a  few  inveterate  cockneys  ex- 
cepted,  have  seen  a  "  raising."  Most  people  have  seen 
hundreds  ;  and,  as  for  myself,  I  believe  I  should  be  safe  in 
saying  I  had,  even  at  that  day,  seen  a  thousand.  In  this 
particular  instance,  there  were  great  felicitations  among 
the  yeomen,  because  the  frame  "had  come  together  well." 
I  was  congratulated  on  this  score,  the  hearty  old  Rhode 
Islander,  my  brother  major,  assuring  me  that  "  he  couldn't 
get  the  blade  of  his  knife,  and  it's  no  great  matter  of  a 
fcnife  either,  into  a  single  j'int.  And,  what  is  more, 


120  THE  CHAIN-BEARER. 

'squire"— as  the  sturdy  yeoman  was  a  major  himself, 
though  only  in  the  militia,  that  title  would  not  have  been 
honorable  enough  for  his  landlord — "  and,  what  is  more, 
'squire,  they  tell  me  not  a  piece  was  ever  tried,  until  we 
put  the  bents  together,  this  a'ternoon,  ourselves  !  Now, 
down  country,  I  never  see'd  sich  a  thing  ;  but,  up  here,  the 
carpenters  go  by  what  they  call  the  '  square-rule  ;'  and 
quick  work  they  make  on't!"  This  speech  contained  the 
substance  of  one  of  the  contrivances  by  which  the  "  new 
countries"  were  endeavoring  to  catch  up  with  the  "old," 
as  I  learned  on  further  inquiries. 

It  may  be  well  to  describe  the  appearance  of  the  place, 
when  I  reached  the  site  of  the  new  "  meetin'-us."  The 
great  body  of  the  "people  "  had  just  taken  their  stands  at 
the  first  bent,  ready  for  a  lift,  while  trusty  men  stood  at 
the  feet  of  the  posts,  armed  with  crowbars,  broad-axes,  or 
such  other  suitable  implements  as  offered,  in  readiness  to 
keep  those  essential  uprights  in  their  places  ;  for,  on  the 
steadiness  of  these  persons,  depended  the  limbs  and  lives 
of  those  who  raised  the  bent.  As  this  structure  was  larger 
than  common,  the  danger  was  increased,  and  the  necessity 
of  having  men  that  could  be  relied  on  was  obviously  so 
much  the  greater.  Of  one  post,  in  particular,  for  some 
reason  that  I  do  not  know,  all  the  trusty  men  seemed  shy  ; 
each  declaring  that  he  thought  some  one  else  better  suited 
to  take  charge  of  it,  than  he  was  himself.  The  "  boss  " — 
that  Manhattanese  word  having  travelled  up  to  Ravensnest 
— called  out  for  some  one  to  take  the  delicate  station,  as 
nothing  detained  the  work  but  the  want  of  a  hand  there  ; 
and  one  looked  at  another,  to  see  who  would  step  forward, 
when  a  sudden  cry  arose  of  "  the  Chainbearer  ! — the  Chain- 
bearer  !  Here's  your  man  !  " 

Sure  enough,  there  came  old  Andries  Coejemans,  hale, 
upright,  vigorous,  and  firm-treading,  though  he  had  actu- 
ally seen  his  threescore  years  and  ten.  My  ancient  com- 
rade had  thrown  aside  nearly  every  trace  of  his  late  military 
profession,  though  the  marchings  and  drillings  of  eight 
years  were  not  to  be  worked  out  of  a  man's  air  and  manner 
in  a  twelvemonth.  The  only  sign  of  the  soldier,  other  than 
in  his  bearing,  I  could  trace  about  my  brother  captain,  was 
the  manner  in  which  his  queue  was  clubbed,  Andries 
wore  his  own  hair  ;  this  his  early  pursuits  in  the  forest 
rendered  necessary  ;  but  it  had  long  been  clubbed  in  a  sort 
of  military  fashion,  and  to  that  fashion  he  now  adhered. 
In  other  respects  he  had  transformed  himself  entirely  into 


THE  CHAINBEARER.  121 

a  woodsman.  He  wore  a  hunting-shirt,  like  myself  ;  leg- 
gings, moccasons,  and  a  cap  of  skins  that  had  been  de- 
prived of  their  furs.  So  far  from  lessening  in  any  degree 
the  fine  effect  of  his  green  old  age,  however,  this  attire 
served  to  increase  it.  Andries  Coejemans  stood  six  feet, 
at  seventy  ;  was  still  as  erect  as  he  had  been  at  twenty ; 
and  so  far  from  betraying  the  inroads  of  age  on  his  frame, 
the  last  appeared  to  be  indurated  and  developed  by  what 
it  had  borne.  His  head  was  as  white  as  snow,  while  his 
face  had  the  ruddy,  weather-beaten  color  of  health  and  ex- 
posure. The  face  had  always  been  handsome,  having  a 
very  unusual  expression  of  candor  and  benevolence  im- 
pressed on  features  that  were  bold  and  manly. 

The  Chainbearer  could  not  have  seen  me  until  he 
stepped  upon  the  frame.  Then,  indeed,  there  was  no  mis- 
taking the  expression  of  his  countenance,  which  denoted 
pleasure  and  friendly  interest.  Striding  over  the  timber, 
with  the  step  of  a  man  long  accustomed  to  tread  among 
dangers  of  all  sorts,  he  grasped  my  hand,  and  gave  it  such 
a  squeeze  as  denoted  the  good  condition  of  his  own  mus- 
cles and  sinews.  I  saw  a  tear  twinkling  in  his  eye  ;  for 
had  I  been  his  own  son,  I  do  not  think  he  could  have 
loved  me  more. 

"  Mortaunt,  my  poy,  you're  heartily  welcome,"  said  my 
old  comrade.  "  You  haf  come  upon  t'ese  people,  I  fancy, 
as  t'e  cat  steals  upon  t'e  mice  ;  but  I  had  titings  of  your 
march,  and  have  peen  a  few  miles  town  t'e  roat  to  meet 
you.  How,  or  where  you  got  past  me,  is  more  t'an  I 
know,  for  I  haf  seen  nuttin'  of  you  or  of  your  wagon." 

"  Yet  here  we  both  are,  my  excellent  old  friend,  and 
most  happy  am  I  to  meet  you  again.  If  you  will  go  with 
me  to  the  tavern,  we  can  talk  more  at  our  ease." 

"  Enough,  enough  for  t'e  present,  young  comrate.  Pusi- 
ness  is  standing  still  a  little,  for  t'e  want  of  my  hant ;  step 
off  the  frame,  lat,  and  let  us  get  up  t'ese  pents,  when  I  am 
your  man  for  a  week  or  a  year." 

Exchanging  looks,  and  renewing  the  warm  and  friendly 
pressure  of  the  hand,  we  parted  for  the  moment ;  I  quit- 
ting the  frame,  while  the  Chainbearer  went  at  once  to  the 
foot  of  the  important  post,  or  to  that  station  no  one  else 
would  assume.  Then  commenced,  without  further  delay, 
the  serious  toil  of  raising  a  bent.  This  work  is  seldom  en- 
tirely free  from  hazard  ;  and  on  this  particular  occasion, 
when  the  force  in  men  was  a  little  disproportioned  to  the 
weight  of  the  timber,  it  was  doubly  incumbent  on  every 


122  THE  CHAINBEARER. 

man  to  be  true  and  steady.  My  attention  was  at  once  at- 
tracted to  the  business  in  hand  ;  and  for  several  minutes  I 
thought  of  little  else.  The  females  had  drawn  as  near  the 
spot  where  their  husbands,  brothers,  and  lovers  were  ex- 
erting every  muscle  and  nerve,  as  comported  with  pru- 
dence ;  and  a  profound  and  anxious  quiet  pervaded  the 
whole  of  a  crowd  that  was  gay  with  rustic  finery,  if  not 
very  remarkable  for  taste  or  refinement.  Still,  the  cluster 
of  females  had  little  in  it  that  was  coarse  or  even  unfemi- 
nine,  if  it  had  not  much  that  would  be  so  apt  to  meet  the 
eye,  in  the  way  of  the  attractive,  in  a  similar  crowd  of  the 
present  day.  The  improvement  in  the  appearance  and 
dress  of  the  wives  and  daughters  of  husbandmen  has  been 
very  marked  among  us  within  the  last  five-and-twenty 
years.  Fully  one-half  of  those  collected  on  this  occasion 
were  in  short  gowns,  as  they  were  called,  a  garb  that  has 
almost  entirely  disappeared  ;  and  the  pillions  that  were  to 
be  seen  on  the  bodies  of  nearly  all  the  horses  that  were 
fastened  to  the  adjacent  fences,  showed  the  manner  in  which 
they  had  reached  the  ground.  The  calicoes  of  that  day 
were  both  dear  and  homely  ;  and  it  required  money  to  en- 
able a  woman  to  appear  in  a  dress  that  would  be  thought 
attractive  to  the  least  practised  eye.  Nevertheless,  there 
were  many  pretty  girls  in  that  row  of  anxious  faces,  with 
black  eyes  and  blue,  light,  black,  and  brown  hair,  and  of 
the  various  forms  and  hues  in  which  female  beauty  appears 
in  the  youthful. 

I  flatter  myself  that  I  was  as  comely  as  the  generality  of 
young  men  of  my  age  and  class,  and  that,  on  ordinary  oc- 
casions, I  could  not  have  shown  myself  before  that  cluster 
of  girls,  without  drawing  to  myself  some  of  their  glances. 
Such  was  not  the  case,  however,  when  I  left  the  frame? 
which  now  attracted  all  eyes.  On  that,  and  on  those  who 
surrounded  it,  every  eye  and  every  anxious  face  was  turned, 
my  own  included.  It  was  a  moment  of  deep  interest  to 
all ;  and  most  so  to  those  who  could  only  feel,  and  not  act. 

At  the  word,  the  men  made  a  simultaneous  effort  ;  and 
they  raised  the  upper  part  of  the  bent  from  the  timber  on 
which  it  lay.  It  was  easy  to  see  that  the  laborers,  stout 
and  willing  as  they  were,  had  as  much  as  they  could  lift. 
Boys  stood  ready,  however,  with  short  pieces  of  scantling 
to  place  upright  beneath  the  bent  ;  and  the  men  had  time 
to  breathe.  I  felt  a  little  ashamed  of  having  nothing  to 
do  at  such  a  moment ;  but,  fearful  of  doing  harm  instead 
of  good,  I  kept  aloof,  and  remained  a  mere  spectator. 


THE  CHAIiVBEARER.  123 

"Now,  men,"  said  the  boss,  who  had  taken  his  stand 
where  he  could  overlook  the  work,  "we  will  make  ready 
for  another  lift.  All  at  once  makes  light  work — are  you 
ready  ? — H-e-a-ve." 

Heave,  or  lift,  the  stout  fellows  did  ;  and  with  so  much 
intelligence  and  readiness,  that  the  massive  timber  was 
carried  up  as  high  as  their  heads.  There  it  stopped,  sup- 
ported as  before,  by  short  pieces  of  scantling. 

The  pike-poles  next  came  in  play.  This  is  always  the 
heaviest  moment  of  a  lift  of  that  sort,  and  the  men  made 
their  dispositions  accordingly.  Short  poles  were  first  got 
under  the  bent,  by  thrusting  the  unarmed  ends  into  the 
cavity  of  the  foundation  ;  and  a  few  of  the  stoutest  of  the 
men  stood  on  blocks,  prepared  to  apply  their  strength 
directly. 

"  Are  you  ready,  men  ?"  called  out  the  boss.  "  This  is 
our  heaviest  bent,  and  we  come  to  it  fresh.  Look  out 
well  to  the  foot  of  each  post — Chainbearer,  I  count  on  you 
—your  post  is  the  king-post  of  the  whole  frame  ;  if  that 
goes,  all  goes.  Make  ready,  men  ;  heave  altogether — that's 
a  lift.  Heave  again,  men — h-e-a-ve — altogether  now — 
he-e-a-ve  !  Up  she  goes  ;  he-e-a-ve — more  pike-poles — 
stand  to  the  frame,  boys — get  along  some  studs — he-e-a-ve 
— in  with  your  props — so,  catch  a  little  breath,  men." 

It  was  time  to  take  breath,  of  a  certainty  ;  for  the  effort 
had  been  tremendously  severe.  The  bent  had  risen,  how- 
ever, and  now  stood,  supported  as  before  by  props,  at  an 
angle  of  some  fifteen  degrees  with  the  plane  of  the  build- 
ing, which  carried  all  but  the  posts  beyond  the  reach  of 
hands.  The  pike-pole  was  to  do  the  rest  ;  and  the  next 
ten  degrees  to  be  overcome  would  probably  cause  the 
greatest  expenditure  of  force.  As  yet,  all  had  gone  well, 
the  only  drawback  being  the  certainty  which  had  been  ob- 
tained, that  the  strength  present  was  hardly  sufficient  to 
get  up  so  heavy  a  bent.  Nevertheless  there  was  no  rem- 
edy, every  person  on  the  ground  who  could  be  of  use,  but 
myself  having  his  station.  A  well-looking,  semi-genteel 
young  man,  whose  dress  was  two-thirds  forest  and  one- 
third  town,  had  come  from  behind  the  the  row  of  females, 
stepped  upon  the  frame,  and  taken  his  post  at  a  pike-pole. 
The  uninitiated  reader  will  understand  that  those  who 
raise  a  building  necessarily  stand  directly  under  the  tim- 
ber they  are  lifting ;  and  that  a  downfall  would  bring  them 
beneath  a  fearful  trap.  Bents  do  sometimes  come  down 
on  the  laborers  ;  and  the  result  is  almost  certain  destruc- 


124  THE  CHAINBEARER. 

tion  to  those  who  art,  -^Mght  beneath  the  timber.  ^Not- 
withstanding the  danger  and  the  difficulty  in  the  present 
case,  good-humor  prevailed,  and  a  few  jokes  were  let  oft 
at  the  expense  of  the  Congregationalists  and  the  late 
moderator. 

"Agree,  'squire,"  called  out  the  hearty  old  Rhode 
Islander,  "  to  let  in  some  of  the  other  denominations  occa- 
sionally, and  see  how  the  bent  will  go  up.  Presbytery  is 
holding  back  desperately  !  " 

"  I  hope  no  one  supposes,"  answered  Mr.  Moderator, 
"that  religious  liberty  doesn't  exist  in  this  settlement. 
Sartainly — sartainly — other  denominations  can  always  use 
this  house,  when  it  isn't  wanted  by  the  right  owners." 

Those  words  "right  owners"  were  unfortunate;  the 
stronger  the  right,  the  less  the  losing  party  liking  to  heai 
of  it.  Notwithstanding,  there  was  no  disposition  to  skulk, 
or  to  abandon  the  work  ;  and  two  or  three  of  the  dissen- 
tients took  their  revenge  on  the  spot,  by  hits  at  the  mod- 
erator. Fearful  that  there  might  be  too  much  talk,  the 
boss  now  renewed  his  call  for  attention  to  the  work. 

"  Let  us  all  go  together,  men,"  he  added.  "  We've  got 
to  the  pinch,  and  must  stand  to  the  work  like  well-broke 
cattle.  If  every  man  at  the  frame  will  do  his  best  for  just 
one  minute,  the  hardest  will  be  over.  You  see  that  upright 
stud  there,  with  that  boy,  Tim  Trimmer  at  it  ;  just  raise 
the  bent  so  thatTimmy  can  get  the  eend  of  that  stud  under 
it,  and  all  will  be  safe.  Look  to  the  lower  eend  of  the 
stud,  Tim  ;  is  it  firm  and  well  stopped  ? " 

Tim  declared  it  was  ;  but  two  or  three  of  the  men  wrent 
and  examined  it,  and  after  making  a  few  alterations,  they 
too  assured  the  boss  it  could  not  get  away.  A  short  speech 
was  then  made,  in  which  every  man  was  exhorted  to  do  his 
best  ;  and  everybody  in  particular,  was  reminded  of  the 
necessity  of  standing  to  his  work.  After  that  speech,  the 
men  raised  the  pike-poles,  and  placed  themselves  at  their 
stations.  Silent  expectation  succeeded. 

As  yet,  not  a  sign,  look,  or  word,  had  intimated  either 
wish  or  expectation  that  I  was  to  place  myself  in  the 
ranks.  I  will  confess  to  an  impulse  to  that  effect  ;  for  who 
can  look  on  and  see  their  fellow-creatures  straining  every 
muscle,  and  not  submit  to  human  sympathy  ?  But  the 
recollection  of  military  rank,  and  private  position,  had  not 
only  their  claims,  but  their  feelings.  I  did  go  a  step  or 
two  nearer  to  the  frame,  but  I  did  not  put  my  foot  on  it. 

"  Get   ready,  men  "—called  the  boss,  "  for  a  last  time 


THE  CHAJNBEARER.  12 $ 

Altogetner  at  the  word— now's  your  time — he-e-a-ve— 
he-e-e-a-ve — he-e-e-e-ave  !  " 

The  poor  fellows  did  heave,  and  it  was  only  too  evident 
that  they  were  staggering  under  the  enormous  pressure  of 
the  massive  timber.  I  stepped  on  the  frame  at  the  very 
centre,  or  at  the  most  dangerous  spot,  and  applied  all  my 
strength  to  a  pike-pole. 

"  Hurrah  !  "  shouted  the  boss — "  there  comes  the  young 
landlord  ! — he-e-ave,  every  man  his  best  ! — he-e-e-e-ave  !" 

We  did  heave  our  best,  and  we  raised  the  bent  several 
feet  above  its  former  props,  but  not  near  enough  to  reach 
the  new  ones,  by  an  inch  or  two.  Twenty  voices  now  called 
on  every  man  to  stand  to  his  work  ;  for  everybody  felt  the 
importance  of  even  a  boy's  strength.  The  boss  rushed 
forward  like  a  man,  to  our  aid  ;  and  then  Tim,  fancying 
his  stud  would  stand  without  his  support,  left  it  and 'flew 
to  a  pike-pole.  At  this  mistake  the  stud  fell  a  little  on  one 
side,  where  it  could  be  of  no  use.  My  face  was  so  placed 
that  I  saw  this  dangerous  circumstance  ;  and  I  felt  that  the 
weight  I  upheld,  individually,  grew  more  like  lead  at  each 
instant.  I  knew  by  this  time  that  our  force  was  tottering 
under  the  downward  pressure  of  the  enormous  bent. 

"  He-e-e-ave,  men — for  your  lives,  he-eave  !  "  exclaimed 
the  boss,  like  one  in  the  agony. 

The  tones  of  his  voice  sounded  to  me  like  those  of 
despair.  Had  a  single  boy  deserted  us  then,  and  we  had 
twenty  of  them  on  the  frame,  the  whole  mass  of  timber 
must  have  come  down  upon  us.  Talk  of  charging  into  a 
battery  ?  What  is  there  in  that  to  try  men's  nerves  like  the 
situation  in  which  we  were  placed  ?  The  yielding  of  a 
muscle,  in  all  that  straining,  lifting  body,  might  have  ruined 
us.  A  most  fearful,  frightful,  twenty  seconds  followed ; 
and  just  as  I  had  abandoned  hope,  a  young  female  darted 
out  of  the  anxious,  pale-faced  crowd  that  was  looking  on 
in  a  terror  and  agony  that  may  be  better  conceived  than 
described,  and  seizing  the  stud,  she  placed  it  alongside  of 
the  post.  But  an  inch  was  wanted  to  gain  its  support  ; 
but  how  to  obtain  that  inch  !  I  now  raised  my  voice,  and 
called  on  the  fainting  men  to  heave.  They  obeyed  ;  and  I 
saw  that  spirited,  true-eyed,  firm-handed  girl  place  the 
prop  precisely  where  it  was  wanted.  All  that  end  of  the 
bent  felt  the  relief  instantly,  and  man  after  man  cautiously 
withdrew  from  under  the  frame,  until  none  remained  but 
those  who  upheld  the  other  side.  We  flew  to  the  relief  of 
those,  and  «oon  had  a  number  of  props  in  their  places, 


126  THE  CHA1NBEARER. 

when  all  drew  back  and  looked  on  the  danger  from  which 
they  had  escaped,  breathless  and  silent  For  myself,  I  felt 
a  deep  sense  of  gratitude  to  God  for  the  escape. 

This  occurrence  made  a  profound  impression.  Every- 
body was  sensible  of  the  risk  that  had  been  run,  and  of  the 
ruin  that  might  have  befallen  the  settlement.  I  had  caught 
a  glimpse  of  the  rare  creature  whose  decision,  intelligence, 
and  presence  of  mind  had  done  so  much  for  us  all ;  and  to 
me  she  seemed  to  be  the  loveliest  being  of  her  sex  my 
eyes  had  ever  lighted  on  !  Her  form,  in  particular,  was 
perfection  ;  being  just  the  medium  between  feminine  deli- 
cacy and  rude  health  ;  or  just  so  much  of  the  last  as  could 
exist  without  a  shade  of  coarseness  ;  and  the  little  I  saw  of 
a  countenance  that  was  nearly  concealed  by  a  maze  of 
curls  that  might  well  be  termed  golden,  appeared  to  me  to 
correspond  admirably  with  that  form.  Nor  was  there  any- 
thing masculine  or  unseemly  in  the  deed  she  had  per- 
formed to  subtract  in  any  manner  from  the  feminine  char- 
acter of  her  appearance.  It  was  decided,  useful,  and  in 
one  sense  benevolent  ;  but  a  boy  might  have  executed  it 
so  far  as  physical  force  was  concerned.  The  act  required 
coolness,  intelligence,  and  courage,  rather  than  any  mas- 
culine power  of  body. 

It  is  possible  that,  aware  as  I  was  of  the  jeopardy  in 
which  we  were  all  placed,  my  imagination  may  have  height- 
ened the  effect  of  the  fair  apparition  that  had  come  to  save 
us,  as  it  might  be,  like  a  messenger  from  above.  But, 
even  there,  where  I  stood  panting  from  the  effect  of  exer- 
tions that  I  have  never  equalled  in  my  own  case  most 
certainly,  exhausted,  nearly  breathless,  and  almost  unable 
to  stand,  my  mind's-eye  saw  nothing  but  the  flexible  form, 
the  elastic,  ready  step,  the  golden  tresses,  the  cheek  suf- 
fused by  excitement,  the  charming  lips  compressed  with 
resolution,  and  the  whole  air,  attitude,  and  action  character- 
ized, as  was  each  and  all,  by  the  devotion,  readiness,  and 
loveliness  of  her  sex.  When  my  pulses  beat  more  regularly, 
and  my  heart  ceased  to  throb,  I  looked  around  in  quest  of 
that  strange  vision,  but  saw  no  one  who  could,  in  the 
least,  claim  to  be  connected  with  it.  The  females  had  hud- 
dled together,  like  a  covey  that  was  frightened,  and  were 
exclaiming,  holding  up  their  hands,  and  indulging  in  the 
signs  of  alarm  that  are  customary  with  their  sex  and  class. 
The  "vision  "was  certainly  not  in  that  group,  but  had 
vanished  as  suddenly  as  it  had  appeared. 

At  this  juncture,  the  Chainbearer  came  forward,  and 


THE  CHAINBEARER.  127 

took  the  command.  I  could  see  he  was  agitated— affected 
might  be  a  better  word — but  he  was,  nevertheless,  steady 
and  authoritative.  He  was  obeyed,  too,  in  a  manner  I  was 
delighted  to  see.  The  order  of  the  "boss"  had  produced 
no  such  impressions  as  those  which  old  Andries  now  issued  ; 
and  I  really  felt  an  impulse  to  obey  them  myself,  as  I  would 
have  done  eighteen  months  before,  when  he  stood  on  the 
right  of  our  regiment  as  its  oldest  captain. 

The  carpenter  yielded  his  command  to  the  Chainbearer 
without  a  murmur.  Even  'Squire  Newcome  evidently  felt 
that  Andries  was  one  who,  in  a  certain  way,  could  influence 
the  minds  of  the  settlers  more  than  he  could  do  it  himself. 
In  short,  everybody  listened,  everybody  seemed  pleased, 
and  everybody  obeyed.  Nor  did  my  old  friend  resort  to 
any  of  the  coaxing  that  is  so  common  in  America,  when 
men  are  to  be  controlled  in  the  country.  In  the  towns, 
and  wherever  men  are  to  be  commanded  in  bodies,  author- 
ity is  as  well  understood  as  it  is  in  any  other  quarter  of 
the  world  ;  but,  in  the  interior,  and  especially  among  the 
people  of  New  England  habits,  very  few  men  carry  suffi- 
cient command  with  them  to  say,  "John,  do  this,"  or  "John, 
do  that;"  but  it  is  "Johnny,  why  won't  you  do  this?"  or 
"  Johnny,  don't  you  think  you'd  better  do  that  ? "  The  Chain- 
bearer  had  none  of  this  mystified  nonsense  about  him. 
He  called  things  by  their  right  names  ;  and  when  he  want- 
ed a  spade,  he  did  not  ask  for  a  hoe.  As  a  consequence, 
he  was  obeyed,  command  being  just  as  indispensable  to 
men,  on  a  thousand  occasions,  as  any  other  quality. 

Everything  was  soon  ready  again,  with  the  men  stationed 
a  little  differently  from  what  they  had  previously  been. 
This  change  was  the  Chainbearer's,  who  understood  me- 
chanics practically  ;  better,  perhaps,  than  if  he  had  been 
a  first-rate  mathematician.  The  word  was  given  to  heave, 
all  of  us  being  at  the  pike-poles  ;  when  up  went  the  bent, 
as  if  borne  upon  by  a  force  that  was  irresistible.  Such 
was  the  effect  of  old  Andries'  habits  of  command,  which 
not  only  caused  every  man  to  lift  with  all  his  might,  but 
the  whole  to  lift  together.  A  bent  that  is  perpendicular 
is  easily  secured  ;  and  then  it  was  announced  that  the 
heaviest  of  the  work  was  over.  The  other  bents  were  much 
lighter  ;  and  one  up,  there  were  means  of  aiding  in  raising 
the  rest  that  were  at  first  wanting. 

"The  Congregationals  has  got  the  best  on't,"  cried  out 
the  old  Rhode  Islander,  laughing,  as  soon  as  the  bent  was 
stay-lathed,  "  by  the  help  of  the  Chainbearer  and  somebody 


128  THE  CHAINBEARER. 

else  I  wunt  name  !  Well,  our  turn  will  come,  some  day: 
for  Ravensnest  is  a  place  in  which  the  people  wont  be 
satisfied  with  one  religion.  A  country  is  badly  on't,  that 
has  but  one  religion  in't ;  priests  getting  lazy,  and  profess- 
ors dull ! " 

"You  may  be  sure  of  t'at,"  answered  the  Chainbearer, 
who  was  evidently  making  preparations  to  quit  the  frame. 
"  Ravensnest  will  get  as  many  religions,  in  time,  as  t'ere 
are  discontented  spirits  in  it ;  and  t'ey  will  need  many 
raisings,  and  more  priests." 

"Do  you  intend  to  leave  us,  Chainbearer?  There's 
more  posts  to  hold,  and  more  bents  to  lift  ?  " 

"The  wrorst  is  over,  and  you've  force  enough  wit'out 
me,  for  what  remains  to  be  tone.  I  haf  t'e  lantlort  to  take 
care  of.  Go  to  your  work,  men  ;  and,  if  you  can,  remem- 
per  you  haf  a  peing  to  worship  in  t'is  house,  t'at  is  neit'er 
Congregational,  nor  Presbyterian,  nor  anything  else  of  the 
nature  of  your  disputes  and  self-conceit.  'Squire  New- 
come  wilt  gif  you  a  leat  in  t'e  way  of  Faming,  and  t'e 
carpenter  can  act  boss  well  enough  for  t'e  rest  of  t'e  tay." 

I  was  surprised  at  the  coolness  with  which  my  old 
friend  delivered  himself  of  sentiments  that  were  not  very 
likely  to  find  favor  in  such  a  company,  and  the  deference 
that  he  received,  while  thus  ungraciously  employed.  But 
I  afterward  ascertained  Andries  commanded  respect  by 
means  of  his  known  integrity ;  and  his  opinions  car- 
ried weight  because  he  was  a  man  who  usually  said 
"come,  boys,"  and  not  one  who  issued  his  orders  in  the 
words  "go,  boys."  This  had  been  his  character  in  the 
army,  where,  in  his  own  little  circle,  he  was  known  as 
one  ever  ready  to  lead  in  person.  Then  Andries  was  a 
man  of  sterling  truth  ;  and  such  a  man,  when  he  has  the 
moral  courage  to  act  up  to  his  native  impulses,  mingled 
with  discretion  enough  to  keep  him  within  the  boundaries 
of  common  prudence,  insensibly  acquires  great  influence 
over  those  with  whom  he  is  brought  in  contact.  Men 
never  fail  to  respect  such  qualities,  however  little  they  put 
them  in  practice  in  their  own  cases, 

"Come  Morty,  my  poy,"  said  the  Chainbearer,  as  soon 
as  we  were  clear  of  the  crowd,  "  I  will  pe  your  guite,  ant 
take  you  to  a  roof  unter  which  you  will  pe  master." 

"  You  surely  do  not  mean  the  'Nest  ? " 

"  T'at,  and  no  ot'er.  T'e  olt  place  looks,  like  us  olt  sol- 
tiers,  a  little  rusty,  and  t'e  worse  for  sarvice  ;  put  it  is 
comfortaple,  and  I  haf  had  it  put  in  order  for  you,  poy. 


THE  CHAINBEARER.  129 

Your  grantfat'er's  furniture"  is  still  t'ere  ;  and  Frank  Mai- 
pone,  Dus,  and  I,  haf  mate  it  head-quarters,  since  we  haf 
peen  in  t'is  part  of  t'e  country.  You  know  I  haf  your  orters 
for  t'at." 

"  Certainly,  and  to  use  anything  else  that  is  mine.  But 
I  had  supposed  you  fairly  hutted  in  the  woods  of  Moose- 
ridge  ! " 

"  T'at  hast  peen  tone  too  ;  sometimes  we  are  at  one 
place,  and  sometimes  at  anot'er.  My  niggers  are  at  t'e  hut ; 
put  Frank  and  Dus  and  I  haf  come  ofer  to  welcome  you 
to  t'e  country." 

"  I  have  a  wagoner  here,  and  my  own  black — let  me  step 
to  the  inn,  and  order  them  to  get  ready  for  us." 

"  Mortaunt,  you  and  I  haf  peen  uset  to  our  feet.  The 
soltier  marches,  and  countermarches,  wit'  no  wagon  to 
carry  him  ;  he  leafs  t'em  to  t'e  paggage,  and  t'e  paggage- 
guart." 

"  Come  on,  old  Andries  ;  I  will  be  your  comrade,  on 
foot  or  on  horseback.  It  can  only  be  some  three  or  four 
miles,  and  Jaap  can  follow  with  the  trunks  at  his  leisure." 

A  word  spoken  to  the  negro  was  all  that  was  necessary ; 
though  the  meeting  between  him  and  the  Chainbearer  was 
that  of  old  friends.  Jaap  had  gone  through  the  whole 
war  with  the  regiment,  sometimes  acting  as  my  father's 
servant,  sometimes  carrying  a  musket,  sometimes  driving 
a  team  ;  and,  at  the  close  of  his  career,  as  my  particular 
attendant.  He  consequently  regarded  himself  as  a  sort  of 
soldier,  and  a  very  good  one  had  he  proved  himself  to  be, 
on  a  great  many  occasions. 

"  One  word  before  we  start,  Chainbearer,"  I  said,  as  old 
Andries  and  Jaap  concluded  their  greetings  ;  "  I  fell  in 
with  the  Indian  you  used  to  call  Sureflint,  in  the  woods, 
and  I  wish  to  take  him  with  us." 

"  He  hast  gone  aheat,  to  let  your  visit  pe  known," 
answered  my  friend.  "  I  saw  him  going  up  t'e  roat,  at  a 
quick  trot,  half  an  hour  since.  He  is  at  t'e  'Nest  py  t'is 
time." 

No  more  remained  to  be  said  or  done,  and  we  went  our  - 
way,  leaving  the  people  busily  engaged  in  getting  up  the 
remainder  of  the  frame.  I  had  occasion  to  observe  that 
my  arrival  produced  much  less  sensation  in  the  settlement 
than  it  might  have  done  had  not  the  "  meeting-house " 
been  my  competitor  in  attracting  attention.  One  was  just 
as  much  of  a  novelty  as  the  other  ;  just  as  much  of  a 
stranger.  Although  born  in  a  Christian  land,  and  educated 


130  THE  CHAINBEARER. 

in  Christian  dogmas,  very  few  of  those  who  dwelt  on  the 
estate  of  Ravensnest,  and  who  were  under  the  age  of  five- 
and-twenty,  had  ever  seen  an  edifice  that  was  constructed 
for  the  purpose  of  Christian  worship  at  all.  Such  struct- 
ures were  rare  indeed,  in  the  year  1784,  and  in  the  interior 
of  New  York.  Albany  had  but  two,  I  believe  ;  the  capital 
may  have  had  a  dozen  ;  and  most  of  the  larger  villages 
possessed  at  least  one  ;  but  with  the  exception  of  the  old 
counties,  and  here  and  there  one  on  the  Mohawk,  the 
new  State  could  not  boast  of  many  of  "  those  silent  fingers 
pointing  to  the  sky,"  rising  among  its  trees,  so  many  mon- 
itors of  a  future  world,  and  of  the  great  end  of  life.  As  a 
matter  of  course,  all  those  who  had  never  seen  a  church 
felt  the  liveliest  desire  to  judge  of  the  form  and  propor- 
tions of  this  ;  and  as  the  Chainbearer  and  I  passed  the 
crowd  of  females,  I  heard  several  good-looking  girls  ex- 
pressing their  impatience  to  see  something  of  the  an- 
ticipated steeple,  while  scarce  a  glance  was  bestowed  on 
myself. 

"Well,  my  old  friend,  here  we  are  together,  again, 
marching  on  a  public  highway,"  I  remarked,  "  but  with 
no  intention  of  encamping  in  front  of  an  enemy." 

"  I  hope  not,"  returned  Andries,  dryly  ;  "  t'ough  all  is  not 
golt  t'at  glitters.  We  have  fought  a  hard  battle,  Major 
Littlepage  ;  I  hope  it  will  turn  out  for  a  goot  end." 

I  was  a  little  surprised  at  this  remark  ;  but  Andries  was 
never  very  sanguine  in  his  anticipations  of  good.  Like  a 
true  Dutchman,  he  particularly  distrusted  the  immigration 
from  the  Eastern  States,  which  I  had  heard  him  often  say 
could  bring  no  happy  results. 

"All  will  come  round  in  the  end,  Chainbearer,"  I  an- 
swered, "  and  we  shall  get  the  benefits  of  our  toil  and  dan- 
gers. But  how  do  you  come  on  at  the  Ridge,  and  who  is 
this  surveyor  of  yours  ?" 

"T'ings  do  well  enough  at  t'e  Ridge,  Mortaunt  ;  for  fere 
t'ere  is  not  a  soul  yet  to  make  trouple.  We  have  prought 
you  a  map  of  ten  t'ousant  acres,  laid  off  in  huntret  acre 
lots,  which  I  will  venture  to  say  haf  peen  as  honestly  and 
carefully  measuret  as  any  other  ten  t'ousant  acres  in  t'e 
State.  We  pegan  next  to  t'is  property,  and  you  may  pegiri 
to  lease,  on  your  fat'er's  lant,  just  as  soon  as  you  please." 

"  And  the  Frank  Malbone  you  have  written  about  did 
the  surveying  ? " 

"  He  worket  up  my  measurements,  lat,  and  closely  tone 
t'ey  are,  I'll  answer  for  it.  T'is  Frank  Malbone  is  t'e 


THE  CHAINBEARER.  13 1 

brot'er  of  Dus — t'at  is  to  say,  her  half-brot'er  ;  peing  no 
nephew  of  mine.  Dus,  you  know,  is  only  a  half-niece  in 
bloot  ;  but  she  is  a  full  da'ter  in  lofe.  As  for  Frank,  he  is 
a  goot  fellow  ;  and  t'ough  t'is  is  his  first  jop  at  surfeying, 
he  may  be  dependet  on  wit'  as  much  confitence  as  any 
ot'er  man  going." 

"  No  matter  if  a  few  mistakes  are  made,  Andries  ;  land 
is  not  diamonds  in  this  country  ;  there  is  plenty  for  us  all, 
and  a  great  deal  to  spare.  It  would  be  a  different  matter 
if  there  was  a  scarcity  ;  but  as  it  is,  give  good  measure  to 
the  tenant,  or  the  purchaser.  A  first  survey  can  only  pro- 
duce a  little  loss  or  gain  ;  whereas  surveys  between  old 
farms  are  full  of  trouble." 

"Ant  lawsuits" — put  in  the  Chainbearer,  nodding  his 
head.  "To  tell  you  my  mint,  Mortaunt,  I  would  rat'er 
take  a  jop  in  a  Dutch  settlement,  at  half-price,  t'an  run  a 
line  petween  two  Yankees  for  twice  the  money.  Among 
t'e  Dutch,  t'e  owners  light  their  pipes,  and  smoke  whilst 
you  are  at  work  ;  but  the  Yankees  are  the  whole  time  try- 
ing to  out  off  a  little  here,  and  to  gain  a  little  t'ere  ;  so  t'at 
it  is  as  much  as  a  man's  conscience  is  wort'  to  carry  a  chain 
fairly  petween  'em." 

As  I  knew  his  prejudice  on  this  subject  formed  the  weak 
point  in  the  Chainbearer,  I  gave  the  discourse  a  new  turn, 
by  leading  it  to  political  events,  of  which  I  knew  him  to 
be  fond.  We  walked  on,  conversing  on  various  topics 
connected  with  this  theme,  for  near  an  hour,  when  I  found 
myself  rather  suddenly  quite  near  to  my  own  particular 
house.  Near  by,  the  building  had  more  of  shape  and  sub- 
stance than  it  had  seemed  to  possess  when  seen  from  the 
height ;  and  I  found  the  orchards  and  meadows  around  it 
free  from  stumps  and  other  eyesores,  and  in  good  order. 
Still,  the  place  on  its  exterior,  had  a  sort  of  jail  look,  there 
being  no  windows,  nor  any  other  outlet  than  the  door.  On 
reaching  the  latter,  which  was  a  gate,  rather  than  an  ordi- 
nary entrance,  we  paused  a  moment  to  look  about  us. 
While  we  stood  there,  gazing  at  the  fields,  a  form  glided 
through  the  opening,  and  Sureflint  stood  by  my  side.  He 
had  hardly  got  there,  when  there  arose  the  strains  of  the 
same  full,  rich,  female  voice,  singing  Indian  words  to  a 
civilized  melody,  as  I  had  heard  issuing  from  the  thicket 
of  pines,  among  the  second  growth  of  the  forest.  From 
that  moment  I  forgot  my  fields  and  orchards,  forgot  the 
Chainbearer  and  Sureflint,  and  could  think  of  nothing  but 
the  extraordinary  circumstance  of  a  native  girl's  possess- 


I32  THE  CHAINBEARER. 

ing  such  a  knowledge  of  our  music.  The  Indian  himselt 
seemed  entranced  ;  never  moving  until  the  song  or  verses 
were  ended.  Old  Andries  smiled,  waited  until  the  last 
strain  was  finished,  pronounced  the  word  "Dus"  with  em- 
phasis, and  beckoned  for  me  to  follow  him  into  the  build- 
ing. 


CHAPTER   XI. 

"The  fault  will  be  in  the  music,  cousin,  if  you  be  not  woo' d  in  good 
time  ;  if  the  prince  be  too  important,  tell  him  there  is  measure  for  every 
thing,  and  so  dance  out  the  answer." — Beatrice. 

"Dus!  "  I  repeated  to  myself — "This,  then,  is  Dus,  and 
no  Indian  girl  ;  the  Chainbearer's  'Dus  ;'  Priscilla  Bay- 
ard's '  Dus  ;'  and  Sureflint's  *  wren  ' !  " 

Andries  must  have  overheard  me,  in  part ;  for  he  stopped 
just  within  the  court  on  which  the  gate  opened,  and 
said — 

"  Yes,  t'at  is  Dus,  my  niece.  The  girl  is  like  a  mocking- 
pird,  and  catches  the  songs  of  all  languages  and  people. 
She  is  goot  at  Dutch,  and  quite  melts  my  heart,  Mortaunt, 
when  she  opens  her  throat  to  sing  one  of  our  melancholy 
Dutch  songs  ;  and  she  gives  the  English  too,  as  if  she 
knowet  no  ot'er  tongue." 

"But  that  song  was  Indian — the  words,  at  least,  were 
Mohawk  or  Oneida." 

"  Onondago — t'ere  is  little  or  no  tifference.  Yes,  you're 
right  enough  ;  the  worts  are  Indian,  and  they  tell  me  t'e 
music  is  Scotch.  Come  from  where  it  will,  it  goes  straight 
to  the  heart,  poy." 

"  How  came  Dus — how  came  Miss  Ursula — that  is,  your 
niece,  to  understand  an  Indian  dialect  ? " 

"  Didn't  I  tell  you  she  is  a  perfect  mocking-bird,  and 
that  she  imitates  all  she  hears  ?  Yes,  Dus  would  make  as 
goot  a  surveyor  as  her  brot'er,  after  a  week's  trial.  You've 
heart  me  say  how  much  I  livet  among  the  tripes  before  t'e 
war,  and  Dus  was  t'en  wit'  me.  In  that  manner  she  has 
caught  the  language  ;  and  what  she  has  once  1'arnet  she 
nefer  forget.  Dus  is  half  wilt  from  living  so  much  in  the 
woots,  and  you  must  make  allowances  for  her  ;  put  she  is 
a  capital  gal,  and  t'e  very  prite  of  my  heart !  " 

"  Tell  me  one  thing  before  we  enter  the  house — does 
any  one  else  sing  Indian  about  here  ?— has  Sureflint  any 
women  with  him  ?  " 


THE  CHAINBEARER.  133 

"  Not  he  ! — t'e  creatur'  hast  not'ing  to  do  wit'  squaws. 
As  for  any  one  else's  singing  Intian,  I  can  only  tell  you  I 
never  heart  of  such  a  person." 

"  But,  you  told  me  you  were  down  the  road  to  meet  me 
this  morning — were  you  alone  !  " 

"  Not  at  all — we  all  went  ;  Sureflint,  Frank,  Dus,  and  I. 
I  t'ought  it  due  to  a  lantlort,  Mortaunt,  to  gif  him  a  hearty 
welcome  ;  t'ough  Dus  did  mutiny  a  little,  and  sait  t'at, 
lantlort  or  no  lantlort,  it  was  not  proper  for  a  young  gal 
to  go  forth  to  meet  a  young  man.  I  might  have  t'ought 
so  too,  if  it  hadn't  peen  yourself,  my  poy  ;  but,  with  you,  I 
couldn't  play  stranger,  as  one  woult  wit'  a  straggling  Yan- 
kee. I  wishet  to  welcome  you  wit'  the  whole  family  ;  put 
I'll  not  conceal  Dus's  unwillingness  to  be  of  t'e  party." 

"  But  Dus  was  of  your  party  !  It  is  very  odd  we  did  not 
meet ! " 

"  Now,  you  speak  of  it,  I  do  pelief  it  wast  all  owin'  to  a 
scheme  of  t'at  cunniri' gal !  You  must  know,  Mortaunt, 
a'ter  we  had  got  a  pit  down  t'e  roat,  she  persuatet  us  to 
enter  a  t'icket  of  pines,  in  order  to  eat  a  mout'ful  ;  and  I 
do  pelief  the  cunnin'  hussy  just  did  it  t'at  you  might  slip 
past,  and  she  safe  her  female  dignity  !  " 

"  And  from  those  pines  Sureflint  came,  just  after  Dus,  as 
you  call  her,  but  Miss  Ursula  Malbone,  as  I  ought  to  style 
her,  had  been  singing  this  very  song  ?" 

Wast  you  near  enough  to  know  all  t'is,  poy,  and  we 
miss  you  !  The  gal  dit  sing  t'at  ferry  song  ;  yes,  I  remem- 
per  it ;  and  a  sweet,  goot  song  it  is.  Call  her  Miss  Ursula 
Malbone  ?  Why  shouldn't  you  call  her  Dus,  as  well  as 
Frank  and  I  ?  " 

u  For  the  simple  reason  that  you  are  uncle,  and  FranK 
her  brother,  while  I  am  a  total  stranger." 

"Poh — poh — Morty  ;  t'is  is  peing  partic'lar.  I  am  only 
a  half-uncle,  in  the  first  place  ;  and  Frank  is  only  a  half- 
brot'er  ;  and  I  dares  to  say  you  wilt  pe  her  whole  frient. 
T'en,  you  are  not  a  stranger  to  any  of  t'e  family,  I  can  tell 
you,  lat ;  for  I  have  talket  enough  apout  you  to  make  bot' 
t'e  poy  and  t'e  gal  lofe  you  almost  as  much  as  I  do  my- 
self." 

Poor,  simple-hearted,  upright  old  Andries  !  What  an 
unpleasant  feeling  did  he  give  me,  by  letting  me  into  the 
secret  that  I  was  about  to  meet  persons  who  had  been  lis- 
tening to  his  partial  accounts  for  the  last  twelve  months. 
It  is  so  difficult  to  equal  expectations  thus  awakened ;  and 
I  will  own  that  I  had  begun  to  be  a  little  sensitive  on  the 


*34  THE  CHAINBEARER. 

subject  of  this  Dus.  The  song  had  been  ringing  in  mj 
ears  from  the  moment  I  first  heard  it  ;  and  now  that  it  be- 
came associated  with  Priscilla  Bayard's  Ursula  Malbone, 
the  latter  had  really  become  a  very  formidable  person  to 
my  imagination.  There  was  no  retreating,  however,  had 
I  wished  it ;  and  a  sign  induced  the  Chainbearer  to  pro- 
ceed. Face  the  young  woman  I  must,  and  the  sooner  it 
was  done  the  better. 

The  'Nest-house,  as  my  homely  residence  was  termed, 
had  been  a  sort  of  fortress,  or  "  garrison,"  in  its  day,  hav- 
ing been  built  around  three  sides  of  a  parallelogram,  with 
all  its  windows  and  doors  opening  on  the  court.  On  the 
fourth  side  were  the  remains  of  pickets,  or  palisades,  but 
they  were  mostly  rotted  away,  being  useless  as  a  fence, 
from  the  circumstance  that  the  buildings  stood  on  the 
verge  of  a  low  cliff  that,  of  itself,  formed  a  complete  bar- 
rier against  the  invasions  of  cattle,  and  no  insignificant 
defence  against  those  of  man. 

The  interior  of  the  'Nest-house  was  far  more  inviting 
than  its  exterior.  The  windows  gave  the  court  an  appear- 
ance of  life  and  gayety,  at  once  converting  that  which  was 
otherwise  a  pile  of  logs,  thrown  together  in  the  form  of  a 
building,  into  a  habitable  and  inhabited  dwelling.  One 
side  of  this  court,  however,  wras  much  neater,  and  had 
much  more  the  air  of  comfort  than  the  other  ;  and  toward 
the  first  Andries  led  the  way.  I  was  aware  that  my  grand- 
father Mordaunt  had  caused  a  few  rooms  in  this  building 
to  be  furnished  for  his  own  particular  purposes,  and  that 
no  orders  had  ever  been  given  to  remove  or  to  dispose  of 
the  articles  thus  provided.  I  was  not  surprised,  therefore, 
on  entering  the  house,  to  find  myself  in  apartments  which, 
while  they  could  not  be  called  in  any  manner  gayly  or 
richly  furnished,  were  nevertheless  quite  respectably  sup- 
plied with  most  of  the  articles  that  are  thought  necessary 
to  a  certain  manner  of  living. 

"  We  shall  fint  Dus  in  here,  I  dare  say,"  observed  the 
Chainbearer,  throwing  open  a  door,  and  signing  for  me  to 
precede  him.  "Go  in,  and  shake  t'e  gal's  hand,  Mor- 
taunt ;  she  knows  you  well  enough,  name  and  natur',  as  a 
poty  may  say." 

I  did  go  in,  and  found  myself  within  a  few  feet  of  the 
fair,  golden-haired  girl  of  the  raising  ;  she  who  had  saved 
the  frame  from  falling  on  us  all,  by  a  decision  of  mind  and 
readiness  of  exertion  that  partook  equally  of  courage  and 
dexterity.  She  was  in  the  same  dress  as  when  first  seen 


THE  cIIAIIVBEARER.  135 

by  me,  though  the  difference  in  attitude  and  employment 
certainly  gave  her  air  and  expression  a  very  different  char- 
acter. Ursula  Malbone  was  now  quietly  occupied  in  hem- 
ming one  of  those  coarse  checked  handkerchiefs  that  the 
poverty  of  her  uncle  compelled  him,  or  at  least  induced 
him  to  use,  and  of  which  I  had  seen  one  in  his  hands  only 
a  minute  before.  On  my  entrance  she  rose,  gravely  but 
not  discourteously  answering  my  bow  with  a  profound 
courtesy.  Neither  spoke,  though  the  salutes  were  ex- 
changed as  between  persons  who  felt  no  necessity  for  an 
introduction  in  order  to  know  each  other. 

"Well,  now,"  put  in  Andries,  in  his  strongest  .Dutch  ac- 
cent, "  t'is  wilt  never  do,  ast  petween  two  such  olt  frients. 
Come  hit'er,  Dus,  gal,  and  gif  your  hant  to  Mortaunt 
Littlepage,  who  ist  a  sort  of  son  of  my  own." 

Dus  obeyed,  and  I  had  the  pleasure  of  holding  her  soft 
velvet-like  hand  in  mine  for  one  moment.  I  felt  a  gratifi- 
cation I  cannot  describe  in  finding  the  hand  was  so  soft, 
since  the  fact  gave  me  the  assurance  that  necessity  had 
not  yet  reduced  her  to  any  of  the  toil  that  is  unsuited  to 
a  gentlewoman.  I  knew  that  Andries  had  slaves,  his  only 
possession,  indeed,  besides  his  compass,  chains  and  sword, 
unless  a  few  arms  and  some  rude  articles  of  the  household 
were  excepted  ;  and  these  slaves,  old  and  worn  out  as  they 
must  be  by  this  time,  were  probably  the  means  of  saving 
the  niece  from  the  performance  of  offices  that  were  me- 
nial. 

Although  I  got  the  hand  of  Ursula  Malbone,  I  could 
not  catch  her  eye.  She  did  not  avert  her  face,  neither  did 
she  affect  coldness  ;  but  she  was  not  at  her  ease.  I  could 
readily  perceive  that  she  would  have  been  better  pleased 
had  her  uncle  permitted  the  salutations  to  be  limited  to  the 
bows  and  courtesies.  As  I  had  never  seen  this  girl  before, 
and  could  not  have  done  anything  to  offend  her,  I  ascribed 
the  whole  to  mauvaise  honte,  and  the  embarrassment  that 
was  natural  enough  to  one  who  found  herself  placed  in  a 
situation  so  different  from  that  in  which  she  had  so  lately 
been.  I  bowed  on  the  hand,  possibly  gave  it  a  gentle 
pressure  in  order  to  reassure  its  owner,  and  we  separated. 

"  Well,  now,  Dus,  haf  you  a  cup  of  tea  for  the  lantlort — 
to  welcome  him  to  his  own  house  wit'  ? "  demanded  An- 
dries, perfectly  satisfied  with  the  seemingly  amicable  rela- 
tions he  had  established  between  us.  "  T'e  major  hast  hat 
a  long  march,  for  peaceable  times,  and  woult  be  glat  to 
git  a  little  refreshment." 


136  THE  CHA2NBEARER. 

"You  call  me  major,  Chainbearer,  while  you  refuse  to 
accept  the  same  title  for  yourself." 

'*  Ay,  t'ere  1st  reason  enough  for  t'at.  You  may  lif  to  be 
a  general  ;  wilt  probably  be  one  before  you're  t'irty  ;  but 
I  am  an  olt  man,  now,  and  shall  never  wear  any  ot'er  uni- 
form than  this  I  have  on  again.  I  pegan  t'e  worlt  in  this 
corps,  Morty,  and  shall  end  it  in  the  rank  in  which  I 
began." 

"  I  thought  you  had  been  a  surveyor  originally,  and  that 
you  fell  back  on  the  chain  because  you  had  no  taste  for 
figures.  I  think  I  have  heard  as  much  from  yourself." 

"Yes,  t'at  is  t'e  fact.  Figures  and  I  didn't  agree  ;  nor 
do  I  like  'em  any  petter  at  seventy  t'an  I  liket  'em  at  sev- 
enteen. Frank  Malbone,  now,  Bus's  brother,  t'ere,  ist  a 
lat  that  takes  to  'em  nat'rally,  and  he  works  t'rough  a  sum 
ast  your  fat'er  would  carry  a  battalion  t'rough  a  ravine. 
Carrying  chain  I  like  ;  it  gives  sufficient  occupation  to  t'e 
mind  ;  put  honesty  is  the  great  quality  for  the  chainbearer. 
They  say  figures  can't  lie,  Mortaunt ;  but  'tis  not  true  wit' 
chains  ;  sometimes  they  do  lie,  desperately." 

"  Where  is  Mr.  Francis  Malbone  ?  I  should  be  pleased 
to  make  his  acquaintance." 

"  Frank  remainet  pehint  to  help  'em  up  with  their  tim- 
ber. He  is  a  stout  chap,  like  yourself,  and  can  lent  a  harit ; 
while,  poor  fellow  !  he  has  no  lantlort  tignity  to  main- 
tain." 

I  heard  a  gentle  sigh  from  Dus,  and  involuntarily  turned 
my  head  ;  for  she  was  occupied  directly  behind  my  chair. 
As  if  ashamed  of  the  weakness,  the  spirited  girl  colored, 
and  for  the  first  time  in  my  life  I  heard  her  voice,  the  two 
instances  of  the  Indian  songs  excepted.  I  say  heard  her 
voice  ;  for  it  was  an  event  to  record.  A  pleasant  voice,  in 
either  sex,  is  a  most  pleasant  gift  from  nature.  But  the 
sweet  tones  of  Ursula  Malbone  were  all  that  the  most 
fastidious  ear  could  have  desired  ;  being  full,  rich,  melodi- 
ous, yet  on  the  precise  key  that  best  satisfies  the  taste, 
bringing  with  it  assurances  of  a  feminine  disposition  and 
regulated  habits.  I  detest  a  shrill,  high-keyed  female, 
voice,  more  than  that  of  a  bawling  man,  while  one  feels  a 
contempt  for  those  who  mumble  their  words  in  order  to 
appear  to  possess  a  refinement  that  the  very  act  itself  con- 
tradicts. Plain,  direct,  but  regulated  utterance,  is  indis- 
pensable to  a  man  or  woman  of  the  world  ;  anything  else 
rendering  him  or  her  mean  or  affected. 

"  I  was  in  hopes,"'  said   Dus,  "that  evil-disposed  frame 


THE  CHAINBEARER  137 

was  up  and  secured,  and  that  I  should  see  Frank  in  a  min- 
ute or  two.  I  was  surprised  to  see  you  working  so  stoutly 
for  the  Presbyterians,  uncle  Chainbearer  ! " 

"I  might  return  t'e  compliment,  and  say  I  wastsurpriset 
to  see  you  doing  the  same  t'ing,  Miss  Dus  !  Resides,  the 
tenomination  is  Congregational  and  not  Prespyterian  ; 
and  one  is  apout  as  much  to  your  taste  as  t'e  ot'er." 

"  The  little  I  did  was  for  you,  and  Frank,  and — Mr. 
Littlepage,  with  all  the  rest  who  stood  under  the  frame." 

"  I  am  sure,  Miss  Ursula,"  I  now  put  in,  "we  all  ought, 
and  I  trust  we  all  do  feel  truly  grateful  for  your  timely  aid. 
Had  that  timber  come  down,  many  of  us  must  have  been 
killed,  and  more  maimed." 

"It  was  not  a  very  feminine  exploit,"  answered  the  girl, 
smiling,  as  I  thought,  a  little  bitterly.  "  But  oife  gets  ac- 
customed to  being  useful  in  the  woods." 

"  Do  you  dislike  living  in  the  forest,  then  ? "  I  ventured 
to  ask. 

"Certainly  not.  I  like  living  anywhere  that  keeps  me 
near  uncle  Chainbearer,  and  Frank.  They  are  all  to  me, 
now  my  excellent  protectress  and  adviser  is  no  more  ;  and 
their  home  is  my  home,  their  pleasure  my  pleasure,  their 
happiness  mine." 

This  might  have  been  said  in  a  way  to  render  it  sus- 
picious and  sentimental ;  but  it  was  not.  On  the  contrary, 
it  was  impulsive,  and  came  from  the  heart.  I  saw  by  the 
gratified  look  of  Andries  that  he  understood  his  niece,  and 
was  fully  aware  how  much  he  might  rely  on  the  truthful 
character  of  the  speaker.  As  for  the  girl  herself,  the  mo- 
ment she  had  given  utterance  to  what  she  felt,  she  shrunk 
back,  like  one  abashed  at  having  laid  bare  feelings  that 
ought  to  have  been  kept  in  the  privacy  of  her  own  bosom. 
Unwilling  to  distress  her,  I  turned  the  conversation  in  a 
way  to  leave  her  to  herself. 

"  Mr.  Newcome  seems  a  skilful  manager  of  the  multi- 
tude," I  remarked.  "  He  contrived  very  dexterously  to  give 
to  the  twenty-six  Congregationalists  he  had  with  him,  the 
air  of  being  a  majority  of  the  whole  assembly  ;  while  in 
truth,  they  were  barely  a  third  of  those  present." 

"  Let  Jason  Newcome  alone  for  t'at  ? "  exclaimed  An- 
dries. He  understants  mankint,  he  says,  and  sartainly  he 
hast  a  way  of  marching  and  countermarching  just  where 
he  pleases  wit'  t'ese  people,  makin'  'em  t'ink  t'e  whole 
time  t'ey  are  doing  just  what  t'ey  want  to  do.  It  ist  an 
art,  major — it  ist  an  art ! " 


138  THE  CHAINBEARER. 

• 

"I  should  think  it  must  be,  and  one  worth  possessing, 
if,  indeed,  it  can  be  exercised  with  credit." 

"Ay,  t'ere's  the  rub!  Exerciset  it  is;  but  as  for  t'e 
credit,  fat  I  will  not  answer  for.  It  sometimes  makes 
me  angry,  and  sometimes  it  makes  me  laugh,  when  I 
look  on,  and  see  t'e  manner  in  which  Jason  makes  t'e 
people  rule  t'emselves,  and  how  he  wheels  'em  apout,  and 
faces  'em,  and  t'rows  them  into  line,  and  out  of  line, 
at  t'eir  own  wort  of  commant !  His  Excellency  coult 
hartly  do  more  wit'  us,  a'fer  t'e  Baron  *  had  given  us  his 
drill." 

"There  must  be  some  talent  necessary,  in  order  to  pos- 
sess so  much  influence  over  one's  fellow-creatures." 

"  It  is  a  talent  you  woult  be  ashamed  to  exercise,  Mor- 
taunt  Littl'epage,  t'ough  you  hat  it  in  cart  loats.  No  man 
can  use  such  talent  wit'out  peginning  wit'  lying  and  de- 
ceifing  ;  and  you  must  be  greatly  changet,  major,  if  you 
are  the  he't  of  your  class,  in  such  a  school." 

"  I  am  sorry  to  see,  Chainbearer,  that  you  have  no  better 
opinion  of  my  agent ;  I  must  look  into  the  matter  a  little, 
when  this  is  the  case." 

"You  wilt  fint  him  law-honest  enough;  for  he  swears 
py  t'e  law,  and  lifs  py  t'e  law.  No  fear  for  your  tollars, 
poy  ;  t'ey  pe  all  safe,  unless,  inteet,  t'ey  haf  all  vanishet  in 
t'e  law." 

As  Andries  was  getting  more  and  more  Dutch,  I  knew 
he  was  growing  more  and  more  warm,  and  I  thought  it 
might  be  well  to  defer  the  necessary  inquiries  to  a  cooler 
moment.  This  peculiarity  I  have  often  observed  in  most 
of  those  who  speak  English  imperfectly,  or  with  the  ac- 
cent of  some  other  tongue.  They  fall  back,  as  respects 
language,  to  that  nearest  to  nature,  at  those  moments  when 
natural  feeling  is  asserting  its  power  over  them  the  least 
equivocally. 

I  now  began  to  question  the  Chainbearer  concerning  the 
condition  in  which  he  found  the  'Nest-house  and  farm, 
over  which  I  had' given  him  full  authority,  when  he  came 
to  the  place,  by  a  special  letter  to  the  agent.  The  people 
in  possession  were  of  very  humble  pretensions,  and  had 
been  content  to  occupy  the  kitchen  and  servants'  rooms  . 
ever  since  my  grandfather's  death,  as  indeed,  they  had 

*  This  allusion  is  evidently  to  a  German  officer,  who  introduced  the 
Prussian  drill  into  the  American  army,  Baron  Steuben — or  Stuyfow.,  as  I 
think  he  must  have  been  called  in  Germany — Steufew,  as  he  is  universally 
termed  in  this  country. — EDITOR. 


THE  CHAINBEARER.  139 

done  long  before  that  event  It  was  owing  to  this  moder- 
ation, as  well  as  to  their  perfect  honesty,  that  I  found 
nothing  embezzled,  and  most  of  the  articles  in  good  con- 
dition. As  for  the  farm,  it  had  flourished,  on  the  "let 
alone  "  principle.  The  orchards  had  grown,  as  a  matter  of 
course  ;  and  if  the  fields  had  not  been  improved  by  judi- 
cious culture,  neither  had  they  been  exhausted  by  covet- 
ous croppings.  In  these  particulars,  there  was  nothing  of 
which  to  complain.  Things  might  have  been  b'etter,  An- 
dries  thought  ;  but  he  also- thought  it  was  exceedingly  fort- 
unate they  were  no  worse.  While  we  were  conversing  on 
this  theme,  Dus  moved  about  the  room  silently,  but  with 
collected  activity,  having  arranged  the  tea-table  with  her 
own  hands.  When  invited  to  take  our  seats  at  it — every- 
body drew  near  to  a  tea-table  in  that  day,  unless  when 
there  was  too  large  a  party  to  be  accommodated — I  was 
surprised  to  find  everything  so  perfectly  neat,  and  some 
things  rich.  The  plates,  knives,  etc.,  were  of  good  quality, 
but  the  tray  was  actually  garnished  with  a  set  of  old- 
fashioned  silver,  such  as  was  made  when  tea  was  first  used, 
of  small  size,  but  very  highly  chased.  The  handle  of  the 
spoons  represented  the  stem  of  the  tea-plant,  and  there  was 
a  crest  on  each  of  them  ;  while  a  full  coat  of  arms  was  en- 
graved on  the  different  vessels  of  the  service,  which  were 
four  in  all.  I  looked  at  the  crest,  in  a  vague,  but  surprised 
expectation  of  finding  my  own.  It  was  entirely  new  to 
me.  Taking  the  cream-jug  in  my  hand,  I  could  recall  no 
arms  resembling  those  that  were  engraved  on  it. 

"  I  was  surprised  to  find  this  plate  here,"  I  observed  ; 
11  for,  though  my  grandfather  possessed  a  great  deal  of  it, 
for  one  of  his  means,  I  did  not  think  he  had  enough  to  be 
as  prodigal  of  it  as  leaving  it  here  would  infer.  This  is 
family  plate,  too,  but  those  arms  are  neither  Mordaunt  nor 
Littlepage.  May  I  ask  to  whom  they  do  belong  ?" 

"  The  Malpones,"  answered  the  Chainbearer.  "  T'e 
t'ings  are  t'e  property  of  Dus." 

"And  you  may  add,  uncle  Chainbearer,  that  they  are  all 
her  property  " — added  the  girl,  quickly. 

"  I  feel  much  honored  in  being  permitted  to  use  them, 
Miss  Ursula,"  I  remarked;  "for  a  very  pretty  set  they 
make." 

"Necessity,  and  not  vanity,  has  brought  them  out  to- 
day. I  broke  the  only  teapot  of  yours  there  was  in  the 
house  this  morning,  and  was  in  hopes  Frank  would  have 
brought  up  one  from  the  store  to  supply  its  place,  before 


<40  THE  CIIAINBEARER. 

it  would  be  wanted  ;  but  he  does  not  come.  As  for  spoons, 
I  can  find  none  belonging  to  the  house,  and  we  use  these 
constantly.  As  the  teapot  was  indispensable,  I  thought  I 
might  as  well  display  all  my  wealth  at  once.  But  this  is 
the  first  time  the  things  have  been-used  in  many,  many 
years ! " 

There  was  a  plaintive  melody  in  Bus's  voice,  spite  of 
her  desire  and  effort  to  speak  with  unconcern,  that  I  found 
exceedingly  touching.  While  few  of  us  enter  into  the  ex- 
ultation of  successful  vulgarity,  as  it  rejoices  in  its  too 
often  random  prosperity,  it  is  in  nature  to  sympathize  with 
a  downward  progress,  and  with  the  sentiments  it  leaves, 
when  it  is  connected  with  the  fates  of  the  innocent,  the 
virtuous,  and  the  educated.  That  set  of  silver  was  all  that 
remained  to  Ursula  Malbone  of  a  physical  character,  and 
which  marked  the  former  condition  of  her  family  ;  and 
doubtless  she  cherished  it  with  no  low  feeling  of  morbid 
pride,  but  as  a  melancholy  monument  of  a  condition  to 
which  all  her  opinions,  tastes,  and  early  habits  constantly 
reminded  her  she  properly  belonged.  In  this  last  point  of 
view,  the  sentiment  was  as  respectable,  and  as  much  en- 
titled to  reverence,  as  in  the  other  case  it  would  have  been 
unworthy,  and  meriting  contempt. 

There  is  a  great  deal  of  low  misconception,  as  well  as  a 
good  deal  of  cant,  beginning  to  prevail  among  us,  on  the 
subject  of  the  qualities  that  mark  a  gentleman,  or  a  lady. 
The  day  has  gone  by,  and  I  trust  forever,  when  the  mere 
accidents  of  birth  are  to  govern  such  a  claim  ;  though  the 
accidents  of  birth  are  very  apt  to  supply  the  qualities  that 
may  really  form  the  caste.  For  my  own  part,  I  believe  in 
the  exaggerations  of  neither  of  the  two  extremes  that  so 
stubbornly  maintain  their  theories  on  this  subject  ;  or,  that 
a  gentleman  may  not  be  formed  exclusively  by  birth  on 
the  one  hand,  and  that  the  severe  morality  of  the  Bible  on 
the  other  is  by  no  means  indispensable  to  the  character. 
A  man  may  be  a  very  perfect  gentleman,  though  by  no 
means  a  perfect  man,  or  a  Christian  ;  and  he  may  be  a  very 
good  Christian,  and  very  little  of  a  gentleman.  It  is  true, 
there  is  a  connection  in  manners,  as  a  result,  between  the 
Christian  and  the  gentleman  ;  but  it  is  in  the  result,  and 
not  in  the  motive.  That  Christianity  has  little  necessary 
connection  with  the  character  of  a  gentleman  may  be  seen 
in  the  fact  that  the  dogmas  of  the  first  teach  us  to  turn  an- 
other cheek  to  him  who  smites  ;  while  the  promptings  of 
the  gentleman  are — not  to  wipe  out  the  indignity  in  the 


THE  CHA1NBEARER.  141 

blood  of  the  offender,  but — to  show  that  rather  than  sub- 
mit to  it  he  is  ready  to  risk  his  own  life.* 

But,  I  repeat,  there  is  no  necessary  connection  between 
the  Christian  and  the  gentleman,  though  the  last  who  is 
the  first  attains  the  highest  condition  of  humanity.  Chris- 
tians, under  the  influence  of  their  educations  and  habits, 
often  do  things  that  the  code  of  the  gentleman  rejects  ; 
while  it  is  certain  that  gentlemen  constantly  commit  un- 
equivocal sins.  The  morality  of  the  gentleman  repudi- 
ates meannesses  and  low  vices,  rather  than  it  rigidly  re- 
spects the  laws  of  God  ;  while  the  morality  of  the  Chris- 
tian is  unavoidably  raised  or  depressed  by  the  influence  of 
the  received  opinions  of  his  social  caste.  I  am  not  main- 
taining that  "  the  ten  commandments  were  not  given  for 
the  obedience  of  people  of  quality,"  for  their  obligations 
are  universal  ;  but,  simply,  that  the  qualities  of  a  gentle- 
man are  the  best  qualities  of  man  unaided  by  God,  while 
the  graces  of  the  Christian  come  directly  from  his  mercy. 

Nevertheless,  there  is  that  in  the  true  character  of  a 
gentleman  ihat  is  very  much  to  be  respected.  In  addition 
to  the  great  indispensables  of  tastes,  manners,  and  opin- 
ions, based  on  intelligence  and  cultivation,  and  all  those 
liberal  qualities  that  mark  his  caste,  he  cannot  and  does 
not  stoop  to  meannesses  of  any  sort.  He  is  truthful  out  of 
self-respect,  and  not  in  obedience  to  the  will  of  God ;  free 
with  his  money,  because  liberality  is  an  essential  feature 
of  his  habits,  and  not  in  imitation  of  the  self-sacrifice  of 
Christ  ;  superior  to  scandal  and  the  vices  of  the  busybody, 
inasmuch  as  they  are  low  and  impair  his  pride  of  charac- 
ter, rather  than  because  he  has  been  commanded  not  to 
bear  false  witness  against  his  neighbor.  It  is  a  great  mis- 
take to  confound  these  two  characters,  one  of  which  is  a 
mere  human  embellishment  of  the  ways  of  a  wicked  world, 
while  the  other  draws  near  to  the  great  end  of  human  ex- 
istence. The  last  is  a  character  I  revere  ;  while  I  am  will- 

*  Mr.  Mordaunt  Littlepage  would  seem  to  have  got  hold  of  the  only  plau- 
sible palliative  for  a  custom  that  originated  in  those  times  when  abuses  could 
only  be  corrected  by  the  strong  arm  ;  and  which,  in  our  own  days,  is  degen- 
erating into  the  merest  system  of  chicariery  and  trick.  The  duellist  who, 
in  his  "practice,"  gets  to  be  "  certain  death  to  a  shingle"  and  then  misses 
his  man,  instead  of  illustrating  his  chivalry,  merely  lets  the  world  into  the 
secret  that  his  nerves  are  not  equal  to  his  drill  !  There  was  something  as 
respectable  as  anything  can  be  in  connection  with  a  custom  so  silly,  in  the 
conduct  of  the  Englishman  who  called  out  to  his  adversary,  a  near-sighted 
man,  "that  if  he  wished  to  shoot  at  him,  he  must  turn  his  pistol  in anothei 
direction." — EDITOR. 


142  THE  CHAINBEARER. 

ing  to  confess  that  I  never  meet  with  the  first  without 
feeling  how  vacant  and  repulsive  society  would  become 
without  it ;  unless,  indeed,  the  vacuum  could  be  filled  by 
the  great  substance,  of  which,  after  all,  the  gentleman  is 
but  the  shadow. 

Ursula  Malbone  lost  nothing  in  my  respect  by  betray- 
ing the  emotion  she  did,  while  thus  speaking  of  this  relic 
of  old  family  plate.  I  was  glad  to  find,  however,  that  she 
could  retain  it  ;  for,  though  dressed  in  no  degree  in  a  style 
unbecoming  her  homely  position  as  her  uncle's  house- 
keeper, there  were  a  neatness  and  taste  in  her  attire  that 
are  not  often  seen  in  remote  parts  of  the  country.  On 
this  subject,  the  reader  will  indulge  my  weaknesses  a  little, 
if  I  pause  to  say  a  word.  Ursula  had  neither  preserved  in 
her  dress  the  style  of  one  of  her  sex  and  condition  in 
the  world,  nor  yet  entirely  adopted  that  common  to  girls 
of  the  class  to  which  she  now  seemingly  belonged.  It 
struck  me  that  some  of  those  former  garments  that  were 
the  simplest  in  fashion,  and  the  most  appropriate  in  mate- 
rial, had  been  especially  arranged  for  present  use  ;  and 
sweetly  becoming  were  they,  to  one  of  her  style  of  counte- 
nance and  perfection  of  form.  In  that  day,  as  every  one 
knows,  the  different  classes  of  society — and,  kingdom  or 
republic,  classes  do  and  ever  will  exist  in  this  country,  as 
an  incident  of  civilization  ;  a  truth  every  one  can  see  as 
respects  those  below,  though  his  vision  may  be  less  perfect 
as  respects  those  above  him — but  every  one  knows  that 
great  distinctions  in  dress  existed,  as  between  classes,  all 
over  the  Christian  world,  at  the  close  of  the  American  war, 
that  are  fast  disappearing,  or  have  altogether  disappeared. 
Now  Ursula  had  preserved  just  enough  of  the  peculiar 
attire  of  her  own  class,  to  let  one  understand  that  she,  in 
truth,  belonged  to  it  without  rendering  the  distinction  ob- 
trusive. Indeed,  the  very  character  of  that  which  she  did 
preserve,  sufficiently  told  the  story  of  her  origin,  since  it 
was  a  subdued,  rather  than  an  exaggerated  imitation  of 
that  to  which  she  had  been  accustomed,  as  would  have 
been  the  case  with  a  mere  copyist.  I  can  only  add, 
that  the  effect  was  to  render  her  sufficiently  charm- 
ing. 

"  Taste  t'ese  cakes,"  said  old  Andries,  who,  without  the 
slightest  design,  did  love  to  exhibit  the  various  merits  of 
his  niece — "  Dus  mate  t'em,  and  I'll  engage  Matam  Wash- 
ington herself  couldn't  make  pleasanter  !  " 

"If  Mrs.  Washington  was  ever  thus  employed,"  I  an- 


THE  CHAINBEARER.  143 

swered,  "she  might  turn  pale  with  envy  here.  Better  cakes 
of  the  sort  I  never  ate." 

"  '  Of  the  sort'  is  well  added,  Mr.  Littlepage,"  the  girl 
quietly  observed  ;  my  protectress  and  friend  made  me 
rather  skilful  in  this  way,  but  the  ingredients  are  not  to 
be  had  here  as  they  were  in  her  family." 

"  Which,  being  a  boarding-school  for  young  ladies,  was 
doubtless  better  supplied  than  common  with  the  materials 
and  knowledge  necessary  for  good  cakes." 

Dus  laughed,  and  it  startled  me,  so  full  of  a  wild  but  sub- 
dued melody  did  that  laugh  seem  to  be. 

"Young  ladies  have  many  foibles  imputed  to  them,  of 
which  they  are  altogether  innocent,"  was  her  answer. 
"  Cakes  were  almost  forbidden  fruit  in  the  school,  and  we 
were  taught  to  make  them  in  pity  to  the  palates  of  the 
men." 

"Your  future  huspants,  gal,"  cried  the  Chainbearer,  ris- 
ing to  quit  the  room. 

"  Our  fathers,  brothers,  and  uncles"  returned  his  niece, 
laying  an  emphasis  on  the  last  word. 

"  I  believe,  Miss  Ursula,"  I  resumed,  as  soon  as  Andries 
had  left  us  alone,  "  that  I  have  been  let  behind  the  cur- 
tain as  respects  your  late  school,  having  an  acquaintance 
of  a  somewhat  particular  nature  with  one  of  your  old 
schoolfellows." 

My  companion  did  not  answer,  but  she  fastened  those 
fascinating  blue  eyes  of  hers  on  me,  in  a  way  that  asked  a 
hundred  questions  in  a  moment.  I  could  not  but  see  that 
they  were  suffused  with  tears  ;  allusions  to  her  School  often 
producing  that  effect. 

"  I  mean  Miss  Priscilla  Bayard,  who  would  seem  to  be, 
or  to  have  been,  a  very  good  friend  of  yours,"  I  added,  ob- 
serving that  my  companion  was  not  disposed  to  say  any- 
thing. 

"  Pris  Bayard  ! "  Ursula  now  suffered  to  escape  her,  in 
her  surprise — "  and  she  an  acquaintance  of  a  somewhat 
particular  nature  !  " 

"  My  language  has  been  incautious  ;  not  to  say  that  of  a 
coxcomb.  Certainly,  I  am  not  authorized  to  say  more  than 
that  our  families  are  very  intimate,  and  that  there  are  some 
particular  reasons  for  that  intimacy.  I  beg  you  to  read 
only  as  I  have  corrected  the  error." 

"  I  do  not  see  that  the  correction  changes  things  much  ; 
and  you  will  let  me  say  I  am  grieved,  sadly  grieved,  to  learn 
so  much." 


144  THE  CHAINBEARER. 

This  was  odd !  That  Dus  really  meant  what  she  said 
was  plain  enough  by  a  face  that  had  actually  lost  nearly 
all  of  its  color,  and  which  expressed  an  emotion  that  was 
most  extraordinary.  Shall  I  own  what  a  miserably  con- 
ceited coxcomb  I  was  for  a  single  moment  ?  The  truth 
must  be  said,  and  I  will  confess  it.  The  thought  that 
crossed  my  mind  was  this  :  Ursula  Malbone  was  pained 
at  the  idea  that  the  only  man  whom  she  had  seen  for  a 
year,  and  who  could,  by  possibility,  make  any  impres- 
sion on  one  of  her  education  and  tastes,  was  betrothed 
to  another!  Under  ordinary  circumstances,  this  preco- 
cious preference  might  have  caused  me  to  revolt  at  its  ex- 
hibition ;  but  there  was  far  too  much  of  nature  in  all  of 
Bus's  emotions,  acts,  and  language,  to  produce  any  other 
impression  on  me  than  that  of  intense  interest.  I  have  al- 
ways dated  the  powerful  hold  that  this  girl  so  soon  ob- 
tained on  my  heart,  to  the  tumult  of  feeling  awakened  in 
me  at  that  singular  moment.  Love  at  first  sight  may  be 
ridiculous,  but  it  is  sometimes  true.  That  a  passion  may 
be  aroused  by  a  glance,  or  a  smile,  or  any  other  of  those 
secret  means  of  conveying  sympathy  with  which  nature 
has  supplied  us,  I  fully  believe  ;  though  its  duration  must 
depend  on  qualities  of  a  higher  and  more  permanent  in- 
fluence. It  is  the  imagination  that  is  first  excited ;  the 
heart  coming  in^or  its  share  by  later  and  less  perceptible 
degrees. 

My  delusion,  however,  did  not  last  long.  Whether  Ur- 
sula Malbone  was  conscious  of  the  misconstruction  to 
which  she  was  liable,  I  cannot  say  ;  but  I  rather  think  not, 
as  she  was  much  too  innocent  to  dread  evil  ;  or  whether 
she  saw  some  other  necessity  for  explaining  herself,  re- 
mains a  secret  with  me  to  this  hour ;  but  explain  she  did. 
How  judiciously  this  was  done,  and  with  how  much  of  that 
female  tact  that  taught  her  to  conceal  the  secrets  of  her 
friend,  will  appear  to  those  who  are  sufficiently  interested 
in  the  subject  to  pursue  it. 


THE  CHAINBEARER.  145 


CHAPTER  XII. 

"  Here  come  the  lovers,  full  of  joy  and  mirth — 
Joy,  gentle  friends  !  joy,  and  fresh  days  of  love 
Accompany  your  hearts  !  " — Midsummer  Night's  Dream. 

"  I  OUGHT  not  to  leave  you  in  any  doubts  as  to  my  mean- 
ing, Mr.  Littlepage,"  resumed  Ursula,  after  a  short  pause. 
"  Priscilla  Bayard  is  very  dear  to  me,  and  is  well  worthy  of 
all  your  love  and  admiration — 

"Admiration,  if  you  please,  and  as  much  as  you  please, 
Miss  Ursula  ;  but  there  is  no  such  feeling  as  love,  as  yet 
certainly,  between  Miss  Bayard  and  myself." 

The  countenance  of  Dus  brightened  sensibly.  Truth 
herself,  she  gave  immediate  credit  to  what  I  said  ;  and  I 
could  not  but  see  that  she  was  greatly  relieved  from  some 
unaccountable  apprehension.  Still,  she  smiled  a  little 
archly,  and  perhaps  a  little  sadly,  as  she  continued— 

"'  As  yet,  certainly/  is  very  equivocal  on  your  side,  when 
a  young  woman  like  Priscilla  Bayard  is  concerned.  It 
may  at  any  moment  be  converted  into  '  now,  certainly,' 
with  that  certainty  the  other  way." 

"  I  will  not  deny  it.  Miss  Bayard  is  a  charming  creature 
— yet,  I  do  not  know  how  it  is — there  seems  to  be  a  fate  in 
these  things.  The  peculiar  relation  to  which  I  alluded, 
and  alluded  so  awkwardly,  is  nothing  more  than  the  en- 
gagement of  my  youngest  sister  to  her  brother.  There  is 
no  secret  in  that  engagement,  so  I  shall  not  affect  to  con- 
ceal it." 

"  And  it  is  just  such  an  engagement  as  might  lead  to 
one  between  yourself  and  Priscilla  ! "  exclaimed  Dus,  cer- 
tainly not  without  alarm. 

u  It  might,  or  it  might  not,  as  the  parties  happen  to  view 
such  things.  With  certain  temperaments  it  might  prove 
an  inducement ;  while  with  others  it  would  not." 

"My  interest  in  the  subject,"  continued  Dus,  "  proceeds 
altogether  from  the  knowledge  I  have  that  another  has 
sought  Miss  Bayard  ;  and  I  will  own,  with  my  hearty  good 
wishes  for  his  success.  You  struck  me  as  a  most  formi- 
dable rival ;  nor  do  you  seem  any  the  less  so,  now  I  know 
that  your  families  are  to  be  connected." 

"  Have  no  fears  on  my  account,  for  I  am  as  heart-whole 
as  the  day  I  first  saw  the  lady." 
10 


i'46  THE  CHAINBEARER. 

A  flash  of  intelligence — a  most  meaning  flash  it  was—, 
gleamed  on  the  handsome  face  of  my  companion  ;  arid  it 
was  followed  by  a  mournful,  though  I  still  thought  not  an 
entirely  dissatisfied  smile. 

"  These  are  matters  about  which  one  had  better  not  say 
much,"  Dus  added,  after  a  pause.  "  My  sex  has  its  'pecul- 
iar rights/  and  nc  woman  should  disregard  them.  You 
have  been  fortunate  in  finding  all  your  tenants  collected 
together,  Mr.  Littlepage,  in  a  way  to  let  you  see  them  at  a 
single  glance." 

"  I  was  fortunate  in  one  sense,  and  a  most  delightful  in- 
troduction I  had  to  the  settlement — such  an  introduction 
as  I  would  travel  another  hundred  miles  to  have  repeated." 

"  Are  you,  then,  so  fond  of  raisings  ?  or  do  you  really 
love  excitement  to  such  a  degree  as  to  wish  to  get  under 
a  trap,  like  one  of  the  poor  rabbits  my  uncle  sometimes 
takes  ? " 

"  I  am  not  thinking  of  the  raising,  or  of  the  frame  ;  al- 
though your  courage  and  presence  of  mind  might  well  in- 
delibly impress  both  on  my  mind  " — Dus  looked  down  and 
the  color  mounted  to  her  temple — "  but,  I  was  thinking  of 
a  certain  song,  an  Indian  song,  sung  to  Scotch  music,  that 
I  heard  a  few  miles  from  the  clearings,  and  which  was  my 
real  introduction  to  the  pleasant  things  one  may  both  hear 
and  see  in  this  retired  part  of  the  world." 

"Which  is  not  so  retired  after  all  that  flattery  cannot 
penetrate  it,  I  find.  It  is  pleasant  to  hear  one's  songs  ex- 
tolled, even  though  they  may  be  Indian  ;  but,  it  is  not 
half  so  pleasant  as  to  hear  tidings  of  Priscilla  Bayard.  If 
you  wish  truly  to  charm  my  ear,  talk  of  her  !  " 

"The  attachment  seems  mutual,  for  I  can  assure  you 
Miss  Bayard  manifested  just  the  same  interest  in  you." 

"  In  me  !  Priscilla  then  remembers  a  poor  creature  like 
me,  in  her  banishment  from  the  world  !  Perhaps  she  re- 
members me  so  much  the  more,  because  I  am  banished. 
I  hope  she  does  not,  cannot  think  I  regret  my  condition— 
that  I  could  hardly  forgive  her." 

"  I  rather  think  she  does  not  ;  I  know  she  gives  you 
credit  for  more  than  common  excellencies." 

"  It  is  strange  that  Priscilla  Bayard  should  speak  of  me 
to  you  !  I  have  been  a  little  unguarded  myself,  Mr.  Little- 
page,  and  have  said  so  much,  that  I  begin  to  feel  the  neces- 
sity of  saying  something  more.  There  is  some  excuse  foi 
my  not  feeling  in  your  presence  as  in  that  of  a  stranger, 
since  uncle  Chainbearer  has  vour  name  in  his  mouth  at 


THE  CHA1NBEARER.  147 

!  least  one  hundred  times  each  day.  Twelve  different  times 
in  one  hour  did  he  speak  of  you  yesterday." 

"  Excellent  old  Andries  !  It  is  the  pride  of  my  life  that 
so  honest  a  man  loves  me  ;  and  now  for  the  explanation  I 
am  entitled  to  receive  as  his  friend  by  your  own  acknowl- 
edgment." 

Dus  smiled,  a  little  saucily  I  thought — but  saucily  or 
not,  that  smile  made  her  look  extremely  lovely.  She  re- 
flected a  moment,  like  one  who  thinks  intensely,  even 
bending  her  head  under  the  painful  mental  effort ;  then 
she  drew  her  form  to  its  usual  attitude,  and  spoke. 

"It  is  always  best  to  be  frank,"  she  said,  "and  it  can 
do  no  harm,  while  it  may  do  good  to  be  explicit  with  you. 
You  will  not  forget,  Mr.  Littlepage,  that  I  believe  myself 
to  be  conversing  with  my  uncle's  very  best  friend  ?" 

"  I  am  too  proud  of  the  distinction  to  forget  it,  under 
any  circumstances  ;  and  least  of  all  in  your  presence." 

"Well,  then,  I  will  be  frank.  Priscilla  Bayard  was  for 
eight  years  my  associate  and  closest  friend.  Our  affection 
for  each  other  commenced  when  we  were  mere  children, 
and  increased  with  time  and  knowledge.  About  a  year 
before  the  close  of  the  war,  my  brother  Frank,  who  is  now 
here  as  my  uncle's  surveyor,  found  opportunities  to  quit 
his  regiment,  and  to  come  to  visit  me  quite  frequently — 
indeed,  his  company  was  sent  to  Albany,  where  he  could 
see  me  as  often  as  he  desired.  To  see  me,  was  to  see  Pris- 
cilla, for  we  were  inseparable  ;  and  to  see  Priscilla  was,  for 
poor  Frank  at  least,  to  love  her.  He  made  me  his  confi- 
dant, and  my  alarm  was  nothing  but  natural  concern  lest 
he  might  have  a  rival  as  formidable  as  you." 

A  flood  of  light  was  let  in  upon  me  by  this  brief  expla- 
nation, though  I  could  not  but  wonder  at  the  simplicity,  or 
strength  of  character,  that  induced  so  strange  a  confidence. 
When  I  got  to  know  Dus  better,  the  whole  became  clear 
enough  ;  but,  at  the  moment,  I  was  a  little  surprised. 

"  Be  at  ease  on  my  account,  Miss  Malbone— 

"Why  not  call  me  Dus  at  once  ?  You  will  do  it  in  a 
week,  like  everyone  else  here ;  and  it  is  better  to  begin 
our  acquaintance  as  I  am  sure  it  will  end.  Uncle  Chain- 
bearer  calls  me  Dus  ;  Frank  calls  me  Dus  ;  most  of  your 
settlers  call  me  Dus,  to  my  very  face  ;  and  even  our  blacks 
call  me  Miss  Dus.  You  cannot  wish  to  be  singular." 

"I  will  gladly  venture  so  far  as  to  call  you  Ursula  ;  but 
Dus  does  not  please  me." 

"  No  !     I  have  become  so  accustomed  to  be  called  Dus 


148  THE  CHAINBEARER. 

by  all  my  friends,  that  it  sounds  distant  to  be  called  by 
any  other  name.  Do  you  not  think  Dus  a  pretty  diminu- 
tive ?  " 

"  I  did  not,  most  certainly  ;  though  all  these  things  de- 
pend on  the  associations.  Dus  Malbone  sounded  sweetly 
enough  in  Priscilla  Bayard's  mouth  ;  but  I  fear  it  will  not 
be  so  pleasant  in  mine." 

"Do  as  you  please — but  do  not  call  me  Miss  Ursula,  or 
Miss  Malbone.  It  would  have  displeased  me  once,  not  to 
have  been  so  addressed  by  any  man  ;  but  it  has  an  air  of 
mockery,  now  that  I  know  myself  to  be  only  the  com- 
panion and  housekeeper  of  a  poor  chainbearer." 

"  And  yet,  the  owner  of  that  silver,  the  lady  I  see  seated 
at  this  table,  in  this  room,  is  not  so  very  inappropriately 
addressed  as  Miss  Ursula  !  " 

"  You  know  the  history  of  the  silver,  and  the  table  and 
room  are  your  own.  No — Mr.  Littlepage,  we  are  poor — 
very,  very  poor — uncle  Chainbearer,  Frank,  and  I — all 
alike,  have  nothing." 

This  was  not  said  despairingly,  but  with  a  sincerity  that 
I  found  exceedingly  touching. 

"Frank,  at  least,  should  have  something,"  I  answered. 
"  You  tell  me  he  was  in  the  army  ? " 

"  He  was  a  captain  at  the  last,  but  what  did  he  receive 
for  that  ?  We  do  not  complain  of  the  country,  any  of  us  ; 
neither  my  uncle,  my  brother,  nor  myself  ;  for  we  know  it 
is  poor,  like  ourselves,  and  that  its  poverty  even  is  like  our 
own,  that  of  persons  reduced.  I  was  long  a  charge  on  my 
friends,  and  there  have  been  debts  to  pay.  Could  I  have 
known  it,  such  a  thing  should  not  have  happened.  Now  I 
can  only  repay  those  who  have  discharged  these  obliga- 
tions by  coming  into  the  wilderness  with  them.  It  is  a 
terrible  thing  for  a  woman  to.be  in  debt." 

"  But  you  have  remained  in  this  house  ;  you  surely  have 
not  been  in  the  hut,  at  Mooseridge  ?" 

"  I  have  gone  wherever  uncle  Chainbearer  has  gone,  and 
shall  go  with  him,  so  long  as  we  both  live.  Nothing  shall 
ever  separate  us  again.  His  years  demand  this,  and  grat- 
itude is  added  to  my  love.  Frank  might  possibly  do  bet- 
ter than  work  for  the  little  he  receives  ;  but  he  will  not 
quit  us.  The  poor  love  each  other  intensely  ! " 

"  But  I  have  desired  your  uncle  to  use  this  house,  and 
for  your  sake  I  should  think  he  would  accept  the  offer." 

'*  How  could  he,  and  carry  chain  twenty  miles  distant  ? 
We  have  been  here,  occasionally,  a  few  days  at  a  time  ;  but 


THE  CHAINBEARER.  149 

the  work  was  to  be  done  and  it  must  be  done  on  the  land 
itself." 

"  Of  course,  you  merely  gave  youi  friends  the  pleasure 
of  your  company,  and  looked  a  little  to  their  comforts,  on 
their  return  from  a  hard  day's  work  ? " 

Dus  raised  her  eyes  to  mine  ;  smiled  ;  then  she  looked 
sad,  her  under-lip  quivering  slightly  ;  after  which  a  smile 
that  was  not  altogether  without  humor  succeeded.  I 
watched  these  signs  of  varying  feeling  with  an  interest  I 
cannot  describe  ;  for  the  play  of  virtuous  and  ingenuous 
emotion  on  a  lovely  female  countenance  is  one  of  the 
rarest  sights  in  nature. 

"  I  can  carry  chain,"  said  the  girl,  at  the  close  of  this 
exhibition  of  feeling, 

"  You  can  carry  chain,  Ursula — Dus,  or  whatever  I  am 
to  call  you— 

"Call  me  Dus — I  love  that  name  best." 

"  You  can  carry  chain,  I  suppose,  is  true  enough — but, 
you  do  not  mean  that  you  have  ?  " 

The  face  of  Dus  flushed  ;  but  she  looked  me  full  in  the 
eye,  as  she  nodded  her  head  to  express  an  affirmative  ;  and 
she  smiled  as  sweetly  as  ever  woman  smiled. 

"For  amusement — to  say  you  have  done  it — in  jest  !" 

"To  help  my  uncle  and  brother,  who  had  not*the  means 
to  hire  a  second  man." 

"Good  God  !  Miss  Malbone— Ursula— Dus— 

"  The  last  is  the  most  proper  name  for  a  chainbear<?.«," 
rejoined  the  girl,  smiling  ;  and  actually  taking  my  hand  by 
an  involuntary  movement  of  her  sympathy  in  the  shock  I 
so  evidently  felt.  "  But,  why  should  you  look  upon  that 
little  toil  as  so  shocking,  when  it  is  healthful  and  honest  ? 
You  are  thinking  of  a  sister  reduced  to  what  strikes  you  as 
man's  proper  work." 

Dus  relinquished  my  hand  almost  as  soon  as  she  had 
touched  it  ;  and  she  did  it  with  a  slight  start,  as  if  shocked 
at  her  own  temerity. 

"What  is  man's  work,  and  man's  work,  only." 

"  Yet  woman  can  perform  it ;  and,  as  uncle  Chainbearer 
will  tell  you,  perform  it  well.  I  had  no  other  concern,  the 
month  I  was  at  work,  than  the  fear  that  my  strength  would 
not  enable  me  to  do  as  much  as  my  uncle  and  brother,  and 
thus  lessen  the  service  they  could  render  you  each  day. 
They  kept  me  on  the  dry  land,  so  there  were  no  wet  feet, 
and  your  woods  are  as  clear  of  underbrush  as  an  orchard. 
There  is  no  use  in  attempting  to  conceal  the  fact,  for  it  is 


150  THE  CHA2NBEARER. 

known  to  many,  and  would  have  reached  your  ears  sooner 
or  later.  Then  concealment  is  always  painful  to  me,  and 
never  more  so  than  when  I  hear  you,  and  see  you  treating 
your  hired  servant  as  an  equal." 

"  Miss  Malbone  !  For  God's  sake,  let  me  hear  no  more 
of  this — old  Andries  judged  rightly  of  me,  in  wishing  to 
conceal  this  ;  for  I  should  never  have  allowed  it  to  go  on 
for  a  moment." 

"  And  in  what  manner  could  you  have  prevented  it, 
Major  Littlepage  ?  My  uncle  has  taken  the  business  of 
you  at  so  much  the  day,  finding  surveyor  and  laborers — 
poor,  dear  Frank  !  He,  at  least,  does  not  rank  with  the 
laborers,  and  as  for  my  uncle,  he  has  long  had  an  honest 
pride  in  being  the  best  chainbearer  in  the  country — why 
need  his  niece  scruple  about  sharing  in  his  well-earned 
reputation  ?" 

11  But  you,  Miss  Malbone — dearest  Dus — who  have  been 
so  educated,  who  are  born  a  lady,  who  are  loved  by  Pris- 
cilla  Bayard,  the  sister  of  Frank,  are  not  in  your  proper 
sphere,  while  thus  occupied." 

"  It  is  not  so  easy  to  say  what  is  the  proper  sphere  of  a 
woman.  I  admit  it  ought  to  be,  in  general,  in  the  domes- 
tic circle  and  under  the  domestic  roof  ;  but  circumstances 
must  control  that.  We  hear  of  wives  who  follow  their 
husbands  to  the  camp,  and  we  hear  of  nuns  who  come  out 
of  their  convents  to  attend  the  sick  and  wounded  in  hospi- 
tals. It  does  not  strike  me,  then,  as  so  bad  in  a  girl  who 
offers  to  aid  her  parent  as  I  have  aided  mine,  when  the 
alternative  was  to  suffer  by  want." 

"  Gracious  Providence  !  And  Andries  has  kept  me  in 
ignorance  of  all  this  ;  he  knew  my  purse  would  have  been 
his,  and  how  could  you  have  been  in  want  in  the  midst  of 
the  abundance  that  reigns  in  this  settlement,  which  is  only 
fifteen  or  twenty  miles  from  your  hut,  as  I  know  from  the 
chainbearer's  letters." 

"  Food  is  plenty,  I  allow,  but  we  had  no  money  ;  and 
when  the  question  was  between  beggary  or  exertion,  we 
merely  chose  the  last.  My  uncle  did  try  old  Killian,  the 
black,  for  a  day  ;  but  you  know  how  hard  it  is  to  make  one 
of  those  people  understand  anything  that  is  a  little  intri- 
cate ;  and  then  I  offered  my  services.  I  am  intelligent 
enough,  I  trust " — the  girl  smiled  a  little  proudly  as  she 
said  this — "  and  you  can  have  no  notion  how  active  and 
strong  I  am  for  light  work  like  this,  and  on  my  feet,  until 
you  put  me  to  the  proof.  Remember,  carrying  chain  is 


THE  CHAINBEARER.  151 

neither  chopping  wood  nor  piling  logs  ;  nor  is  it  absolutely 
unfeminine." 

"  Nor  raising  churches  " — I  answered,  smL  ng  ;  for  it 
was  not  easy  to  resist  the  contagion  of  the  girl's  spirit — 
"at  which  business  I  have  been  an  eye-witness  of  your 
dexterity.  However,  there  will  now  be  an  end  of  this.  It 
is  fortunately  in  my  power  to  offer  such  a  situation  and 
such  emoluments  to  Mr.  Mai  bone,  as  will  at  once  enable 
him  to  place  his  sister  in  this  house  as  its  mistress,  and 
under  a  roof  that  is  at  least  respectable." 

"  Bless  you  for  that  !  "  cried  Dus,  making  a  movement 
toward  catching  my  hand  again  ;  but  checking  it  in  time 
to  render  the  deep  blush  that  instantly  suffused  her  face, 
almost  unnecessary.  "  Bless  you  for  that  !  Frank  is  will- 
ing to  do  anything  that  is  honest,  and  capable  of  doing 
anything  that  a  gentleman  should  do.  I  am  the  great  en- 
cumbrance on  the  poor  fellow  ;  for,  could  he  leave  me, 
many  situations  must  be  open  to  him  in  the  towns.  But  I 
cannot  quit  my  uncle,  and  Frank  will  not  quit  me.  He 
does  not  understand  uncle  Chainbearer." 

"Frank  must  be  a  noble  fellow,  and  I  honor  him  for  his 
attachment  to  such  a  sister.  This  makes  me  only  the  more 
anxious  to  carry  out  my  intentions." 

"  Which  are  such,  I  hope,  that  there  is  no  impropriety 
in  his  sister's  knowing  them  ?" 

This  was  said  with  such  an  expression  of  interest  in  the 
sweet,  blue  eyes,  and  with  so  little  of  the  air  of  common 
curiosity,  that  it  completely  charmed  me. 

"  Certainly  there  is  none,"  I  answered,  promptly  enough 
even  for  a  young  man  who  was  acting  under  the  influence 
of  so  much  ingenuous  and  strong  native  feeling  ;  "  and  I 
shall  have  great  pleasure  in  telling  you.  We  have  long 
been  dissatisfied  \vith  our  agent  on  this  estate,  and  I  had 
determined  to  offer  it  to  your  uncle.  The  same  difficulty 
would  have  to  be  overcome  in  this  case,  as  there  was  in 
making  him  a  safe  surveyor — the  want  of  skill  in  figures  ; 
now  this  difficulty  will  not  exist  in  the  instance  of  your 
brother  ;  and  the  whole  family,  Chainbearer  as  well  as  the,, 
rest,  will  be  benefited  by  giving  the  situation  to  Frank." 

"You  call  him  Frank!"  cried  Dus,  laughing,  and  evi- 
dently delighted  with  what  she  heard.  "  That  is  a  good 
omen  ;  but  if  you  raise  me  to  the  station  of  an  agent's  sis- 
ter, I  do  not  know  but  I  shall  insist  on  being  called  Ursula, 
at  least,  if  not  Miss  Ursula." 

I  scarce    knew  what  to  make  of  this  girl  ;  there  was   so 


152  THE  CHAINBEARER. 

much  of  gayety,  and  even  fun,  blended  with  a,  mine  of  as 
deep  feeling  as  I  ever  saw  throwing  up  its  signs  to  the  hu- 
man countenance.  Her  brother's  prospects  had  made  her 
even  gay  ;  though  she  still  looked  as  if  anxious  to  hear 
more. 

"  You  may  claim  which  you  please,  for  Frank  shall  have 
his  name  ^put  into  the  new  power  of  attorney  within  the 
hour.  Mr.  Newcome  has  had  a  hint,  by  letter,  of  what  is 
to  come,  and  professes  great  happiness  in  getting  rid  of  a 
vast  deal  of  unrequited  trouble." 

"  I  am  afraid  there  is  little  emolument,  if  he  is  glad  to  be 
rid  of  the  office." 

"  I  do  not  say  he  is  glad ;  I  only  say  \&  prof  esses  to  be  so. 
These  are  different  things  with  certain  persons.  As  for 
the  emolument,  it  will  not  be  much  certainly  ;  though  it 
will  be  enough  to  prevent  Frank's  sister  from  carrying 
chain,  and  leave  her  to  exercise  her  talents  and  industry 
in  their  proper  sphere.  In  the  first  place,  every  lease  on 
the  estate  is  to  be  renewed  ;  and  there  being  a  hundred, 
and  the  tenant  bearing  the  expense,  it  will  at  once  put  a 
considerable  sum  at  your  brother's  disposition.  I  cannot 
say  that  the  annual  commissions  will  amount  to  a  very 
great  deal,  though  they  will  exceed  a  hundred  a  year  by 
the  terms  on  which  the  lands  will  be  relet.  The  use  of  this 
house  and  farm,  however,  I  did  intend  to  offer  to  your 
uncle  ;  and,  for  the  same  reason,  I  shall  offer  them  to  Frank." 

"  With  this  house  and  farm  we  shall  be  rich  !  "  exclaimed 
Dus,  clasping  her  hands  in  delight.  "  I  can  gather  a  school 
of  the  better  class  of  girls,  and  no  one  will  be  useless — 
no  one  idle.  If  I  teach  your  tenants'  daughters  some  of 
the  ideas  of  their  sex  and  station,  Mr.  Littlepage,  you  will 
reap  the  benefit  in  the  end.  That  will  be  some  slight  return 
for  all  your  kindness." 

"  I  wish  all  of  your  sex,  and  of  the  proper  age,  who  are 
connected  with  me,  no  better  instructress.  Teach  them 
your  own  warmth  of  heart,  your  own  devotedness  of  feeling, 
your  own  truth,  and  your  own  frankness,  and  I  will  come 
%and  dwell  on  my  own  estate,  as  the  spot  nearest  to  para- 
dise." 

Dus  looked  a  little  alarmed,  I  thought,  as  if  she  feared 
she  might  have  uttered  too  much  ;  or,  perhaps,  that  /was 
uttering  too  much.  She  rose,  thanked  me  hurriedly,  but 
in  a  very  lady-like  manner,  and  set  about  removing  the 
breakfast  service,  with  as  much  diligence  as  if  she  had 
been  a  mere  menial. 


THE  CHAINBEARER.  155 

Such  was  my  very  first  conversation  with  Ursula  Mai- 
bone  ;  her,  with  whom  I  have  since  held  so  many,  and 
those  that  have  been  very  different !  When  I  rose  to  seek 
the  Chainbearer,  it  was  with  a  feeling  of  interest  in  my 
late  companion  that  was  as  strong  as  it  was  sudden.  I 
shall  not  deny  that  her  beauty  had  its  influence — it  would 
be  unnatural  that  it  should  not — but  it  was  less  her  ex- 
ceeding beauty,  and  Ursula  Malbone  would  have  passed 
for  one  of  the  fairest  of  her  sex — but  it  was  less  her 
beauty  that  attracted  me  than  her  directness,  truth,  and 
ingenuousness,  so  closely  blended  as  all  were  with  the  feel- 
ings and  delicacy  of  her  sex.  She  had  certainly  done 
things  which,  had  I  merely  heard  of  them,  would  have 
struck  me  unpleasantly,  as  even  bold  and  forward,  and 
which  may  now  so  strike  the  reader  ;  but  this  would  be 
doing  Dus  injustice.  No  act,  no  word  of  hers,  not  even 
the  taking  of  my  hand,  seemed  to  me,  at  the  time,  as  in 
the  least  forward  ;  the  whole  movement  being  so  complete- 
ly qualified  by  that  intensity  of  feeling  which  caused  her 
to  think  only  of  her  brother.  Nature  and  circumstances 
had  combined  to  make  her  precisely  the  character  she 
was  ;  and  I  will  confess  I  did  not  wish  her  to  be,  in  a 
single  particular,  different  from  what  I  found  her. 

Talk  of  Pris  Bayard  in  comparison  with  Ursula  Mal- 
bone !  Both  had  beauty,  it  is  true,  though  the  last  was  far 
the  handsomest  ;  both  had  delicacy,  and  sentiment,  and 
virtue,  and  all  that  pertains  to  a  well-educated  young 
woman,  if  you  will  ;  but  Dus  had  a  character  of  her  own, 
and  principles,  and  an  energy,  and  a  decision,  that  made 
her  the  girl  of  ten  thousand.  I  do  nojt  think  I  could  be 
said  to  be  actually  in  love  when  I  left  that  room,  for  I 
do  not  wish  to  appear  so  very  easy  to  receive  impressions 
as  all  that  would  come  to  ;  but  I  will  own  no  female  had 
ever  before  interested  me  a  tenth  part  as  much,  thoughj 
had  known,  and  possibly  admired  her,  a  twelvemonth. 

In  the  court  I  found  Andries  measuring  his  chains. 
This  he  did  periodically  ;  and  it  was  as  conscientiously 
as  if  he  were  weighing  gold.  The  old  man  manifested  no 
consciousness  of  the  length  of  the  tete-a-tete  I  had  held  with 
his  niece  ;  but  on  the  contrary,  the  first  words  he  uttered 
were  to  an  effect  that  proved  he  fancied  I  had  been  alone. 

"  I  Peg  your  parton,  lat,"  he  said,  holding  his  measuring 
rod  in  his  mouth  while  he  spoke.  "  I  peg  your  parton,  put 
this  is  very  necessary  work.  I  do  not  wish  to  haf  any  of 
your  Yankee  settlers  crying  out  hereafter  against  the 


154  THE  CHAINBEARER. 

Chainpearer's  surveys.  Let  'em  come  a  huntrct  or  a  t'ou 
sant  years  hence,  if  t'ey  will,  and  measure  t'e  lant ;  I  want 
olt  Andries'  survey  to  stant." 

"  The  variation  of  the  compass  will  make  some  difference 
in  the  two  surveys,  my  good  friend,  unless  the  surveyors 
are  better  than  one  commonly  finds." 

The  old  man  dropped  his  rod  and  his  chain,  and  looked 
despondingly  at  me. 

"True,"  he  said,  with  emphasis.  "You  haf  hit  t'e  nail 
on  t'e  heat,  Mortaunt — t'at  fariation  is  t'e  fery  teflfil  to  get 
along  wit'  !  I  haf  triet  it  t'is-a-way,  and  I  haf  triet  it  t'at- 
a-way,  and  never  coult  I  make  heat  or  tail  of  it !  I  can  see 
no  goot  of  a  fariation  at  all." 

"  What  does  your  pretty  assistant  Dus  think  of  it  ?  Dus, 
the  pretty  chainbearer?  You  will  lose  your  old,  hard- 
earned  appellation,  which  will  be  borne  off  by  Miss  Mai- 
bone." 

"T'en  Dus  has  peen  telling  you  all  apout  it  !  A  woman 
never  can  keep  a  secret.  No,  natur'  hast  mate  'em  talka- 
tif,  and  t'e  parrot  will  chatter." 

"A  woman  likes  variation,  notwithstanding — did  you 
consult  Dus  on  that  difficulty?" 

"  No,  no,  poy  ;  I  sait  not'ing  to  Dus,  and  I  am  sorry  she 
has  said  anyt'ing  to  you  apout  t'is  little  matter  of  t'e  cliain. 
It  was  sorely  against  my  will,  Mortaunt,  t'at  t'e  gal  ever 
carriet  it  a  rot ;  and  was  it  to  do  over  ag'in,  she  shoult  not 
carry  it  a  rot — yet  it  woult  have  tone  your  heart  goot  to 
see  how  prettily  she  did  her  work  ;  and  how  quick  she  wast, 
and  how  true  ;  and  how  accurate  she  put  down  the  marker  ; 
and  how  sartain  was  her  eye.  Natur'  made  t'at  fery  gal 
for  a  chainpearer  !  " 

"  And  a  chainbearer  she  has  been,  and  a  chainbearer  she 
ever  will  be,  until  she  throws  her  chains  on  some  poor 
fellow,  and  binds  him  down  for  life.  Andries,  you  have  an 
angel  with  you  here,  and  not  a  woman." 

Most  men  in  the  situation  of  the  Chainbearer  might  have 
been  alarmed  at  hearing  such  language  coming  from  a 
young  man,  and  under  all  the  circumstances  of  the  case. 
But  Andries  Coejemans  never  had  any  distrust  of  mortal 
who  possessed  his  ordinary  confidence  ;  and  I  question'  if 
he  ever  entertained  a  doubt  about  myself  on  any  point,  the 
result  of  his  own,  rather  than  of  my  character.  Instead  of 
manifesting  uneasiness  or  displeasure,  he  turned  to  me, 
his  whole  countenance  illuminated  with  the  affection  he 
felt  for  his  niece,  and  said — • 


THE  L,HAINBEARER.       ?  155 

"  T'e  gal  1st  an  excellent  girl,  Mortaun.  i  capital  creat- 
ure !  It  woult  haf  tone  your  heart  goot,  I  ttll  you,  to  see 
her  carry  chain  !  Your  pocket  is  none  t'e  worse  for  t'e 
mont'  she  worked,  t'ough  I  would  not  haf  you  t'ink  I 
charget  for  her  ast  a  man — no — she  is  town  at  only  half- 
price,  woman's  work  peing  only  woman's  work  ;  and  yet  I 
do  pelieve,  on  my  conscience,  t'at  we  went  over  more  grount 
in  t'at  mont',  t'an  we  could  haf  tone  wit'  any  man  t'at 
wast  to  pe  hiret  in  t'is  part  of  t'e  worlt — I  do,  indeet !  " 

How  strange  all  this  sounded  to  me  !  Charged  for  work 
done  by  Ursula  Malbone,  and  charged  at  half-price  !  We 
are  the  creatures  of  convention,  and  the  slaves  of  opinions 
that  come  we  know  not  whence.  I  had  got  the  notions  of 
my  caste,  obtained  in  the  silent',  insinuating  manner  in 
which  all  our  characters  are  formed  ;  and  nothing  short  of 
absolute  want  could  have  induced  me  to  accept  pecuniary 
compensation  from  an  individual  for  any  personal  service 
rendered.  I  had  no  profession,  and  it  did  not  comport  with 
our  usages  for  a  gentleman  to  receive  money  for  personal 
service  out  of  the  line  of  a  profession  ;  an  arbitrary  rule,  but 
one  to  which  most  of  us  submit  with  implicit  obedience. 
The  idea  that  Dus  had  been  paid  by  myself  for  positive  toil, 
therefore,  was  extremely  repugnant  to  me  ;  and  it  was  only 
after  reflection  that  I  came  to  view  the  whole  affair  as  I 
ought,  and  to  pass  to  the  credit  of  the  noble-minded  girl, 
and  this  without  any  drawback,  an  act  that  did  her  so 
much  honor.  I  wish  to  represent  myself  as  no  better  or 
no  wiser,  or  more  rational  than  I  was  ;  and,  I  fancy,  few 
young  men  of  my  age  and  habits  would  hear  with  much 
delight,  at  first,  that  the  girl  he  himself  felt  impelled  to 
love  had  been  thus  employed  ;  while,  on  the  other  hand, 
few  would  fail  to  arrive  at  the  same  conclusions,  on  reflec- 
tion, as  those  I  reached  myself. 

The  discourse  with  Andries  Coejemans  was  interrupted 
by  the  sudden  entrance  of  Frank  Malbone  into  the  court. 
This  was  my  first  meeting  with  my  young  -surveyor,  and 
the  Chainbearer  introduced  us  to  each  other  in  his  usual 
hearty  and  frank  manner.  In  a  minute  we  were  acquainted  ; 
the  old  man  inquiring  as  to  the  success  of  the  settlers  in 
getting  up  their  "  meetin'-us." 

"  I  staid  until  they  had  begun  to  place  the  rafters,"  an- 
swered young  Malbone,  cheerfully,  "  and  then  I  left  them. 
The  festivities  are  to  end  with  a  ball,  I  hear  ;  but  I  was 
too  anxious  to  learn  how  my  sister  reached  home — I  ought 
to  sav  reached  the  'Nest — to  remain.  We  have  little  ether 


156  THE  CHAINBEARER. 

home  now,  Mr.  Littlepage,  than  the  hut  in  the  woods,  and 
the  roof  your  hospitality  offers." 

"  Brother  soldiers,  sir,  and  brother  soldiers  in  such  a 
cause,  ought  to  have  no  more  scruples  about  accepting  such 
hospitalities,  as  you  call  them,  than  in  offering  them.  I  am 
glad,  however,  that  you  have  adverted  to  the  subject,  inas- 
much as  it  opens  the  way  to  a  proposition  I  have  intended 
to  make  ;  which,  if  accepted,  will  make  me  your  guest,  and 
which  may  as  well  be  made  now  as  a  week  later." 

Both  Andries  and  Frank  look  surprised  ;  but  I  led  them 
to  a  bench  on  the  open  side  of  the  court,  and  invited  them 
to  be  seated,  while  I  explained  myself.  It  may  be  well  to 
say  a  word  of  that  seat  in  passing.  It  stood  on  the  verge 
of  a  low  cliif  of  rocks,  on  the  side  of  the  court  which  had 
been  defended  by  palisades,  when  the  French  held  the 
Canadas,  and  the  remains  of  which  were  still  to  be  seen. 
Here,  as  I  was  told  before  we  left  the  spot,  Dus,  my  pretty 
chainbearer,  with  a  woman's  instinct  for  the  graceful  and 
the  beautiful,  had  erected  an  arbor,  principally  with  her 
own  hands,  planted  one  of  the  swift-growing  vines  of  our 
climate,  and  caused  a  seat  to  be  placed  within.  The  spot 
commanded  a  pleasing  view  of  a  wide  expanse  of  meadows, 
and  of  a  distant  hill-side,  that  still  lay  in  the  virgin  forest. 
Andries  told  me  that  his  niece  had  passed  much  of  her 
leisure  time  in  that  arbor,  since  the  growth  of  the  plant, 
with  the  advance  of  the  season,  had  brought  the  seat  into 
the  shade. 

Placing  myself  between  the  Chainbearer  and  Malbone, 
I  communicated  the  intention  I  had  formed  of  making  the 
latter  my  agent.  As  an  inducement  to  accept  the  situa- 
tion, I  offered  the  use  of  the  'Nest  house  and  the  'Nest 
farm,  reserving  to  myself  the  room  or  two  that  had  been 
my  grandfather's,  and  that  only  at  the  times  of  my  annual 
visits  to  the  property.  As  the  farm  was  large,  and  of  an 
excellent  quality  of  land,  it  would  abundantly  supply  the 
wants  of  a  family  of  modest  habits,  and  even  admit  of 
sales  to  produce  the  means  of  purchasing  such  articles  of 
foreign  growth  as  might  be  necessary.  In  a  word,  I  laid 
before  the  listeners  the  whole  of  my  plan,  which  was  a 
good  deal  enlarged  by  a  secret  wish  to  render  Ursula  com- 
fortable, without  saying  anything  about  the  motive. 

The  reader  is  not  to  suppose  I  was  exhibiting  any  ex- 
traordinary liberality  in  doing  that  which  I  have  related. 
It  must  not  be  forgotten  that  land  was  a  drug  in  the  State 
of  New  York  in  the  year  1784,  as  it  is  to-day  on  the  Miami,, 


THE  CIIAINBEARER.  157 

Ohio,  Mississippi,  and  other  inland  streams.  The  proprie- 
tors thought  but  little  of  their  possessions  as  the  means  of 
present  support,  but  rather  maintained  their  settlements 
than  their  settlements  maintained  them  \ooking  forward 
to  another  age,  and  to  their  posterity,  for  the  rewards  of 
all  their  trouble  and  investments.* 

It  is  scarcely  necessary  to  say  my  proposals  were  gladly 
accepted.  Old  Andries  squeezed  my  hand,  and  I  under- 
stood the  pressure  as  fully  as  if  he  had  spoken  with  the 
eloquence  of  Patrick  Henry.  Frank  Malbone  was  touched  ; 
and  all  parties  were  perfectly  satisfied.  The  surveyor  had 
his  field-inkstand  with  him,  as  a  matter  of  course,  and  I 
had  the  power  of  attorney  in  my  pocket  ready  for  the  in- 
sertion of  the  Chainbearer's  name,  would  he  accept  the 
office  of  agent.  That  of  Malbone  was  written  in  its  stead  ; 
I  signed  ;  Andries  witnessed  ;  and  we  left  the  seat  together, 
Frank  Malbone,  in  effect,  temporarily  master  of  the  house 
in  which  we  were,  and  his  charming  sister,  as  a  necessary 
consequence,  its  mistress.  It  was  a  delicious  moment  to 
me,  wrhen  I  saw  Dus  throw  herself  into  her  brother's  arms 
and  weep  on  his  bosom,  as  he  communicated  to  her  the 
joyful  intelligence. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

"  A  comfortable  doctrine,  and  much  may  be  said  of  it.    Where  lies  your 
text  ?  "—  Twelfth  Night  ;  or,   What  You 


A  MONTH  glided  swiftly  by.  During  that  interval,  Frank 
Malbone  was  fully  installed,  and  Andries  consented  to  sus- 
pend operations  with  his  chain  until  this  necessary  work 
was  completed.  Work  it  was  ;  for  every  lease  granted  by 
my  grandfather  having  run  out,  the  tenants  had  remained 

*  The  Manor  of  Rensselaerwick  virtually  extends  forty-eight  miles  east 
and  west,  and  twenty-four  north  and  south.  It  is  situated  in  the  very 
heart  of  New  York,  with  three  incorporated  cities  within  its  limits,  built, 
in  part,  on  small,  older  grants.  Albany  is  a  town  of  near,  if  not  of  quite, 
40,000  souls;  and  Troy  must  now  contain  near  28,000.  Yet  the  late 
patroon,  in  the  last  conversation  he  ever  held  with  the  writer,  only  a  few 
months  before  he  died,  stated  that  his  grandfather  was  the  first  proprietor 
who  ever  reaped  any  material  advantage  from  the  estate,  and  his  father 
the  first  who  received  any  income  of  considerable  amount.  The  home 
property,  farms  and  mills,  furnished  the  income  of  the  family  ..:or  more 
*han  a  century.  —  EDITOR. 


^58  THE  CI1AINBEARER. 

on  their  farms  by  sufferance,  or  as  occupants  at  will,  hold' 
ing  from -year  to  year  under  parole  agreements  made  with 
Mr.  Newcome,  who  had  authority  to  go  that  far,  but  no 
farther. 

It  was  seldom  that  a  landlord,  in  that  day,  as  I  have  al- 
ready said,  got  any  income  from  his  lands  during  the  first 
few  years  of  their  occupation.  The  great  thing  was  to  in- 
duce settlers  to  come  ;  for,  where  there  was  so  much  com- 
petition, sacrifices  had  to  be  made  in  order  to  effect  this 
preliminary  object.  In  compliance  with  this  policy,  my 
grandfather  had  let  his  wild  lands  for  nominal  rents  in 
nearly  every  instance,  with  here  and  there  a  farm  of  par- 
ticular advantages  excepted ;  and,  in  most  cases,  the  settler 
had  enjoyed  the  use  of  the  farm  for  several  years,  for  no 
rent  at  all.  "He  paid  the  taxes,  which  were  merely  nomi- 
nal, and  principally  to  support  objects  that  were  useful  to 
the  immediate  neighborhood  ;  such  as  the  construction  of 
roads,  bridges,  pounds,  with  other  similar  works,  and  the 
administration  of  justice.  At  the  expiration  of  this  period 
of  non-payment  of  rents,  a  small  sum  per  acre  was  agreed 
to  be  paid,  rather  than  actually  paid,  not  a  dollar  of  which 
had  ever  left  the  settlement.  The  landlord  was  expected 
to  head  all  subscriptions  for  everything  that  was  beneficial, 
or  which  professed  to  be  beneficial  to  the  estate  ;  and  the 
few  hundreds  a  year,  two  or  three  at  most,  that  my  rent- 
roll  actually  exhibited,  were  consumed  among  the  farms 
of  the  'Nest  It  was  matter  of  record  that  not  one  shilling 
had  the  owner  of  this  property,  as  yet,  been  able  to  carry 
away  with  him  for  his  own  private  purposes.  It  is  true,  it 
had  been  in  his  power  to  glean  a  little  each  year  for  such  a 
purpose  ;  but  it  was  not  considered  politic,  and  conse- 
quently it.  was  not  the  practice  of  the  country,  in  regard  to 
estates  so  situated  and  before  the  revolution  ;  though  iso- 
lated cases  to  the  contrary,  in  which  the  landlord  was  par- 
ticularly avaricious,  or  particularly  .necessitous,  may  have 
existed.  Our  New  York  proprietors,  in  that  day,  were 
seldom  of  the  class  that  needed  money.  Extravagance 
had  been  little  known  to  the  province,  and  could  not  yet 
be  known  to  the  State  ;  consequently,  few  lost  their  prop- 
erty from  their  expenditures,  though  some  did  from  mis- 
management. The  trade  of  "  puss  in  the  corner,"  or  of 
shoving  a  man  out  of  his  property,  in  order  to  place  one's 
self  in  it,  was  little  practised  previously  to  the  revolution ; 
and  the  community  always  looked  upon  the  intruder  into 
family  property  with  a  cold  eye,  unless  he  came  into  pos« 


THE  CHAINBEARER.  159 

session  by  fair  purchase,  and  for  a  sufficient  price.  Legal 
speculations  were  then  nearly  unknown ;  and  he  who  got 
rich  was  expected  to  do  so  by  manly  exertions,  openly  ex- 
ercised, and  not  by  the  dark  machinations  of  a  sinister 
practice  of  the  law. 

In  our  case,  not  a  shilling  had  we,  as  yet,  been  bene- 
fited by  the  property  of  Ravensnest.  All  that  had  ever 
been  received,  and  more  too,  had  been  expended  on  the 
spot  ;  but  a  time  had  now  arrived  when  it  was  just  and 
reasonable  that  the  farms  should  make  some  returns  for 
all  our  care  and  outlays. 

Eleven  thousand  acres  were  under  lease,  divided  among 
somewhat  less  than  a  hundred  tenants.  Until  the  first 
day  of  the  succeeding  April,  these  persons  could  hold 
their  lands  under  the  verbal  contracts  ;  but,  after  that  day, 
new  leases  became  necessary.  It  is  not  usual  for  the 
American  landlord  to  be  exacting.  It  is  out  of  his  power, 
indeed,  for  the  simple  reason  that  land  is  so  much  more 
abundant  than  men  ;  but,  it  is  not  th'e  practice  of  the 
country,  a  careless  indulgence  being  usually  the  sin  of  the 
caste  ;  an  indylgence  that  admits  of  an  accumulation  of 
arrears,  which,  when  pay-day  does  arrive,  is  apt  to  bring 
with  it  ill-blood  and  discontent.  It  is  an  undeniable  truth 
in  morals,  that,  whatever  may  be  the  feeling  at  the  time, 
men  are  rarely  grateful  for  a  government  that  allows  their 
vices  to  have  a  free  exercise.  They  invariably  endeavor 
to  throw  a  portion  of  the  odium  of  their  own  misdeeds  on 
the  shoulders  of  those  who  should  have  controlled  them. 
It  is  the  same  with  debts  ;  for,  however  much  we  may  beg 
for  lenity  at  the  time,  accumulations  of  interest  wear  a 
very  hostile  aspect  when  they  present  themselves  in  a  sum- 
total,  at  a  moment  it  is  inconvenient  to  balance  the  account. 
If  those  who  have  been  thus  placed  would  only  remember 
that  there  is  a  last  account  that  every  man  must  be  called 
on  to  settle,  arrearages  and  all,  the  experience  of  their 
worldly  affairs  might  suggest  a  lesson  that  would  be  in- 
finitely useful.  It  is  fortunate  for  us,  without  exception, 
that  there  is  a  Mediator  to  aid  us  in  the  task. 

The  time  had  come  when  Ravensnest  might  be  expected 
to  produce  something.  Guided  by  the  surveys,  and  our 
own  local  knowledge,  and  greatly  aided  by  the  Chainbear- 
er's  experience,  Frank  Malbone  and  I  passed  one  entire 
fortnight  in  classifying  the  farms  ;  putting  the  lowest  into 
the  shilling  category  ;  others  into  the  eighteen  pence  ;  and  a 
dozen  farms  or  so  into  the  two  shillings.  The  result  was, 


160  THE  CIIAIXBEARER. 

that  we  placed  six  thousand  acres  at  a  shilling  a  year  rent ; 
three  thousand  eight  hundred  at  eighteen  pence  the  acre  ; 
and  twelve  hundred  acres  at  two  shillings.  The  whole 
made  a  rental  of  fourteen  thousand  one  hundred  shil- 
lings, or  a  fraction  more  than  seventeen  hundred  and  forty- 
two  dollars  per  annum.  This  sounded  pretty  well  for  the 
year  1784,  and  it  was  exclusively  of  the  'Nest  farm,  of  Jason 
Newcome's  mills  and  timber-land,  which  he  had  hitherto 
enjoyed  for  nothing,  or  for  a  mere  nominal  rent,  and  all 
the  wild  lands. 

I  will  confess  I  exulted  greatly  in  the  result  of  our  cal- 
culations. Previously  to  that  day  I  placed  no  dependence 
on  Ravensnest  for  income,  finding  my  support  in  the  other 
property  I  had  inherited  from  my  grandfather.  On  paper, 
my  income  was  more  than  doubled,  for  I  received  then 
only  some  eleven  hundred  a  year  (I  speak  of  dollars,  not 
pounds)  from  my  other  property.  It  is  true,  the  last  in- 
cluded a  great  many  town-lots  that  were  totally  unproduc- 
tive, but  which  promised  to  be  very  valuable,  like  Ravens- 
nest  itself,  at  some  future  day.  Most  things  in  America 
looked  to  the  future,  then  as  now  ;  though  I  trust  the  hour 
of  fruition  is  eventually  to  arrive.  My  town  property  has 
long  since  become  very  valuable,  and  tolerably  productive. 

As  soon  as  our  scheme  for  reletting  was  matured,  Frank 
summoned  the  occupants  of  the  farms,  in  bodies  of  ten,  to 
present  themselves  at  thQ  'Nest,  in  order  to  take  their  new 
leases.  We  had  ridden  round  the  estate,  and  conversed 
with  the  tenantry,  and  had  let  my  intentions  be  known 
previously,  so  that  little  remained  to  be  discussed.  The 
farms  were  all  relet  for  three  lives,  and  on  my  own  plan,  no 
one  objecting  to  the  rent,  which,  it  was  admitted  all  round, 
was  not  only  reasonable,  but  low.  Circumstances  were 
then  too  recent  to  admit  of  the  past's  being  forgotten  ; 
and  the  day  when  the  last  lease  was  signed  was  one  of 
general  satisfaction.  I  did  think  of  giving  a  landlord's 
dinner,  and  of  collecting  the  whole  settlement  in  a  body, 
for  the  purpose  of  jovial  and  friendly  communion  ;  but 
old  Andries  threw  cold  water  on  the  project. 

"T'at  would  do,  Mortaunt,"  he  said,  "if  you  hat  only 
raal  New  Yorkers,  or  Middle  States  men  to  teal  wit'  ;  but 
more  t'an  half  of  t'ese  people  are  from  t'e  Eastern  States, 
where  t'ere  are  no  such  t'ings  as  lantlorts  and  tenants,  on 
a  large  scale  you  unterstant  ;  and  t'ere  isn't  a  man  among 
'em  all  t'at  isn't  looking  forwart  to  own  his  farm  one 
tay,  by  hook  or  by  crook.  T'ey're  as  jealous  of  t'eir  tig- 


THE  CHAINBEARER.  ib/ 

nities  as  if  each  man  wast  a  full  colonel,  and  will  not  t'ank 
you  for  a  tinner  at  which  t'ey  will  seem  to  play  secont  fit- 
tie." 

Although  I  knew  the  Chainbearer  had  his  ancient  Dutch 
prejudices  against  our  Eastern  brethren,  I  also  knew  that 
there  was  a  good  deal  of  truth  in  what  he  said.  Frank 
Malbone,  who  was  Rhode  Island  born,  had  the  same  no- 
tions, I  found  on  inquiry  ;  and  I  was  disposed  to  defer  to 
his  opinions.  Frank  Malbone  was  a  gentleman  himself, 
and  men  of  that  class  are  always  superior  to  low  jealous- 
ies ;  but  Frank  must  know  better  how  to  appreciate  the 
feelings  of  those  among  whom  he  had  been  bred  and  born 
than  I  could  possibly  know  how  to  do  it  myself.  The  proj- 
ect of  the  dinner  was  accordingly  abandoned. 

It  remained  to  make  a  new  arrangement  and  a  final  set- 
tlement with  Mr.  Jason  Newcome,  who  was  much  the 
most  thriving  man  at  Ravensnest ;  appearing  to  engross 
in  his  single  person  all  the  business  of  the  settlement. 
He  was  magistrate,  supervisor,  deacon,  according  to  the 
Congregational  plan,  or  whatever  he  is  called,  miller, 
store-keeper,  will-drawer,  tavern-keeper  by  deputy,  and 
adviser-general,  for  the  entire  region.  Everything  seemed 
to  pass  through  his  hands  ;  or,  it  would  be  better  to  say, 
everything  entered  them,  though  little  indeed  came  out 
again.  This  man  was  one  of  those  moneyed  gluttons,  on 
a  small  scale,  who  live  solely  to  accumulate  ;  in  my  view, 
the  most  odious  character  on  earth  ;  the  accumulations 
having  none  of  the  legitimate  objects  of  proper  industry 
and  enterprise  in  view.  So  long  as  there  was  a  man  near 
him  whom  he  supposed  to  be  richer  than  himself,  Mr. 
Newcome  would  have  been  unhappy  ;  though  he  did  not 
know  what  to  do  with  the  property  he  had  already  ac- 
quired. One  does  not  know  whether  to  detest  or  to  pity 
such  characters  the  most  ;  since,  while  they  are  and  must 
be  repugnant  to  every  man  of  right  feelings  and  generous 
mind,  they  carry  in  their  own  bosoms  the  worm  that  never 
dies,  to  devour  their  own  vitals. 

Mr.  Newcome  had  taken  his  removal  from  the  agency 
in  seeming  good  part,  affecting  a  wish  to  give  it  up  from 
the  moment  he  had  reason  to  think  it  was  to  be  taken 
from  him.  On  this  score,  therefore,  all  was  amicable,  not 
a  complaint  being  made  on  his  side.  On  the  contrary,  he 
met  Frank  Malbone  with  the  most  seeming  cordiality,  arid 
we  proceeded  to  business  with  as  much  apparent  good- 
will as  had  been  manifested  in  any  of  the  previous  bar- 
ii 


162  THE  CHA1NBEARER. 

gains.  Mr.  Newcome  did  nothing  directly  ;  a  circuitous 
path  being  the  one  he  had  been  accustomed  to  travel  from 
childhood. 

"  You  took  the  mill-lot  and  the  use  of  five  hundred  acres 
of  woodland  from  my  grandfather  for  three  lives  ;  or  fail- 
ing these,  for  a  full  term  of  one-and-twenty  years,  I  find, 
Mr.  Newcome,"  I  remarked,  as  soon  as  we  were  seated  at 
business,  "  and  for  a  nominal  rent  ;  the  mills  to  be  kept  in 
repair,  and  to  revert  to  the  landlord  at  the  termination  of 
the  lease." 

"  Yes,  Major  Littlepage,  that  was  the  bargain  I  will  al- 
low, though  a  hard  one  has  it  proved  to  me.  The  war 
come  on  " — this  man  was  what  was  called  liberally  edu- 
cated, but  "he  habitually  used  bad  grammar — "The  war 
come  on,  and  with  it  hard  times,  and  I  didn't  know  but  the 
major  would  be  willing  to  consider  the  circumstances,  if 
we  make  a  new  bargain." 

"The  war  cannot  have  had  much  effect  to  your  preju- 
dice, as  grain  of  all  sorts  bore  a  high  price  ;  and  I  should 
think  the  fact  that  large  armies  were  near  by,  to  consume 
everything  you  had  to  sell,  and  that  at  high  prices,  more 
than  compensated  for  any  disadvantage  it  might  have  in- 
duced. You  had  the  benefits  of  two  wars,  Mr.  Newcome  ; 
that  of  1775,  and  a  part  of  that  of  1756." 

My  tenant  made  no  answer  to  this,  finding  I  had  reflected 
on  the  subject,  and  was  prepared  to  answer  him.  After  a 
pause,  he  turned  to  more  positive  things. 

"  I  suppose  the  major  goes  on  the  principle  of  supposing 
a  legal  right  in  an  old  tenant  to  enj'y  a  new  lease  ?  I'm 
told  he  has  admitted  this  much  in  all  his  dealin's." 

"  Then  you  have  been  misinformed,  sir.  I  am  not  weak 
enough  to  admit  a  right  that  the  lease  itself,  which,  in  the 
nature  of  things,  must  and  does  form  the  tenant's  only 
title,  contradicts  in  terms.  Your  legal  interest  in  the  prop- 
erty ceases  altogether  in  a  few  days  from  this  time." 

"  Y-a-a-s — y-a-a-s — sir,  I  conclude  it  doose,"  said  the 
'squire,  leaning  back  in  his  chair,  until  his  body  was  at  an 
angle  of  some  sixty  or  seventy  degrees  with  the  floor — "  I 
conclude  it  doose  accordin'  to  the  covenants  ;  but  between 
man  and  man,  there  ought  to  be  suthin'  more  bindin1." 

"  I  know  of  nothing  more  binding  in  a  lease  than  its 
covenants,  Mr.  Newcome." 

"Wa-a-1" — how  that  man  would  'wa-a-a-1'  when  he 
wished  to  circumvent  a  fellow-creature  ;  and  with  what  a 
Jesuitical  accent  did  he  pronounce  the  word  !  "  Wa-a-a-1 — • 


THE  CHAINBEARER.  163 

that's  accordin'  to  folk's  idees.  A  covenant  may  be  hard ; 
and  then,  in  my  judgment,  it  ought  to  go  for  nothin'.  I'm 
ag'in  all  hard  covenants." 

"  Harkee,  frient  Jason,"  put  in  the  Chainbearer,  who  was 
an  old  acquaintance  of  Mr.  Newcome's,  and  appeared 
thoroughly  to  understand  his  character — "  Harkee,  frient 
Jason  ;  do  you  gift  back  unexpected  profits,  ven  it  so  hap- 
pens t'at  more  are  mate  on  your  own  pargains  t'an  were 
look  for  ? " 

"  It's  not  of  much  use  to  convarse  with  you,  Chainbearer, 
on  such  subjects,  for  we'll  never  think  alike,"  answered  the 
'squire,  leaning  still  farther  back  in  his  chair  ;  "you're wThat 
I  call  a  particular  man,  in  your  notions,  and  ive  should 
never  agree." 

"  Still,  there  is  good  sense  in  the  Chainbearer's  ques- 
tion," I  added.  "  Unless  prepared  to  answer  'yes,'  I  do 
not  see  how  you  can  apply  your  own  principle  with  any 
justice.  But  let  this  pass  as  it  will,  why  are  covenants 
made,  if  they  are  not  to  be  regarded  ? " 

"  Wa-a-1,  now,  accordin'  to  my  notion,  a  covenant  in  a 
lease  is  pretty  much  like  a  water-course  in  a  map  ;  not  a 
thing  to  be  partic'lar  at  all  about  ;  but  as  water-courses 
look  well  on  a  map,  so  covenants  read  well  in  a  lease. 
Landlords  like  to  have  'em,  and  tenants  a'n't  particu- 
lar." 

"  You  can  hardly  be  serious  in  either  case,  I  should  hope, 
Mr.  Newcome,  but  are  pleased  to  exercise  your  ingenuity 
on  us  for  your  own  amusement.  There  is  nothing  so  par- 
ticular in  the  covenants  of  your  lease  as  to  require  any 
case  of  conscience  to  decide  on  its  points.". 

"There's  this  in  it,  major,  that  you  get  the  whull  prop- 
erty back  ag'in,  if  you  choose  to  claim  it." 

"  Claim  it !  the  whole  property  has  been  mine,  or  my 
predecessors',  ever  since  it  was  granted  to  us  by  the 
crown.  AH  your  rights  come  from  your  lease ;  and  when 
that  terminates,  your  rights  terminate." 

"  Not  accordin'  to  my  judgment,  major  ;  not  accordin' 
to  my  judgment.  I  built  the  mills  at  my  own  cost,  you'll 
remember." 

"  I  certainly  know,  sir,  that  you  built  the  mills  at  what 
you  call  your  own  cost ;  that  is,  you  availed  yourself  of  a 
natural  mill-seat,  used  our  timber  and  other  materials,  and 
constructed  the  mills,  such  as  they  are,  looking  for  your 
reward  in  their  use  for  the  term  of  a  quarter  of  a  century, 
for  a  mere  nominal  rent — having  saw-logs  at  command  as 


164  7 HE  CHA1NBEAREK. 

you  wanted  them,  and  otherwise  enjoying  privileges  under 
one  of  the  most  liberal  leases  that  was  ever  granted." 

"  Yes,  sir,  but  that  was.  in  the  bargain  I  made  with  your 
grand'ther.  It  was  agreed  between  us,  at  the  time  I  took 
the  place,  that  I  was  to  cut  logs  at  will,  and  of  course  use 
the  materials  on  the  ground  for  buildin.'  You  see,  major, 
your  grand'ther  wanted  the  mills  built  desperately  ;  and 
so  he  gave  them  conditions  accordin'ly.  You'll  find  every 
syllable  on't  in  the  lease." 

"  No  doubt,  Mr.  Newcome  ;  and  you  will  also  find  a 
covenant  in  the  same  lease,  by  which  your  interest  in  the 
property  is  to  cease  in  a  few  days." 

"  Wa-a-1,  -now,  I  don't  understand  leases  in  that  way. 
Surely  it  was  never  intended  a  man  should  erect  mills,  to 
lose  all  right  in  'em  at  the  end  of  five-and-twenty  years." 

"  That  will  depend  on  the  bargain  made  at  the  time. 
Some  persons  erect  mills  and  houses  that  have  no  rights 
in  them  at  all.  They  are  paid  for  their  work  as  they 
build." 

"  Yes,  yes — carpenters  and  millwrights,  you  mean.  But 
I'm  speakin'  of  no  such  persons  ;  I'm  speakin'  of  honest, 
hard-workin',  industrious  folks,  that  give  their  labor  and 
time  to  build  up  a  settlement ;  and  not  of  your  mechanics 
who  work  for  hire.  Of  course,  they're  to  be  paid  for  what 
they  do,  and  there's  an  eend  on't."' 

"  I  am  not  aware  that  all  honest  persons  are  hard-work- 
ing, any  more  than  that  all  hard-working  persons  are 
honest.  I  wish  to  be  understood  that,  in  the  first  place, 
Mr.  Newcome,  phrases  will  procure  no  concession  from 
me.  I  agree  with  you,  however,  perfectly,  in  saying  that 
when  a  man  is  paid  for  his  work,  there  will  be  what  you 
call  '  an  end  of  it.'  Now  twenty-three  days  from  this 
moment,  you  will  have  been  paid  for  all  you  have  done 
on  my  property  according  to  your  own  agreement  ;  and 
by  your  own  reasoning,  there  must  be  an  end  of  your  con- 
nection with  that  property." 

"The  major  doesn't  mean  to  rob  me  of  all  my  hard 
earnin's  ! " 

"  Mr.  Newcome,  rob  is  a  hard  word,  and  one  that  I  beg 
may  not  be  again  used  between  you  and  me.  I  have  no 
intention  to  rob  you,  or  to  let  you  rob  me.  The  pretence 
that  you  are  not,  and  were  not  acquainted  with  the  con- 
ditions of  this  lease,  comes  rather  late  in  the  day,  after  a 
possession  of  a  quarter  of  a  century.  You  know  very 
well  that  my  grandfather  would  not  sell,  and  that  he 


THE  CHAINBEARER.  165 

would  do  no  more  than  lease  ;  if  it  were  your  wish  to  pur- 
chase, why  did  you  not  go  elsewhere,  and  get  land  in  fee  ? 
There  were,  and  still  are,  thousands  of  acres  to  be  sold, 
all  around  you.  I  have  lands  to  sell,  myself,  at  Mooseridge, 
as  the  agent  of  my  father  and  Colonel  Pollock,  within 
twenty  miles  of  you,  and  they  tell  me  capital  mill-seats  in 
the  bargain." 

"Yes,  major,  but  not  so  much  to  my  notion  as  this — 1 
kind  o'  wanted  this  !  " 

"  But,  I  kind  o'  want  this,  too  ;  and,  as  it  is  mine,  I 
think,  in  common  equity,  I  have  the  best  claim  to  en 
joy  it." 

"  It's  on  equity  I  want  to  put  this  very  matter,  major — 1 
know  the  law  is  ag'in  me — that  is,  some  people  say  it  is  ; 
but  some  think  not,  now  we've  had  a  revolution — but,  let 
the  law  go  as  it  may,  there's  such  a  thing  as  what  I  call 
right  between  man  and  man." 

"  Certainly  ;  and  law  is  an  invention  to  enforce  it.  It  is 
right  I  should  do  exactly  what  my  grandfather  agreed  to 
do  for  me,  five-and-twenty  years  ago,  in  relation  to  these 
mills  ;  and  it  is  right  you  should  do  what  you  agreed  to  do, 
for  yourself." 

"  I  have  done  so.  I  agreed  to  build  the  mills,  in  a  sartain 
form  and  mode,  and  I  done  it.  I'll  defy  mortal  man  to  say 
otherwise.  The  saw-mill  was  smashing  away  at  the  logs 
within  two  months  a'ter  I  got  the  lease,  and  we  began  to 
grind  in  four  !  " 

"No  doubt,  sir,  you  were  active  and  industrious — though, 
to  be  frank  with  you,  I  will  say  that  competent  judges  tell 
me  neither  mill  is  worth  much  now." 

"That's  on  account  of  the  lease" — cried  Mr.  Newcome, 
a  little  too  hastily,  possibly,  for  the  credit  of  his  discretion 
— "  how  did  I  know  when  it  would  run  out  ?  Your  gran'ther 
granted  it  for  three  lives,  and  twenty-one  years  afterward, 
and  I  did  all  a  man  could  to  make  it  last  as  long  as  I 
should  myself ;  but  here  I  am,  in  the  prime  of  life,  and  in 
danger  of  losing  my  property !  " 

I  knew  all  the  facts  of  the  case  perfectly,  and  had  in- 
tended to  deal  liberally  with  Mr.  Newcome  from  the  first. 
In  his  greediness  for  gain  he  had  placed  his  lives  on  three 
infants,  although  my  grandfather  had  advised  him  to  place 
at  least  one  on  himself  ;  but,  no — Mr.  Newcome  had  fan- 
cied the  life  of  an  infant  better  than  that  of  a  man  ;  and  in 
three  or  four  years  after  the  signature  of  the  lease,  his 
twenty-one  years  had  begun  to  run,  and  were  now  near  ex- 


i66  THE  CHAINBEARER. 

piring.  Even  under  this  certainly  unlocked-for  state  of 
things,  the  lease  had  been  a  very  advantageous  one  for  the 
tenant  ;  and,  had  one  of  his  lives  lasted  a  century,  the 
landlord  would  have  looked  in  vain  for  any  concession  on 
that  account  ;  landlords  never  asking  for,  or  expecting 
favors  of  that  sort ;  indeed  most  landlords  would  be  ashamed 
to  receive  them  ;  nevertheless,  I  was  disposed  to  consider 
the  circumstances,  to  overlook  the  fact  that  the  mills  and 
all  the  other  buildings  on  the  property  were  indifferently 
built,  and  to  relet,  for  an  additional  term  of  twenty-one 
years,  woodlands,  farms,  buildings,  and  other  privileges, 
for  about  one-third  of  the  money  that  Mr.  Newcome  him- 
self would  have  been  apt  to  ask,  had  he  the  letting  instead 
of  myself.  Unwilling  to  prolong  a  discussion  with  a  man 
who,  by  his  very  nature,  was  unequal  to  seeing  more  than 
one  side  of  a  subject,  I  cut  the  matter  short  by  telling  him 
my  terms  without  further  delay. 

Notwithstanding  all  his  acting  and  false  feeling,  the 
'squire  was  so  rejoiced  to  learn  my  moderation  that  he 
could  not  but  openly  express  his  feelings  ;  a  thing  he 
would  not  have  done  did  he  not  possess  the  moral  cer- 
tainty I  would  not  depart  from  my  word.  I  felt  it  neces- 
sary, however,  to  explain  myself. 

"  Before  I  give  you  this  new  lease,  Mr.  Newcome,"  I 
added,  holding  the  instrument  signed  in  my  hand,  "I  wish 
to  be  understood.  It  is  not  granted  under  the  notion  that 
you  have  any  right  to  ask  it,  beyond  the  allowance  that  is 
always  made  by  a  liberal  landlord  to  a  reasonably  good 
tenant  ;  which  is  simply  a  preference  over  others  on  the 
same  terms.  As  for  the  early  loss  of  your  lives,  it  was 
your  own  fault.  Had  the  infants  you  named,  or  had  one 
of  them,  passed  the  state  of  childhood,  it  might  have  lived 
to  be  eighty,  in  which  case  my  timber-land  would  have 
been  stripped  without  any  return  to  its  true  owner,  but 
your  children  died,  and  the  lease  was  brought  within  rea- 
sonable limits.  Now  the  only  inducement  I  have  for 
offering  the  terms  I  do,  is  the  liberality  that  is  usual  with 
landlords,  what  is  conceded  is  conceded  as  no  right,  but  as 
an  act  of  liberality." 

This  was  presenting  to  my  tenant  the  most  incompre- 
hensible of  all  reasons  for  doing  anything.  A  close  and 
sordid  calculator  himself,  he  was  not  accustomed  to  give 
any  man  credit  for  generosity  ;  and,  from  the  doubting, 
distrustful  manner  in  which  he  received  the  paper,  I  sus- 
pected at  the  moment  that  he  was  afraid  there  was  some 


THE  CHAINBEARER.  167 

project  for  taking  him  in.  A  rogue  is  always  distrustful, 
and  as  often  betrays  his  character  to  honest  men  by  that 
as  by  any  other  failing.  I  was  not  to  regulate  my  own 
conduct,  however,  by  the  weaknesses  of  Jason  Newcome, 
and  the  lease  was  granted. 

I  could  wish  here  to  make  one  remark.  There  ought 
certainly  to  be  the  same  principle  of  good  fellowship  exist- 
ing between  the  relations  of  landlord  and  tenant  that  exist 
in  the  other  relations  of  life,  and  which  creates  a  moral  tie 
between  parties  that  have  much  connection  in  their  ordi- 
nary interests,  and  that  to  a  degree  to  produce  preferences 
and  various  privileges  of  a  similar  character.  This  I  am 
far  from  calling  in  question  ;  and,  on  the  whole,  I  think, 
of  all  that  class  of  relations,  the  one  in  question  is  to  be  set 
down  as  among  the  most  binding  and  sacred.  Still,  the 
mere  moral  rights  of  the  tenant  must  depend  on  the  rigid 
maintenance  of  all  the  rights  of  the  landlord  ;  the  legal 
and  moral  united  ;  and  the  man  who  calls  in  question 
either  of  the  latter,  surely  violates  every  claim  to  have  his 
own  pretensions  allowed,  beyond  those  which  the  strict 
letter  of  the  law  will  yield  to  him.  The  landlord  who  will 
grant  a  new  lease  to  the  individual  who  is  endeavoring  to  under- 
mine his  rights,  by  either  direct  or  indirect  means,  commits  the 
weakness  of  arming  an  enemy  with  the  knife  by  which  he  is  him- 
self to  be  assaulted,  in  addition  to  the  error  of  granting  power 
to  a  man  who,  under  the  character  of  a  spurious  liberty,  is  en- 
deavoring to  unsettle  the  only  conditions  on  which  civilized  society 
can  exist.  If  landlords  will  exhibit  the  weakness,  they  must 
blame  themselves  for  the  consequences. 

I  got  rid  of  Mr.  Newcome  by  the  grant  of  the  lease,  his 
whole  manoeuvring  having  been  attempted  solely  to  lower 
the  rent ;  for  he  was  much  too  shrewd  to  believe  in  the 
truth  of  his  own  doctrines  on  the  subject  of  right  and 
wrong.  That  same  day  my  axe-men  appeared  at  the  'Nest, 
having  passed  the  intermediate  time  in  looking  at  various 
tracts  of  land  that  were  in  the  market,  and  which  they  had 
not  found  so  eligible,  in  the  way  of  situation,  quality,  or 
terms,  as  those  I  offered.  By  this  time,  the  surveyed'  lots 
of  Mooseridge  were  ready,  and  I  offered  to  sell  them  to 
these  emigrants.  The  price  w^as  only  a  dollar  an  acre, 
with  a  credit  of  ten  years;  the  interest  to  be  paid  annually. 
One  would  have  thought  that  the  lowness  of  the  price 
would  have  induced  men  to  prefer  lands  in  fee  to  lands  on 
lease  ;  but  these  persons,  to  a  man,  found  it  more  to  their 
interests  to  take  farms  on  three-lives  leases,  being  rent-free 


i68  THE  CHA1NBEARER. 

for  the  first  five  years,  and  at  nominal  rents  for  the  re- 
mainder of  the  term,  than  to  pay  seven  dollars  a  year  of 
interest,  and  a  hundred  dollars  in  money,  at  the  expiration 
of  the  credit*  This  fact,  of  itself,  goes  to  show  how 
closely  these  men  calculated  their  means,  and  the  effect 
their  decisions  might  have  on  their  interests.  Nor  were 
their  decisions  always  wrong.  Those  who  can  remember 
the  start  the  country  took  shortly  after  the  peace  of  '83, 
the  prices  that  the  settlers  on  new  lands  obtained  for  their 
wheat,  ashes,  and  pork  ;  three  dollars  a  bushel  often  for  the 
first,  three  hundred  dollars  a  ton  for  the  second,  and  eight 
or  ten  dollars  a  hundred  for  the  last,  will  at  once  under- 
stand that  the  occupant  of  new  lands  at  that  period  ob- 
tained enormous  wages  for  a  laborer  by  means  of  the  rich 
unexhausted  lands  he  was  thus  permitted  to  occupy.  No 
doubt  he  would  have  been  in  a  better  situation  had  he 
owned  his  farm  in  fee  at  the  end  of  his  lease  ;  so  would 
the  merchant  who  builds  a  ship  and  clears  her  cost  by  her 
first  freight,  have  been  a  richer  man  had  he  cleared  the 
cost  of  two  ships  instead  of  one  ;  but  he  has  done  well, 
notwithstanding  ;  and  it  is  not  to  be  forgotten  that  the  man 
who  commences  life  with  an  axe  and  a  little  household 
furniture,  is  in  the  situation  of  a  mere  day-laborer.  The 
addition  to  his  means  of  the  use  of  land  is  the  very  cir- 
cumstance that  enables  him  to  rise  above  his  humble  posi- 
tion, and  to  profit  by  the  cultivation  of  the  soil.  At  the 
close  of  the  last  century,  and  at  the  commencement  of  the 
present,  the  country  was  so  placed  as  to  render  every 
stroke  of  the  axe  directly  profitable,  the  very  labor  that 
was  expended  in  clearing  away  the  trees  meeting  with  a 
return  so  liberal  by  the  sale  of  the  ashes  manufactured, 
as  to  induce  even  speculators  to  engage  in  the  occupa- 
tion. It  may  one  day  be  a  subject  of  curious  inquiry 
to  ascertain  how  so  much  was  done  as  is  known  to  have 

*  The  fact  here  stated  by  Mr.  Littlepage  should  never  be  forgotten  ;  in- 
asmuch as  it  colors  the  entire  nature  of  the  pretension  now  set  up  as  to  the 
exactions  of  leases.  No  man  in  New  York  need  ever  have  leased  a  farm  for 
the  want  of  an  opportunity  of  purchasing,  there  never  having  been  a  time 
when  land  for  farms  in  fee  has  not  been  openly  on  sale  within  the  bounds 
of  the  State  ;  and  land  every  way  as  eligible  as  that  leased.  In  few  cases 
have  two  adjoining  estates  been  leased  ;  and  where  such  has  been  the  fact, 
the  husbandman  might  always  have  found  a  farm  in  fee,  at  the  cost  of 
half  a  day's  travelling.  The  benefits  to  the  landlord  have  usually  been  so 
remote  on  the  estate  leased,  that  by  far  the  greater  proportion  of  the  pro- 
prietors have  preferred  selling  at  once,  to  waiting  for  the  tardy  operations 
of  time. — EDITOR. 


THE  CHAINBEARER.  169 

been  done  at  that  period,  toward  converting  the  wilder- 
ness  into  a  garden  ;  and  I  will  here  record,  for  the  benefit 
of  posterity,  a  brief  sketch  of  one  of  the  processes  of 
getting  to  be  comfortable,  if  not  rich,  that  was  much  used 
in  that  day. 

It  was  a  season's  work  for  a  skilful  axe-man  to  chop, 
log,  burn,  clear,  and  sow  ten  acres  of  forest  land.  The 
ashes  he  manufactured.  For  the  heavier  portions  of  the 
work,  such  as  the  logging,  he  called  on  his  neighbors  for 
aid,  rendering  similar  assistance  by  way  of  payment  One 
yoke  of  oxen  frequently  sufficed  for  two  or  three  farms, 
and  "  logging-bees  "  have  given  rise  to  a  familiar  expres- 
sion among  us,  that  is  known  as  legislative  "  log-rolling  ;" 
a  process  by  which,  as  is  well  known,  one  set  of  members 
supports  the  project  of  another  set,  on  the  principle  of 
reciprocity. 

Now  ten  acres  of  land,  cropped  for  the  first  time,  might 
very  well  yield  a  hundred  and  fifty  bushels  of  merchantable 
wheat,  which  would  bring  three  hundred  dollars  in  the 
Albany  market.  They  would  also  make  a  ton  of  pot-ashes,' 
which  would  sell  for  at  least  two  hundred  dollars.  This  is 
giving  five  hundred  dollars  for  a  single  year's  work.  Al- 
lowing for  all  the  drawbacks  of  buildings,  tools,  chains, 
transportation,  provisions,  etc.,  and  one-half  of  this  money 
might  very  fairly  be  set  down  as  clear  profit  ;  very  large 
returns  to  one  who,  before  he  got  his  farm,  was  in  the 
situation  of  a  mere  day-laborer,  content  to  toil  for  eight 
or  nine  dollars  the  month. 

That  such  was  the  history,  in  its  outlines,  of  the  rise  of 
thousands  of  the  yeomen  who  now  dwell  in  New  York,  is 
undeniable  ;  and  it  goes  to  show  that  if  the  settler  in  a  new 
country  has  to  encounter  toil  and  privations,  they  are  not 
alwTays  without  their  quick  rewards.  In  these  later  times, 
men  go  on  the  open  prairies,  and  apply  the  plough  to  an 
ancient  sward  ;  but  I  question  if  they  would  not  rather 
encounter  the  virgin  forests  of  1790,  with  the  prices  of 
that  day,  than  run  over  the  present  park-like  fields,  in 
order  to  raise  wheat  for  37-^-  cents  per  bushel,  have  no 
ashes  at  any  price,  and  sell  their  pork  at  two  dollars  the 
hundred  ! 


/70  THE  CHAINBEARER. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

"  Intent  to  blend  her  with  his  lot, 
Fate  formed  her  all  that  he  was  not ; 
And,  as  by  mere  unlikeness  thought, 

Associate  we  see, 

Their  hearts,  from  very  difference,  caught 
A  perfect  sympathy." — PINCKNEY. 

ALL  this  time  I  saw  Ursula  Malbone  daily,  and  at  all 
hours  of  the  day.  Inmates  of  the  same  dwelling,  we  met 
constantly,  and  many  were  the  interviews  and  conversa- 
tions which  took  place  between  us.  Had  Dus  been  the 
most  finished  coquette  in  existence,  her  practised  ingenu- 
ity could  not  have  devised  more  happy  expedients  to 
awaken  interest  in  me  than  those  which  were  really  put 
in  use  by  this  singular  girl,  without  the  slightest  inten- 
tion of  bringing  about  any  such  result.  Indeed,  it  was 
the  nature,  the  total  absence  of  art,  that  formed  one  of 
the  brightest  attractions  of  her  character,  and  gave  so  keen 
a  zest  to  her  cleverness  and  beauty.  In  that  day,  females, 
while  busied  in  the  affairs  of  their  household,  appeared 
in  "  short  gown  and  petticoat,"  as  it  was  termed,  a  species 
of  livery  that  even  ladies  often  assumed  of  a  morning. 
The  toilette  was  of  far  wider  range  in  1784  than  it  is  now, 
the  distinctions  between  morning  and  evening  dress  being 
much  broader  then  than  at  present.  As  soon  as  she  was 
placed  really  at  the  head  of  her  brother's  house,  Ursula 
Malbone  set  about  the  duties  of  her  new  station  quietly 
and  without  the  slightest  fuss,  but  actively  and  with  inter- 
est. She  seemed  to  me  to  possess,  in  a  high  degree,  that 
particular  merit  of  carrying  on  the  details  of  her  office 
in  a  silent,  unobtrusive  manner,  while  they  were  performed 
most  effectually,  and  entirely  to  the  comfort  of  those  for 
whose  benefit  her  care  was  exercised.  I  am  not  one  of 
those  domestic  canters  who  fancy  a  woman,  in  order  to 
make  a  good  wife,  needs  be  a  drudge,  and  possess  the 
knowledge  of  a  cook  or  a  laundress  ;  but  it  is  certainly  of 
great  importance  that  she  have  the  faculty  of  presiding 
over  her  family  with  intelligence,  and  an  attention  that  is 
suited  to  her  means  of  expenditure.  Most  of  all  it  is  im- 
portant that  she  know  how  to  govern  without  being  seen 
or  heard. 

The  wife  of  an  educated  man  should  be  an  educated 


THE  CHAINBEARER.  171 

woman  :  one  fit  to  be  his  associate,  qualified  to  mingle  her 
tastes  with  his  own,  to  exchange  ideas,  and  otherwise  to  be 
his  companion,  in  an  intellectual  sense.  These  are  the 
higher  requisites  ;  a  gentleman  accepting  the  minor  quali- 
fications as  so  many  extra  advantages,  if  kept  within  their 
proper  limits  ;  but  as  positive  disadvantages  if  they  inter- 
fere with,  or  in  any  manner  mar  the  manners,  temper,  or 
mental  improvement  of  the  woman  whom  he  has  chosen 
as  his  wife,  and  not  as  his  domestic.  Some  sacrifices  may 
be  necessary  in  those  cases  in  which  cultivation  exists  with- 
out a  sufficiency  of  means  ;  but  even  then,  it  is  seldom  in- 
deed that  a  woman  of  the  proper  qualities  may  not  be  pre- 
vented from  sinking  to  the  level  of  a  menial.  As  for  the 
cant  of  the  newspapers  on  such  subjects,  it  usually  comes 
from  those  whose  homes  are  mere  places  for  "  board  and 
lodging." 

The  address  with  which  Dus  discharged  all  the  functions 
of  her  new  station,  while  she  avoided  those  that  were  un- 
seemly and  out  of  place,  charmed  me  almost  as  much  as 
her  spirit,  character,  and  beauty.  The  negroes  removed  all 
necessity  for  her  descending  to  absolute  toil  ;  and  with 
what  pretty,  feminine  dexterity  did  she  perform  the  duties 
that  properly  belonged  to  her  station  !  Always  cheerful, 
frequently  singing,  not  in  a  noisy,  milkmaid  mood,  but  at 
those  moments  when  she  might  fancy  herself  unheard,  and 
in  sweet,  plaintive  songs  that  seemed  to  recall  the  scenes 
of  other  days.  Always  cheerful,  however,  is  saying  a  little 
too  much  ;  for  occasionally,  Dus  was  sad.  I  found  her  in 
tears  three  or  four  times,  but  did  not  dare  inquire  into 
their  cause.  There  was  scarce,  time,  indeed  ;  for  the  in- 
stant I  appeared,  she  dried  her  eyes,  and  received  me  with 
smiles. 

It  is  scarcely  necessary  to  say  that  to  me  the  time  passed 
pleasantly,  and  amazingly  fast.  Chainbearer  remained  at 
the  'Nest  by  my  orders,  for  he  would  not  yield  to  requests  ; 
and  I  do  not  remember  a  more  delightful  month  than  that 
proved  to  be.  I  made  a  very  general  acquaintance  with 
my  tenants,  and  found  many  of  them  as  straightforward, 
honest,  hard-working  yeomen  as  one  could  wish  to  meet. 
My  brother  major,  in  particular,  was  a  hearty  old  fellow, 
and  often  came  to  see  me,  living  on  the  farm  that  adjoined 
my  own.  He  growled  a  little  about  the  sect  that  had  got 
possession  of  the  "  meetin'-us,"  but  did  it  in  a  way  to  show 
there  was  not  much  gall  in  his  own  temperament. 

"  I  don't  rightly  understand   these   majority  matters,' 


172  THE  CHAINBEARER. 

said  the  old  fellow,  one  day  that  we  were  talking  the  mat. 
ter  over,  "  though  I  very  well  know  Newcome  always  man- 
ages to  get  one,  let  the  folks  think  as  they  will.  I've  known 
the  'squire  contrive  to  cut  a  majority  out  of  about  a  fourth 
of  all  present,  and  he  does  it  in  a  way  that  is  desp'ret  in- 
gen'ous,  I  will  allow,  though  I'm  afeard  it's  neither  law 
nor  gospel." 

"  He  certainly  managed,  in  the  affair  of  the  denomina- 
tion, to  make  a  plurality  of  one  appear  in  the  end  to  be  a 
very  handsome  majority  over  all." 

"  Ay,  there's  twists  and  turns  in  these  things  that's  be- 
yond my  1'arnin',  though  I  s'pose  all's  right.  It  don't  mat- 
ter much  in  the  long  run,  a'ter  all,  where  a  man- worships, 
provided  he  worships  ;  or  who  preaches,  so  that  he  listens." 

I  think  this  liberality — if  that  be  the  proper  word — in 
religious  matters,  is  fast  increasing  among  us  ;  though  lib- 
erality may  be  but  another  term  for  indifference.  As  for 
us  Episcopalians,  I  wonder  there  are  any  left  in  the  coun- 
try, though  we  are  largely  on  the  increase.  There  we 
were,  a  church  that  insisted  on  Episcopal  ministrations — 
on  confirmation  in  particular — left  for  a  century  without  a 
bishop,  and  unable  to  conform  to  practices  that  it  was  in- 
sisted on  were  essential,  and  this  solely  because  it  did  not 
suit  the  policy  of  the  mother  country  to  grant  us  prelates 
of  our  own,  or  to  send  us,  occasionally  even,  one  of  hers  ! 
How  miserable  do  human  expedients  often  appear  when 
they  are  tried  by  the  tests  of  common  sense  !  A  church  of 
God,  insisting  on  certain  spiritual  essentials  that  it  denies 
to  a  portion  of  its  people,  in  order  to  conciliate  worldly 
interests  !  It  is  not  the  Church  of  England,  however,  nor 
the  Government  of  England,  that  is  justly  obnoxious  to 
such  an  accusation  ;  something  equally  bad  and  just  as  in- 
consistent, attaching  itself  to  the  ecclesiastical  influence  of 
every  other  system  in  Christendom  under  which  the  state 
is  tied  to  religion  by  means  of  human  provisions.  The 
mistake  is  in  connecting  the  things  of  the  world  with  the 
things  that  are  of  God. 

Alas  !  alas  !  When  you  sever  that  pernicious  tie,  is  the 
matter  much  benefited  ?  How  is  it  among  ourselves  ?  Are 
not  sects,  and  shades  of  sects,  springing  up  among  us  on 
every  side,  until  the  struggle  between  parsons  is  getting  to 
be  not  who  shall  aid  in  making  most  Christians,  but  who 
shall  gather  into  his  fold  most  sectarians  ?  As  for  the  peo- 
ple themselves,  instead  of  regarding  churches,  even  after 
they  have  established  them,  and  that  too  very  much  on 


THE  CHAINBEARER.  173 

their  own  authority,  they  first  consider  their  own  tastes, 
enmities,  and  predilections,  respecting  the  priest  far  more 
than  the  altar,  and  set  themselves  up  as  a  sort  of  religious 
constituencies,  who  are  to  be  represented  directly  in  the 
government  of  Christ's  followers  on  earth.  Half  of  a  par- 
ish will  fly  off  in  a  passion  to  another  denomination  if  they 
happen  to  fall  into  a  minority.  Truly,  a  large  portion  of 
our  people  is  beginning  to  act  in  this  matter  as  if  they  had 
a  sense  of  "giving  their  support"  to  the  Deity,  patroniz- 
ing him  in  this  temple  or  the  other,  as  may  suit  the  feel- 
ing or  the  interest  of  the  moment* 

But  I  am  not  writing  homilies,  and  will  return  to  the 
'Nest  and  my  friends.  A  day  or  two  after  Mr.  Newcome 
received  his  new  lease,  Chainbearer,  Frank,  Dus  and  I 
were  in  the  little  arbor  that  overlooked  the  meadows,  when 
we  saw  Sureflint,  moving  at  an  Indian's  pace,  along  a  path 
that  came  out  of  the  forest,  and  which  was  known  to  lead 
toward  Mooseridge.  The  Onondago  carried  his  rifle  as 
usual,  and  bore  on  his  back  a  large  bunch  of  something 
that  we  supposed  to  be  game,  though  the  distance  pre- 
vented our  discerning  its  precise  character.  In  half  a 
minute  he  disappeared  behind  a  projection  of  the  cliffs, 
trotting  toward  the  buildings. 

"  My  friend  the  Trackless  has  been  absent  from  us  now 
a  longer  time  than  usual,"  Ursula  remarked,  as  she  turned 
her  head  from  following  the  Indian's  movements,  as  lonj 
as  he  remained  in  sight  ;  "  but  he  reappears  loaded  with 
something  for  our  benefit." 

"  He  has  passed  most  of  his  time  of  late  with  your  uncle, 
I  believe,"  I  answered,  following  Dus's  fine  eyes  with  my 
own,  the  pleasantest  pursuit  I  could  discover  in  that  re- 
mote quarter  of  the  world.  "  I  have  written  this  to  my 
father,  who  will  be  glad  to  hear  tidings  of  his  old  friend." 

"  He  is  much  with  my  uncle  as  you  say,  being  greatly 
attached  to  him.  Ah !  here  he  comes,  with  such  a  load  on 
his  shoulders  as  an  Indian  does  not  love  to  bear ;  though 
even  a  chief  will  condescend  to  carry  game." 

As  Dus  ceased  speaking,  Sureflint  threw  a  large  bunch 

[*  If  Mr.  Littlepage  wrote  thus,  thirty  or  forty  years  since,  how  would 
he  have  written  to-day,  when  we  have  had  loud  protestations  flourishing 
around  us  in  the  public  journals,  that  this  or  that  sectarian  polity  was  most 
in  unison  with  a  republican  form  of  government  ?  What  renders  this  as- 
sumption as  absurd  as  it  is  presuming,  is  the  well-known  fact  that  it  comes 
from  those  who  have  ever  been  loudest  in  their  declamations  of  a  union  be- 
tween church  and  state  !] 


,74  THE  CHAINBEARER. 

of  pigeons,  some  two  or  three  dozen  birds,  at  her  feet, 
turning  away  quietly,  like  one  who  had  done  his  part  of 
the  work,  and  who  left  the  remainder  to  be  managed  by 
the  squaws. 

"  Thank  you,  Trackless,"  said  the  pretty  housekeeper — 
"thank'ee  kindly.  Those  are  beautiful  birds,  and  as  fat 
as  butter.  We  shall  have  them  cleaned,  and  cooked  in  all 
manner  of  ways." 

"All  squab — just  go  to  fly — take  him  ebbery  one  in 
nest,"  answered  the  Indian. 

"  Nests  must  be  plenty,  then,  and  I  should  like  to  visit 
them,"  I  cried,  remembering  to  have  heard  strange  mar- 
vels of  the,  multitudes  of  pigeons  that  were  frequently 
found  in  their  "  roosts,"  as  the  encampments  they  made  in 
the  woods  were  often  termed  in  the  parlance  of  the  coun- 
try. "  Can  we  not  go  in  a  body  and  visit  this  roost  ? " 

"  It  might  pe  tone,"  answered  the  Chainbearer ;  "  it 
might  pe  tone,  and  it  is  time  we  wast  moving  in  t'eir  tirec- 
tion,  if  more  lant  is  to  pe  surveyet,  ant  t'ese  pirts  came 
from  t'e  hill  I  suppose  t'ey  do.  Mooseridge  promiset  to 
have  plenty  of  pigeons  t'is  season." 

"Just  so,"  answered  Sureflint.  "  Million,  t'ousan',  hun- 
dred— more  too.  Nebber  see  more  ;  nebber  see  so  many. 
Great  Spirit  don't  forget  poor  Injin  ;  sometime  give  him 
deer — sometime  salmon — sometime  pigeon— plenty  for  eb- 
berybody  ;  only  t'ink  so." 

"  Ay,  Sureflint ;  only  t'ink  so,  inteet,  and  t'ere  is  enough 
for  us  all,  and  plenty  to  spare.  Got  is  pountiful  to  us,  put 
we  ton't  often  know  how  to  use  his  ppunty,"  answered 
Chainbearer,  who  had  been  examining  the  birds.  "  Finer 
squaps  arn't  often  met  wit';  and  I  too  shoult  like  amazingly 
to  see  one  more  roost  pefore  I  go  to  roost  myself." 

"  As  for  the  visit  to  the  roost,"  cried  I,  "that  is  settled  for 
to-morrow.  But  a  man  who  has  just  come  out  of  a  war 
like  the  last,  into  peaceable  times,  has  no  occasion  to  speak 
of  his  end,  Chainbearer.  Your  are  old  in  years,  but  young 
in  mind,  as  well  as  body." 

"  Bot'  nearly  wore  out — bot'  nearly  wore  out!  It  is  well 
to  tell  an  olt  fool  t'e  contrary,  put  I  know  petter.  T'ree- 
score  and  ten  is  man's  time,  and  I  haf  fillet  up  t'e  numper 
of  my  tays.  Got  knows  pest,  when  it  wilt  pe  his  own 
pleasure  to  call  me  away  ;  put,  let  it  come  when  it  will,  I 
shall  now  tie  happy,  comparet  wit'  what  I  shoult  haf  tone 
a  mont'  ago." 

"  You  surprise  me,  my  dear  friend  !    What  has  happened 


THE  CHA1NBEARER.  17$ 

£0  maKe  this  difference  in  your  feelings  ?     It  cannot  be 
that  you  are  changed  in  any  essential." 

"  Pe  tifference  is  in  Bus's  prospects.  Now  Frank  has 
a  goot  place,  my  gal  will  not  pe  forsaken." 

"  Forsaken  !  Dus — Ursula — Miss  Malbone  forsaken  t 
That  could  never  happen,  Andries,  Frank  or  no  Frank." 

"I  hope  not — I  hope  not,  lat — put  t'e  gal  pegins  to  weep, 
and  we'll  talk  no  more  apout  it.  Harkee,  Susquesus  ;  my 
olt  frient,  can  you  guite  us  to  t'is  roost  ? " 

"  Why  no  do  it,  eh  ?  Path  wide — open  whole  way.  Plain 
as  river." 

"  Well,  t'en,  we  wilt  all  pe  off  for  t'e  place  in  t'e  morn- 
ing. My  new  assistant  is  near,  and  it  is  high  time  Frank 
and  I  hat  gone  into  t'e  woots  ag'in." 

I  heard  this  arrangement  made,  though  my  eyes  were 
following  Dus,  who  had  started  from  her  seat,  and  rushed 
into  the  house,  endeavoring  *o  hide  emotions  that  were 
not  to  be  hushed.  A  minute  later  I  saw  her  at  the  window 
of  her  own  room,  smiling,  though  the  cloud  had  not  yet 
entirely  dispersed. 

Next  morning  early  our  whole  party  left  the  'Nest  for 
the  hut  at  Mooseride,  and  the  pigeon-roosts.  Dus  and  the 
black  female  servant  travelled  on  horseback,  there  being 
no  want  of  cattle  at  the  'Nest,  where,  as  I  now  learned,  my 
grandfather  had  left  a  quarter  of  a  century  before,  among 
a  variety  of  other  articles,  several  side-saddles.  The  rest 
of  us  proceeded  on  foot,  though  we  had  no  less  than  three 
aumpter  beasts  to  carry  our  food,  instruments,  clothes,  etc. 
Kach  man  was  armed,  almost  as  a  matter  of  course  in  that 
Oay,  though  I  carried  a  double-barrelled  fowling-piece  my 
i  elf,  instead  of  a  rifle.  Susquesus  acted  as  our  guide. 

We  were  quite  an  hour  before  we  reached  the  limits  of 
;he  settled  farms  on  my  own  property  ;  after  which,  we 
entered  the  virgin  forest.  In  consequence  of  the  late  war, 
»rhich  had  brought  everything  like  the  settlement  of  the 
country  to  a  dead  stand,  a  new  district  had  then  little  of 
tlie  straggling,  suburb-like  clearings,  which  are  apt  now 
to  encircle  the  older  portions  of  a  region  that  is  in  the 
state  of  transition.  On  the  contrary,  the  last  well-fenced 
and  reasonably  well-cultivated  farm  passed,  we  plunged 
into  the  boundless  woods,  and  took  a  complete  leave  of 
nearly  every  vestige  of  .civilized  life,  as  one  enters  the 
fields  on  quitting  a  town  in  France.  There  was  a  path,  it 
is  true,  following  the  line  of  blazed  trees ;  but  it  was 
scarcely  beaten,  and  was  almost  as  illegible  as  a  bad  hand. 


176  THE  CHAINBEARER. 

Still,  one  accustomed  to  the  forest  had  little  difficulty  in 
following  it  ;  and  Susquesus  would  have  had  none  in  find- 
ing his  way,  had  there  been  no  path  at  all.  As  for  the 
Chainbearer,  he  moved  forward  too,  with  the  utmost  pre- 
cision and  confidence,  the  habit  of  running  straight  lines 
amid  trees  having  given  his  eye  an  accuracy  that  almost 
equalled  the  species  of  instinct  that  was  manifested  by  the 
Trackless  himself,  on  such  subjects. 

This  was  a  pleasant  little  journey,  the  depths  of  the 
forest  rendering  the  heats  of  the  season  as  agreeable  as 
was  possible.  We  were  four  hours  in  reaching  the  foot  of 
the  little  mountain  on  which  the  birds  had  built  their  nests, 
where  we  halted  to  take  some  refreshments. 

Little  time  is  lost  at  meals  in  the  forest,  and  we  were 
soon  ready  to  ascend  the  hill.  The  horses  were  left  with 
the  blacks,  Dus  accompanying  us  on  foot.  As  we  left  the 
spring  where  we  had  haltefl,  I  offered  her  an  arm  to  aid 
in  the  ascent ;  but  she  declined  it,  apparently  much  amused 
that  it  should  have  been  offered. 

"  What  I,  a  chainbearess  !  "  she  cried,  laughing — "  I, 
who  have  fairly  wearied  out  Frank,  and  even  made  my 
uncle  feel  tired,  though  he  would  never  own  it — I  accept 
an  arm  to  help  me  up  a  hill !  You  forget,  Major  Little- 
page,  that  the  first  ten  years  of  my  life  were  passed  in  a 
forest,  and  that  a  year's  practice  has  brought  back  all  my 
old  habits,  and  made  me  a  girl  of  the  woods  again." 

"  I  scarce  know  what  to  make  of  you,  for  you  seem  fitted 
for  any  situation  in  which  you  may  happen  to  be  thrown." 
I  answered,  profiting  by  the  circumstance  that  we  were 
out  of  the  hearing  of  our  companions,  who  had  all  moved 
ahead,  to  utter  more  than  I  otherwise  might  venture  to 
say — "  at  one  time  I  fancy  you  the  daughter  of  one  of  my 
own  tenants,  at  another,  the  heiress  of  some  ancient  pa- 
troon." 

Dus  laughed  again  ;  then  she  blushed  ;  and  for  the  re- 
mainder of  the  short  ascent,  she  remained  silent.  Short 
the  ascent  was,  and  we  were  soon  on  the  summit  of  the 
hill.  So  far  from  needing  my  assistance,  Dus  actually 
left  me  behind,  exerting  herself  in  a  way  that  brought  her 
up  at  the  side  of  the  Trackless,  who  led  our  van.  Wheth- 
er this  was  done  in  order  to  prove  how  completely  she 
was  a  forest  girl,  or  whether  my  words  had  aroused  those 
feelings  that  are  apt  to  render  a  female  impulsive,  is  more 
than  I  can  say  even  now  ;  though  I  suspected  at  the  time 
that  the  latter  sensations  had  quite  as  much  to  do  with 


THE  CHAINBEARER.  177 

chis  extraordinary  activity  as  the  former.- -  I  was  not  far 
behind,  however,  and  when  our  party  came  fairly  upon 
the  roost,  the  Trackless,  Dus,  and  myself  were  all  close 
together. 

I  scarce  know  how  to  describe  that  remarkable  scene. 
As  we  drew  near  to  the  summit  of  the  hill,  pigeons  began 
to  be  seen  fluttering  among  the  branches  over  our  heads, 
as  individuals  are  met  along  the  roads  that  lead  into  the 
suburbs  of  a  large  town.  We  had  probably  seen  a  thou- 
sand birds  glancing  around  among  the  trees,  before  we 
came  in  view  of  the  roost  itself.  The  numbers  increased 
as  we  drew  nearer,  and  presently  the  forest  was  alive  with 
them.  The  fluttering  was  incessant,  and  often  startling  as 
we  passed  ahead,  our  march  producing  a  movement  in  the 
living  crowd  that  really  became  confounding.  Every  tree 
was  literally  covered  with  nests,  many  having  at  least  a 
thousand  of  these  frail  tenements  on  their  branches,  and 
shaded  by  the  leaves.  They  often  touched  each  other,  a 
wonderful  degree  of  order  prevailing  among  the  hundreds 
of  thousands  of  families  that  were  here  assembled.  The 
place  had  the  odor  of  a  fowl-house,  and  squabs  just  fledged 
sufficiently  to  trust  themselves  in  short  flights,  were  flut- 
tering around  us  in  all  directions  in  tens  of  thousands. 
To  these  were  to  be  added  the  parents  of  the  young  race 
endeavoring  to  protect  them,  and  guide  them  in  a  way  to 
escape  harm.  Although  the  birds  rose  as  we  approached, 
and  the  woods  just  around  us  seemed  fairly  alive  with 
pigeons,  our  presence  produced  no  general  commotion  ; 
every  one  of  the  feathered  throng  appearing  to  be  so  much 
occupied  with  its  own  concerns,  as  to  take  little  heed  of 
the  visit  of  a  party  of  strangers,  though  of  a  race  usually 
so  formidable  to  their  own.  The  masses  moved  before  us 
precisely  as  a  crowd  of  human  beings  yields  to  a  pressure 
or  a  danger  on  any  given  point ;  the  vacuum  created  by 
its  passage  filling  in  its  rear,  as  the  water  of  the  ocean 
flows  into  the  track  of  the  keel. 

The  effect  on  most  of  us  was  confounding,  and  I  can 
only  compare  the  sensation  produced  on  myself  by  the 
extraordinary  tumult  to  that  a  man  experiences  at  finding 
himself  suddenly  placed  in  the  midst  of  an  excited  throng 
of  human  beings.  The  unnatural  disregard  of  our  per- 
sons manifested  by  the  birds  greatly  heightened  the  effect, 
and  caused  me  to  feel  as  if  some  unearthly  influence 
reigned  in  the  place.  It  was  strange,  indeed,  to  be  in  a 
mob  of  the  feathered  race  that  scarce  exhibited  a  con- 


178  THE  CHA1NBEARER. 

sciousness  of  one's  presence.  The  pigeons  seemed  a  world 
of  themselves,  and  too  much  occupied  with  their  own  con- 
cerns to  take  heed  of  matters  that  lay  beyond  them. 

Not  one  of  our  party  spoke  for  several  minutes.  Aston- 
ishment seemed  to  hold  us  all  tongue-tied,  and  we  moved 
slowly  forward  into  the  fluttering  throng,  silent,  absorbed, 
and  full  of  admiration  of  the  works  of  the  Creator.  It  was 
not  easy  to  hear  each  others'  voices  when  we  did  speak, 
the  incessant  fluttering  of  wings  filling  the  air.  Nor  were 
the  birds  silent  in  other  respects.  The  pigeon  is  not  a 
noisy  creature,  but  a  million  crowded  together  on  the  sum- 
mit of  one  hill,  occupying  a  space  of  less  than  a  mile 
square,  did  not. leave  the  forest  in  its  ordinary  impressive 
stillness.  As  we  advanced,  I  offered  my  arm,  almost  un- 
consciously, again  to  Dus,  and  she  took  it  with  the  same 
abstracted  manner  as  that  in  which  it  had  been  held  forth 
for  her  acceptance.  In  this  relation  to  each  other  we  con- 
tinued to  follow  the  grave-looking  Onondago  as  he  moved, 
still  deeper  and  deeper,  into  the  midst  of  the  fluttering 
tumult. 

At  this  instant  there  occurred  an  interruption  that,  I 
am  ready  enough  to  confess,  caused  the  blood  to  rush  to- 
ward my  own  heart  in  a  flood.  As  for  Dus,  she  clung  to 
me,  as  woman  will  cling  to  man,  when  he  possesses  her 
confidence,  and  she  feels  that  she  is  insufficient  for  her 
own  support.  Both  hands  were  on  my  arm,  and  I  felt 
that,  unconsciously,  her  form  was  pressing  closer  to  mine, 
in  a  manner  she  would  have  carefully  avoided  in  a  moment 
of  perfect  self-possession.  Nevertheless,  I  cannot  say  that 
Dus  was  afraid.  Her  color  was  heightened,  her  charming 
eyes  were  filled  with  a  wonder  that  was  not  unmixed  with 
curiosity,  but  her  air  was  spirited  in  spite  of  a  scene  that 
might  try  the  nerves  of  the  boldest  man.  Sureflint  and 
Chainbearer  were  alone  totally  unmoved  ;  for  they  had 
been  at  pigeons'  roosts  before,  and  knew  what  to  expect. 
To  them  the  wonders  of  the  woods  were  no  longer  novel. 
Each  stood  leaning  on  his  rifle  and  smiling  at  our  evident 
astonishment.  I  am  wrong  ;  the  Indian  did  not  even  smile  : 
for  that  would  have  been  an  unustial  indication  of  feeling 
for  him  to  manifest  ;  but  he  did  betray  a  sort  of  covert 
consciousness  that  the  scene  must  be  astounding  to  us. 
But  I  will  endeavor  to  explain  what  it  was  that  so  largely 
increased  the  first  effect  of  our  visit. 

While  standing  wondering  at  the  extraordinary  scene 
around  us,  a  noise  was  heard  rising  above  that  of  the  in- 


THE  CHAINBEARRR.  179 

cessant  fluttering,  which  I  can  only  liken  to  that  of  the 
trampling  of  thousands  of  horses  on  a  beaten  road.  This 
noise  at  first  sounded  distant,  but  it  increased  rapidly  in  prox- 
imity and  power,  until  it  came  rolling  in  upon  us,  among 
the  tree-tops,  like  a  crash  of  thunder.  The  air  was  sud- 
denly darkened,  and  the  place  where  we  stood  as  sombre 
as  a  dusky  twilight.  At  the  same  instant,  all  the  pigeons 
near  us,  that  had  been  on  their  nests,  appeared  to  fall  out 
of  them,  and  the  space  immediately  above  our  heads  was 
at  once  filled  with  birds.  Chaos  itself  could  hardly  have 
represented  greater  confusion,  or  a  greater  uproar.  As 
for  the  birds,  they  now  seemed  to  disregard  our  presence 
entirely  ;  possibly  they  could  not  see  us  on  account  of 
their  own  numbers  ;  for  they  fluttered  in  between  Dusand 
myself,  hitting  us  with  their  wings,  and  at  times  appear- 
ing as  if  about  to  bury  us  in  avalanches  of  pigeons.  Each 
of  us  caught  one  at  least  in  our  hands,  while  Chainbearer 
and  the  Indian  took  them  in  some  numbers,  letting  one 
prisoner  go  as  another  was  taken.  In  a  word,  we  seemed 
to  be  in  a  world  of  pigeons.  This  part  of  the  scene  may 
have  lasted  a  minute,  when  the  space  around  us  was  sud- 
denly cleared,  the  birds  glancing  upward  among  the 
branches  of  the  trees,  disappearing  among  the  foliage. 
All  this  was  the  effect  produced  by  the  return  of  the  female 
birds,  which  had  been  off  at  a  distance,  some  twenty  miles 
at  least,  to  feed  on  beechnuts,  and  which  now  assumed  the 
places  of  the  males  on  the  nests  ;  the  latter  taking  a  flight 
to  get  their  meal  in  their  turn. 

I  have  since  had  the  curiosity  to  make  a  sort  of  an  esti- 
mate of  the  number  of  the  birds  that  must  have  come  in 
upon  the  roost,  in  that,  to  us,  memorable  minute.  Such  a 
calculation,  as  a  matter  of  course,  must  be  very  vague, 
though  one  may  get  certain  principles  by  estimating  the 
size  of  a  flock  by  the  known  rapidity  of  the  flight,  and  other 
similar  means  ;  and  I  remember  that  Frank  Malbone  and 
myself  supposed  that  a  million  of  birds  must  have  come 
in  on  that  return,  and  as  many  departed  !  As  the  pigeon  is 
a  very  voracious  bird,  the  question  is  apt  to  present  itself, 
where  food  is  obtained  for  so  many  mouths  ;  but,  when 
we  remember  the  vast  extent  of  the  American  forests,  this 
difficulty  is  at  once  met.  Admitting  that  the  colony  we 
visited  contained  many  millions  of  birds,  and,  counting 
old  and  young,  I  have  no  doubt  it  did,  there  was  probably 
a  fruit-bearing  tree  for  each,  within  an  hour's  flight  from 
that  very  spot ! 


i8o  THE  CHAINBEARER. 

Such  is  the  scale  on  which  nature  labors  in  the  wilder- 
ness  !  I  have  seen  insects  fluttering  in  the  air  at  particu- 
lar seasons,  and  at  particular  places,  until  they  formed 
little  clouds  ;  a  sight  every  one  must  have  witnessed  on 
many  occasions  ;  and  as  those  insects  appear,  on  their  di- 
minished scale,  so  did  the  pigeons  appear  to  us  at  the  roost 
of  Mooseridge.  We  passed  an  hour  in  the  town  of  birds, 
finding  our  tongues  and  our  other  faculties,  as  we  became 
accustomed  to  our  situation.  In  a  short  time,  even  Dus 
grew  as  composed  as  at  all  comported  with  the  excitement 
natural  to  one  in  such  a  place  ;  and  \ve  studied  the  habits 
of  the  pretty  animals  with  a  zest  that  I  found  so  much  the 
greater  for  studying  them  in  her  company.  At  the  end  of 
the  hour  we  left  the  hill,  our  departure  producing  no  more 
sensation  in  that  countless  tribe  of  pigeons  than  our  ar- 
rival. 

"  It  is  a  proof  that  numbers  can  change  our  natures," 
said  Dus,  as  we  descended  the  little  mountain.  "  Here 
have  we  been  almost  in  contact  with  pigeons  which  would 
not  have  suffered  us  to  come  within  a  hundred  feet  of 
them,  had  they  been  in  ordinary  flocks,  or  as  single  birds. 
Is  it  that  numbers  give  them  courage  ?" 

"  Confidence,  rather.  It  is  just  so  with  men  ;  who  will 
exhibit  an  indifference  in  crowds  that  they  rarely  possess 
when  alone.  The  sights,  interruptions,  and  even  danger? 
that  will  draw  all  cur  attention  when  with  a  few,  often 
seem  indifferent  to  us  when  in  the  tumult  of  a  throng  oi 
fellow-creatures." 

"  What  is  meant  by  a  panic  in  an  army,  then  ? " 

"  It  is  following  the  same  law,  making  man  subject  ta 
the  impulses  of  those  around  him.  If  the  impulse  be  on- 
ward, onward  we  go  ;  if  for  retreat,  we  run  like  sheep.  li 
occupied  with  ourselves  as  a  body,  we  disregard  trifling 
interruptions,  as  these  pigeons  have  just  done  in  our  own 
case.  Large  bodies  of  animals,  whether  human  or  not, 
seem  to  become  subject  to  certain  general  laws  that  in- 
crease the  power  of  the  whole  over  the  acts  and  feelings 
of  any  one  or  any  few  of  their  number." 

"According  to  that  rule,  our  new  republican  form  of 
government  ought  to  be  a  very  strong  one  ;  though  I  have 
heard  many  express  their  fears  it  will  be  no  government 
at  all." 

"  Unless  a  miracle  be  wrought  in  our  behalf,  it  will  be 
the  strongest  government  in  the  world  for  certain  pur- 
poses, and  the  weakest  for  others,  It  professes  a  principle 


THE  CHAINBEARER.  181 

of  self-preservation  that  is  not  enjoyed  by  other  systems, 
since  the  people  must  revolt  against  themselves  to  over- 
turn it ;  but,  on  the  other  hand,  it  will  want  the  active 
jving  principle  of  steady,  consistent  justice,  since  there 
will  be  no  independent  power  whose  duty  and  whose  in- 
terest it  will  be  to  see  it  administered.  The  wisest  man  I 
ever  knew  has  prophesied  to  me  that  this  is  the  point  on 
which  our  system  will  break  down  ;  rendering  the  char- 
acter, the  person,  and  the  property  of  the  citizen  insecure,, 
and  consequently  the  institutions  odious  to  those  who  once 
have  loved  them." 

"  I  trust  there  is  no  danger  of  that !  "  said  Dus,  quickly. 

"  There  is  danger  from  everything  that  man  controls. 
We  have  those  among  us  who  preach  the  possible  perfec- 
tion of  the  human  race,  maintaining  the  gross  delusion 
that  men  are  what  they  are  known  to  be,  merely  because 
they  have  been  ill-governed  ;  and  a  more  dangerous  the- 
ory, in  my  poor  judgment,  cannot  be  broached." 

"  You  think,  then,  that  the  theory  is  false  ? " 

"  Beyond  a  question  ;  governments  are  oftener  spoiled 
by  men,  than  men  by  governments  ;  though  the  last  cer- 
tainly have  a  marked  influence  on  character.  The  best 
government  of  which  we  know  anything  is  that  of  the 
universe  ;  and  it  is  so,  merely  because  it  proceeds  from  a 
single  will,  that  will  being  without  blemish." 

"Your  despotic  governments  are  said  to  be  the  very- 
worst  in  the  world." 

"  They  are  good  or  bad  as  they  happen  to  be  admin- 
istered. The  necessity  of  maintaining  such  governments 
by  force  renders  them  often  oppressive  ;  but  a  government 
of  numbers  may  become  more  despotic  than  that  of  an  in- 
dividual ;  since  the  people  will,  in  some  mode  or  other, 
always  sustain  the  oppressed  as  against  the  despot,  but 
rarely,  or  never,  as  against  themselves.  You  saw  that 
those  pigeons  lost  their  instinct,  under  the  impulse  given 
them  by  numbers.  God  forever  protect  me  against  the 
tyranny  of  numbers." 

"  But  everybody  says  our  system  is  admirable,  and  the 
best  in  the  world  ;  and  even  a  despot's  government  is  the 
government  of  a  man." 

"  It  is  one  of  the  effects  of  numbers  that  men  shrink 
from  speaking  the  truth,  when  they  find  themselves  op- 
posed to  large  majorities.  As  respects  self-rule,  the  colo- 
nies were  ever  freer  than  the  mother  country  ;  and  we  are, 
as  yet,  merely  pursuing  our  ancient  practices,  substituting 


182  TffE  CHAINBEARER. 

allegiance  to  the  confederation  for  allegiance  to  the  king. 
The  difference  is  not  sufficiently  material  to  produce  early 
changes.  We  are  to  wait  until  that  which  there  is  of  new 
principles  in  our  present  system  shall  have  time  to  work 
radical  changes,  when  we  shall  begin  to  ascertain  how 
much  better  we  really  are  than  our  neighbors."  * 

Dus  and  I  continued  to  converse  on  this  subject  until 
she  got  again  into  the  saddle.  I  was  delighted  with  her 
good  sense  and  intelligence,  which  were  made  apparent 
more  in  the  pertinacity  of  her  questions  than  by  any  posi- 
tive knowledge  she  had  on  such  subjects,  which  usually 
have  very  few  attractions  for  young  women.  Nevertheless, 
Dus  had  an  activity  of  mind  and  a  readiness  of  perception 
that  supplied  many  of  the  deficiencies  of  education  on 
these  points  ;  and  I  do  not  remember  to  have  ever  been 
engaged  in  a  political  discussion  from  which  I  derived  so 
much  satisfaction.  I  must  own,  however,  it  is  possible 
that  the  golden  hair  flying  about  a  face  that  was  just  as 
ruddy  as  comported  with  the  delicacy  of  the  sex,  the  rich 
mouth,  the  brilliant  teeth,  and  the  spirited  and  yet  tender 
blue  eyes,  may  have  increased  a  wisdom  that  I  found  so 
remarkable. 

*  At  the  time  of  which  Mr.  Mordaunt  Littlepage  is  here  speaking,  it  was  far 
less  the  fashion  to  extol  the  institutions  than  it  is  to-day.  Men  then  openly 
wrote  and  spoke  against  them,  while  few  dare,  at  the  present  time,  point 
out  faults  that  every  person  of  intelligence  knows  and  feels  to  be  defects. 
A  few  years  since,  when  Jackson  was  placed  in  the  White  House,  it  was 
the  fashion  of  Europe  to  predict  that  we  had  elevated  a  soldier  to  power, 
and  that  the  government  of  the  bayonet  was  at  hand.  This  every  intelli- 
gent American  knew  to  be  rank  nonsense.  The  approach  of  the  govern- 
ment of  the  bayonet  among  us,  if  it  is  ever  to  come,  may  be  foreseen  by 
the  magnitude  of  popular  abuses,  against  which  force  is  the  only  remedy. 
Every  well-wisher  of  the  freedom  this  country  has  hitherto  enjoyed,  should 
now  look  upon  the  popular  tendencies  with  distrust,  as,  whenever  it  is 
taken  away,  it  will  go  as  their  direct  consequence  ;  it  being  an  inherent 
principle  in  the  corrupt  nature  of  man  to  misuse  all  his  privileges  ;  even 
those  connected  with  religion  itself.  If  history  proves  anything,  it  proves 
this. — EDITOR. 


THE  CHAINBEARER.  183 


CHAPTER  XV. 

*«  Fie,  fie,  fond  love,  them  art  so  full  of  fear, 

As  one  with  treasure  laden,  hemmed  with  -thieves , 
Trifles,  unwitnessed  with  eye  or  ear, 

Thy  coward  heart  with  false  bethinking  grieves." 

—  Venus  and  Adonis. 

THE  hut,  or  huts  of  Chainbearer,  had  far  more  comfort 
in  and  around  them,  than  I  was  prepared  to  find.  They 
were  three  in  number,  one  having  been  erected  as  a  kitchen, 
and  a  place  to  contain  the  male  slaves  ;  another  for  the 
special  accommodation  of  Ursula  and  the  female  black  ; 
and  the  third  to  receive  men.  The  eating-room  was  at- 
tached to  the  kitchen  ;  and  all  these  buildings,  which  had 
now  stood  the  entire  year,  were  constructed  of  logs,  and 
were  covered  with  bark.  They  were  roughly  made,  as 
usual  ;  but  that  appropriated  to  Dus  was  so  much  superior 
to  the  others  in  its  arrangements,  internal  and  external,  as 
at  once  to  denote  the  presence  and  the  influence  of  woman. 
It  may  have  some  interest  with  the  reader  briefly  to  de- 
scribe the  place. 

Quite  as  a  matter  of  course,  a  spring  had  been  found,  as 
the  first  consideration  in  "  locating,"  as  it  is  called  by  that 
portion  of  our  people  who  get  upon  their  conversational 
stilts.  The  spring  burst  out  of  the  side  of  a  declivity,  the 
land  stretching  away  for  more  than  a  mile  from  its  foot, 
in  an  inclined  plane  that  was  densely  covered  with  some 
of  the  noblest  elms,  beeches,  maples,  and  black  birches,  I 
have  ever  seen.  This  spot,  the  Chainbearer  early  assured 
me,  was  the  most  valuable  of  all  the  lands  of  Mooseridge. 
He  had  selected  it  because  it  was  central,  and  particularly 
clear  from  underbrush  ;  besides  having  no  stagnant  water 
near  it.  In  other  respects,  it  was  like  any  other  point  in 
that  vast  forest ;  being  dark,  shaded,  and  surrounded  by 
the  magnificence  of  a  bountiful  vegetation. 

Here  Chainbearer  had  erected  his  hut,  alow,  solid  struct- 
ure of  pine  logs,  that  were  picturesque  in  appearance, 
and  not  without  their  rude  comforts,  in  their  several  ways. 
These  buildings  were  irregularly  placed,  though  the  spring 
was  in  their  control.  The  kitchen  and  eating-room  were 
nearest  the  water  ;  at  no  great  distance  from  these  was 
the  habitation  of  the  men  ;  while  the  smaller  structure, 
which  Frank  Malbone  laughingly  termed  the  "  harem," 


184  THE  CHAINBEARER. 

stood  a  little  apart,  on  a  slight  spur  of  land,  but  within 
fifty  yards  of  Andries's  own  lodgings.  Boards  had  been 
cut  by  hand,  for  the  floors  and  doors  of  these  huts,  though 
no  building  but  the  "  harem  "  had  any  window  that  was 
glazed.  This  last  had  two  such  windows,  and  Frank  had 
even  taken  care  to  provide  for  his  sister's  dwelling  rude 
but  strong  window  shutters. 

As  for  defences  against  an  enemy,  they  were  no  longer 
thought  of  within  the  limits  of  New  York.  Block-houses, 
and  otherwise  fortified  dwellings,  had  been  necessary  so 
long  as  the  French  possessed  Canada ;  but  after  the  capt- 
ure of  that  colony,  few  had  deemed  any  such  precautions 
called  for,  until  the  war  of  the  revolution  brought  a  savage 
foe  once  more  among  the  frontier  settlements  ;  frontier, 
as  to  civilization,  if  not  as  to  territory.  With  the  termina- 
tion of  that  war  had  ceased  this,  the  latest  demand  for 
provisions  of  that  nature  ;  and  the  Chainbearer  had  not 
thought  of  using  any  care  to  meet  the  emergencies  of  vio- 
lence, in  "  making  his  pitch." 

Nevertheless,  each  hut  would  have  been  a  reasonably 
strong  post,  on  an  emergency  ;  the  logs  being  bullet-proof, 
and  still  remaining  undecayed  and  compact.  Palisades 
were  not  thought  of  now,  nor  was  there  any  covered  means 
of  communicating  between  one  hut  and  another.  In  a 
word,  whatever  there  might  be  in  the  way  of  security  in 
these  structures,  was  the  result  of  the  solidity  of  their  ma- 
terial, and  of  the  fashion  of  building  that  was  then,  and 
is  still  customary  everywhere  in  the  forest.  As  against 
wild  beasts  there  was  entire  protection,  and  other  enemies 
were  no  longer  dreaded.  Around  the  huts  there  were  no 
enclosures  of  any  sort,  nor  any  other  cleared  land,  than  a 
spot  of  about  half  an  acre  in  extent,  off  of  which  had  been 
cut  the  small  pines  that  furnished  the  logs  of  which  they 
were  built.  A  few  vegetables  had  been  put  into  the  ground 
at  the  most  open  point ;  but  a  fence  being  unnecessary, 
none  had  been  built.  As  for  the  huts,  they  stood  com- 
pletely shaded  by  the  forest,  the  pines  having  been  cut  on 
an  eminence  a  hundred  yards  distant.  This  spot,  however, 
small  as  it  was,  brought  enough  of  the  commoner  sort  of 
plants  to  furnish  a  frugal  table. 

Such  was  the  spot  that  was  then  known  in  all  that  re- 
gion by  the  name  of  the  "  Chainbearer' s  Huts."  This 
name  has  been  retained  and  the  huts  are  still  standing, 
circumstances  having  rendered  them  memorable  in  my 
personal  history,  and  caused  me  to  direct  their  preserva- 


THE  CHAINBEARER.  185 

*ion,  at  least  as  long  as  I  shall  live.  As  the  place  had 
been  inhabited  a  considerable  time  that  spring  and  sum- 
mer, it  bore  some  of  the  other  signs  of  the  presence  of 
man  ;  but  on  the  whole,  its  character  as  a  residence  was 
that  of  deep  forest  seclusion.  In  point  of  fact,  it  stood 
buried  in  the  woods,  distant  fully  fifteen  miles  from  the 
nearest  known  habitation,  and  in  so  much  removed  from 
the  comfort,  succor,  and  outward  communications  of  civil- 
ized life.  These  isolated  abodes,  however,  are  by  no  means 
uncommon  in  the  State,  even  at  the  present  hour ;  and  it 
is  probable  that  some  of  them  will  be  found  during  the 
whole  of  this  century.  It  is  true,  that  the  western,  middle, 
southern,  southwestern,  northwestern  and  northeastern 
counties  of  New  York,  all  of  which  were  wild,  or  nearly 
so,  at  the  time  of  which  I  am  writing,  are  already  well  set- 
tled, or  are  fast  filling  up,  but  there  is  a  high  mountainous 
region,  in  middle-northern  New  York,  which  will  remain 
virtually  a  wilderness,  I  should  think,  for  quite  a  century, 
if  not  longer.  I  have  travelled  through  this  district  of  wil- 
derness very  lately,  and  have  found  it  picturesque  and  well 
suited  for  the  sportsman,  abounding  in  deer,  fish  and  forest 
birds,  but  not  so  much  suited  to  the  commoner  wants  of 
man,  as  to  bring  it  very  soon  into  demand  for  the  ordinary 
purposes  of  the  husbandman.  If  this  quarter  of  the  coun- 
try do  not  fall  into  the  hands  of  lawless  squatters  and 
plunderers  of  one  sort  and  another,  of  which  there  is  al- 
ways some  danger  in  a  country  of  so  great  extent,  it  will 
become  a  very  pleasant  resort  of  the  sportsman,  who  is 
likely  soon  to  lose  his  haunts  in  the  other  quarters  of  the 
State. 

Jaap  had  brought  over  some  horses  of  mine  from  the 
'Nest  as  sumpter-beasts,  and  these  being  sent  back  for 
want  of  provender,  the  negro  himself  remained  at  the 
"  Huts  "  as  a  general  assistant,  and  as  a  sort  of  hunter. 
A  Westchester  negro  is  pretty  certain  to  be  a  shot,  espe- 
cially if  he  happen  to  belong  to  the  proprietor  of  a  Neck  ; 
for  there  is  no  jealousy  of  trusting  arms  in  the  hands  of  our 
New  York  slaves.  But  Jaap  having  served,  in  a  manner, 
was  entitled  to  burn  as  much  gunpowder  as  he  pleased.  By 
means  of  one  of  his  warlike  exploits,  the  old  fellow  had  be- 
come possessed  of  a  very  capital  fowling-piece,  plunder  ob- 
tained from  some  slain  English  officer,  I  always  supposed  ; 
and  this  arm  he  invariably  kept  near  his  person,  as  a  trophy 
of  his  own  success.  The  shooting  of  Westchester,  however 
and  that  of  the  forest,  were  very  different  branches  of  the 


186  THE  CHAIN-BEARER. 

same  art.  Jaap  belonged  to  the  school  of  the  former,  in 
which  the  pointer  and  the  setter  were  used.  The  game 
was  "  put  up,"  and  "  marked  down,"  and  the  bird  was  in- 
variably shot  on  the  wing.  My  attention  was  early  called 
to  this  distinction,  by  overhearing  a  conversation  between 
the  negro  and  the  Indian,  that  took  place  within  a  few 
minutes  after  our  arrival,  and  a  portion  of  which  I  shall 
now  proceed  to  relate. 

Jaap  and  Sureflint  were,  in  point  of  fact,  very  old  ac- 
quaintances, and  fast  friends.  They  had  been  actors  in 
certain  memorable  scenes,  on  those  very  lands  of  Moose- 
ridge,  some  time  before  my  birth,  and  had  often  met  and 
served  as  comrades  during  the  last  war.  The  known  antip- 
athy between  the  races  of  the  red  and  black  man  did  not 
exist  as  between  them,  though  the  negro  regarded  the  In- 
dian with  some  of  that  self-sufficiency  which  the  domestic 
servant  would  be  apt  to  entertain  for  a  savage  roamer  of 
the  forest  ;  while  the  Onondago  could  not  but  look  on  my 
fellow  as  one  of  the  freest  of  the  free  would  naturally 
feel  disposed  to  look  on  one  who  was  content  to  live  in 
bondage.  These  feelings  were  rather  mitigated  than  ex- 
tinguished by  their  friendship,  and  often  made  themselves 
manifest  in  the  course  of  their  daily  communion  with  each 
other. 

A  bag  filled  with  squabs  had  been  brought  from  the 
roost,  and  Jaap  had  emptied  it  of  its  contents  on  the 
ground  near  the  kitchen,  to  commence  the  necessary  op- 
erations of  picking  and  cleaning,  preparatory  to  handing 
the  birds  over  to  the  cook.  As  for  the  Onondago,  he 
took  his  seat  near  by  on  a  log  very  coolly,  a  spectator  of 
his  companion's  labors,  but  disdaining  to  enter  in  person 
on  such  woman's  work,  now  that  he  was  neither  on  a  mes- 
sage .nor  on  a  war-path.  Necessity  alone  could  induce 
him  to  submit  to  any  menial  labor,  nor  do  I  believe  he 
would  have  offered  to  assist,  had  he  seen  the  fair  hand  of 
Dus  herself  plucking  these  pigeons.  To  him  it  would 
have  been  perfectly  suitable  that  a  "  squaw "  should  do 
the  work  of  a  "  squaw,"  while  a  warrior  maintained  his 
dignified  idleness.  Systematic  and  intelligent  industry  are 
the  attendants  of  civilization,  the  wants  created  by  which 
can  only  be  supplied  by  the  unremitted  care  of  those  who 
live  by  their  existence. 

"Dere,  old  Sus,"  exclaimed  the  negro,  shaking  the  last 
of  the  dead  birds  from  the  bag — "dere,  now,  Injin  ;  I 
s'pose  you  t'inks  'em  ere's  game  !  " 


THE  CHAINBEARER.  187 

"What  jw/  call  him,  eh?"  demanded  the  Onondago, 
eyeing  the  negro  sharply. 

"  I  doesn't  call  'em  game  a  bit,  red-skin.  Dem's  not 
varmint,  n'oder  ;  but  den,  dem  isn't  game.  Game's  game, 
I  s'pose  you  does  know,  Sus  ? " 

"  Game,  game — good.     T'at  true — who  say  no  ? " 

"  Yes,  it's  easy  enough  to  say  a  t'ing,  but  it  not  so  berry 
easy  to  understan'.  Can  any  Injin  in  York  State,  now, 
tell  me  why  pigeon  isn't  game  ? " 

"  Pigeon  game — good  game,  too.  Eat  sweet — many 
time  want  more." 

"  Now,  I  do  s'pose,  Trackless " — Jaap  loved  to  run 
through  the  whole  vocabulary  of  the  Onondago's  names — 
"Now,  I  do  s'pose,  Trackless,  you  t'ink  tame  pigeon  just 
as  good  as  wild  ?  " 

"  Don't  know — nebber  eat  tame — s'pose  him  good,  too." 

"Well,  den,  you  s'poses  berry  wrong.  Tame  pigeons 
poor  stuff  ;  but  no  pigeon  be  game.  Nuttin'  game,  Sure- 
flint,  dat  «i  dog  won't  p'int,  or  set.  Masser  Mordaunt 
h'an't  got  no  dog  at  de  Bush  or  de  Toe,  and  he  keeps 
dogs  enough  at  bot',  dat  would  p'int  a  pigeon."- 

"P'int  deer,  eh  ?" 

"Well,  I  doesn't  know.  P'raps  he  will,  p'raps  he  won't. 
Dere  isn't  no  deer  in  Westchester  for  us  to  try  de  dogs  on, 
so  a  body  can't  tell.  You  remem'er  'e  day,  Sus,  when  we 
fit  your  red-skins  out  here,  'long  time  ago,  wit'  Masser 
Corny  and  Masser  Ten  Eyck,  and  ole  Masser  Herman 
Mordaunt,  and  Miss  Anneke,  and  Miss  Mary,  an'  your 
frin'  Jumper  ?  You  remem'er  dat,  ha  !  Onondago  ?" 

"  Sartain — no  forget — Injin  nebber  forget*  Don't  forget 
friend — don't  forget  enemy." 

Here  Jaap  raised  one  of  his  shouting  negro  laughs,  in 
which  all  the  joyousness  of  his  nature  seemed  to  enter 
with  as  much  zest  as  if  he  were  subjected  to  a  sort  of 
mental  tickling  ;  then  he  let  the  character  of  his  merri- 
ment be  seen  by  his  answer. 

"  Sartain  'nough — you  remem'er  dat  feller,  Muss,  Track- 
less ?  He  get  heself  in  a  muss  by  nabbing  too  much 
mem'ry.  Good  to  hab  mem'ry  when  you  told  to  do  work  ; 
but  sometime  mem'ry  bad  'nough.  Berry  bad  to  hab  so 
much  mem'ry  dat  he  can't  forget  small  floggin'." 

"  No  true,"  answered  the  Onondago,  a  little  sternly, 
though  a  very  little  ;  for,  while  he  and  Jaap  disputed 
daily,  they  never  quarrelled.  "  No  true,  so.  Flog  bad  for 
back." 


188  THE  CHAIN-BEARER. 

"Well,  dat  because  you  red-skin — a  color'  man  don't 
mind  him  as  much  as  dis  squab.  Get  use  to  him  in  little 
while  ;  den  he  nuttin'  to  speak  of." 

Sureflint  made  no  answer,  but  he  looked  as  if -he  pitied 
the  ignorance,  humility,  and  condition  of  his  friend. 

"  What  you  t'ink  of  dis  worl',  Susquesus  ?"  suddenly  de- 
manded the  negro,  tossing  a  squab  that  he  had  cleaned 
into  a  pail,  and  taking  another.  "  How  you  t'ink  white 
man  come  ? — how  you  t'ink  red  man  come  ? — how  you  t'ink 
color'  gentl'em  come,  eh  ? " 

"  Great  Spirit  say  so — t'en  all  come.  Fill  Injin  full  of 
blood — t'at  make  him  red — fill  nigger  wit'  ink — t'at  make 
him  black — pale-face  pale  'cause  he  live  in  sun,  and  coloi 
dry  out." 

Here  Jaap  laughed  so  loud  that  he  drew  all  three  oi 
Chainbearer's  blacks  to  the  doer,  who  joined  in  the  fun 
out  of  pure  sympathy,  though  they  could  not  have  known 
its  cause.  Those  blacks  !  They  may  be  very  miserable  as 
slaves  ;  but  it  is  certain  no  other  class  in  America  laugh  so 
often,  or  so  easily,  or  one-half  as  heartily. 

"Harkee,  Injin,"  resumed  Jaap,  as  soon  as  he  had 
laughed  as  much  as  he  wished  to  do  at  that  particular 
moment — "  Harkee,  Injin — you  t'ink  'arth  round,  or  'arth 
flat  ? " 

"  How  do  you  mean — 'arth  up  and  down — no  round — no 
flat." 

"  Dat  not  what  I  mean.  Bot'  up  and  down  in  one  sens', 
but  no  up  and  down  in  'noder.  Masser  Mordaunt,  now, 
and  Masser  Corny  too,  bot'  say  'arth  round  like  an  apple, 
and  dat  he'd  stand  one  way  in  day-time,  an'  'noder  way  in 
night-time.  Now,  what  you  t'ink  of  dat,  Injin  ?" 

The  Trackless  listened  gravely,  bu  the  expressed  neither 
assent  or  dissent.  I  knew  he  had  a  respect  for  both  my 
i'ather  and  myself  ;  but  it  was  asking  a  great  deal  of  him 
to  credit  that  the  world  was  round ;  nor  did  he  understand 
how  one  could  be  turned  over  in  the  manner  Jaap  pre- 
tended. 

"  S'pose  it  so,"  he  remarked,  after  a  pause  of  reflection 
— "  S'pose  it  so,  den  man  stand  upside  down  ?  Man  stand 
on  foot  ;  no  stand  on  head." 

"  Worl'  turn  round,  Injin  ;  dat  a  reason  why  you  stand 
on  he  head  one  time  ;  on  he  foot  'noder." 

"Who  tell  t'at  tradition,  Jaap?  Nebber  heard  him 
afore." 

"  Masser  Corny  tell  me  dat,  long  time  ago  ;  when  I  war 


THE  CHAINBEARER.  189 

little  boy.  Ask  Masser  Mordaunt  one  day,  and  he  tell  you 
a  same  story.  Ebberybody  say  dat  but  Masser  Dirck  Pol- 
lock ;  and  he  say  to  me,  one  time,  'it  true,  Jaap,  t'e  book 
do  say  so — and  your  Masser  Corny  believe  him  ;  but  I 
want  to  see  t'e  woiT  turn  round,  afore  I  b'lieve  it.'  Dat 
what  Colonel  Pollock  say,  Trackless  ;  you  know  he  berry 
honest." 

"Good  —  honest  man,  colonel — brave  warrior  —  true 
friend — b'lieve  all  he  tell,  when  he  know ;  but  don't  know 
ebberyt'ing.  Gen'ral  know  more— major  young,  but  know 
more." 

Perhaps  my  modesty  ought  to  cause  me  to  hesitate 
about  recording  that  which  the  partiality  of  so  good  a 
friend  as  Susquesus  might  induce  him  to  say  ;  but  it  is  my 
wish  to  be  particular,  and  to  relate  all  that  passed  on  this 
occasion.  Jaap  could  not  object  to  the  Indian's  proposi- 
tion, for  he  had  too  much  love  and  attachment  for  his  two 
masters  not  to  admit  at  once  that  they  knew  more  than 
Colonel  Pollock  ;  no  very  extravagant  assumption,  by  the 
way. 

"Yes,  he  good  'nough,"  answered  the  black,  "but  he 
don't  know  half  as  much  as  Masser  Corny,  or  Masser 
Mordaunt.  He  say  worl'  isn't  round  ;  now,  I  t'ink  he  look 
round." 

"What  Chainbearer  say?"  asked  the  Indian,  suddenly, 
as  if  he  had  determined  that  his  own  opinion  should  be 
governed  by  that  of  a  man  whom  he  so  well  loved.  "  Chain- 
bearer  nebber  lie." 

"Nor  do  Masser  Corny,  nor  Masser  Mordaunt  ?"  ex- 
claimed Jaap,  a  little  indignantly.  "You  t'ink,  Trackless, 
e'der  of  my  massers  lie  !  " 

That  was  an  accusation  that  Susquesus  never  intended 
to  make  ;  though  his  greater  intimacy  with,  and  greater 
reliance  on  old  Andries  had,  naturally  enough,  induced 
him  to  ask  the  question  he  had  put. 

"  No  say  eeder  lie,"  answered  the  Onondago  ;  "  but 
many  forked  tongue  about,  and  maybe  hear  so,  and  t'ink 
so.  Chainbearer  stop  ear ;  nebber  listen  to  crooked 
tongue." 

"Well,  here  come  Chainbearer  he  self,  Sus  ;  so,  jist  for 
graterfercashun,  you  shall  hear  what  'e  ole  man  say.  It 
berry  true,  Chainbearer  honest  man,  and  I  like  to  know 
he  opinion  myself,  sin'  it  isn't  easy,  Trackless,  to  understan' 
how  a  mortal  being  can  stan'  up,  head  down  ! " 

"  What  '  mortal  being  '  mean,  eh  ? " 


190  THE  CHAINBEARER. 

"Why,  it  mean  mortality,  Injin — you,  mortality — I, 
mortality — Masser  Corny,  mortality — Masser  Mordaunt, 
mortality — Miss  Anneke,  mortality — ebberybody,  mortal- 
ity ;  but  ebberybody  not  'e  same  sort  of  mortality ! — 
Understan'  now,  Sus?" 

The  Indian  shook  his  head,  and  looked  perplexed  ;  but 
the  Chainbearer  coming  up  at  that  moment,  that  branch 
of  the  matter  in  discussion  was  pursued  no  farther.  After 
exchanging  a  few  remarks  about  the  pigeons,  Jaap  did  not 
scruple  to  redeem  the  pledge  he  had  given  his  red  friend, 
by  plunging  at  once  into  the  main  subject  with  the  Chain- 
bearer. 

"You  know  how  it  be  wid  Injin,  Masser  Chainbearer," 
said  Jaap — "  'Ey  is  always  poor  missedercated  creatur's, 
and  knows  nuttin'  but  what  come  by  chance — now  here  be 
Sureflint,  he  can  no  way  t'ink  dis  worl'  round  ;  and  dat  it 
turn  round,  too  ;  and  so  he  want  me  to  ask  what  you  got 
to  say  about  dat  matter  ? " 

Chainbearer  was  no  scholar.  Whatever  may  be  said  of 
Leyden,  and  of  the  many,  very  many  learned  Dutchmen  it 
had  sent  forth  into  the  world,  few  of  them  ever  reached 
America.  Our  brethren  of  the  eastern  colonies,  now  states, 
had  long  been  remarkable,  as  a  whole,  for  that  "  dangerous 
thing,"  a  "  little  learning  ;"  but  I  cannot  say  that  the  Dutch 
of  New  York,  also  viewed  as  a  whole,  incurred  any  of  those 
risks.  To  own  the  truth,  it  was  not  a  very  easy  matter  to 
be  more  profoundly  ignorant,  on  all  things  connected  with 
science,  than  were  the  mass  of  the  uneducated  Dutch  of 
New  York,  in  the  year  of  our  Lord  one  thousand  seven 
hundred  and  eighty-four.  It  made  little  difference  as  to 
condition  in  life,  unless  one  rose  as  high  as  the  old  colonial 
aristocracy  of  that  stock,  and  an  occasional  exception  in 
favor  of  a  family  that  intended  to  rear,  or  had  reared  in  its 
bosom  a  minister  of  the  gospel.  Such  was  the  strength  of 
the  prejudice  among  these  people,  that  they  distrusted  the 
English  schools,  and  few  permitted  their  children  to  enter 
them  ;  while  those  they  possessed-  of  their  own  were  or- 
dinarily of  a  very  low  character.  These  feelings  were 
giving  way  before  the  influence  of  time,  it  is  true  ;  but  it 
was  very  slowly  ;  and  it  was  pretty  safe  to  infer  that  every 
man  of  low  Dutch  extraction  in  the  colony  was  virtually 
uneducated,  with  the  exception  of  here  and  there  an  indi- 
vidual of  the  higher  social  castes,  or  one  that  had  been 
especially  favored  by  association  and  circumstances.  As 
for  that  flippant  knowledge,  of  which  our  eastern  neigh- 


THE  CHAINBEARER.  191 

bors  possessed  so  large  an  amount,  the  New  York  Dutch 
appeared  to  view  it  with  peculiar  dislike,  disdaining  to 
know  anything,  if  it  were  not  of  the  very  best  quality. 
Still,  there  were  a  few  to  whom  this  quality  was  by  no 
means  a  stranger.  In  these  isolated  cases,  the  unwearied 
application,  painstaking  industry,  cautious  appreciation 
of  facts,  and  solid  judgment  of  the  parties,  had  produced  a 
few  men  who  only  required  a  theatre  for  its  exhibition,  in 
order  to  cause  their  information  to  command  the  profound 
respect  of  the  learned,  let  them  live  where  they  might. 
What  they  did  acquire  was  thoroughly  got,  though  seldom 
paraded  for  the  purposes  of  mere  show. 

Old  Andries,  however,  was  not  of  the  class  just  named. 
He  belonged  to  the  rule,  and  not  to  its  exception.  Be- 
yond a  question,  he  had  heard  all  the  more  familiar  truths 
of  science  alluded  to  in  discourse,  or  had  seen  them  in  the 
pages  of  books  ;  but  they  entered  into  no  part  of  his  real 
opinions  ;  for  he  was  not  sufficiently  familiar  with  the  dif- 
ferent subjects  to  feel  their  truths  in  a  way  to  incorporate 
them  with  his  mind. 

"You  know  t'is  sait,  Jaap,"  Chainbearer  answered,  "  t'at 
bot'  are  true.  Eferypoty  wilt  tell  you  so  ;  and  all  t'e  folks 
I  haf  seen  holt  t'e  same  opinions." 

"  T'ink  him  true,  Chainbearer  ?"  the  Onondago  some- 
what abruptly  demanded. 

"  I  s'pose  I  must,  Sureflint,  since  all  say  it.  T'e  pale- 
faces, you  know,  reat  a  great  many  pooks,  and  get  to  pe 
much  wiser  t'an  ret  men." 

"  How  you  make  man  stand  OB  head,  eh  ?" 

Chainbearer  now  looked  over  one  shoulder,  then  over 
the  other  ;  and  fancying  no  one  was  near  but  the  two  in 
his  front,  he  was  probably  a  little  more  communicative 
than  might  otherwise  have  been  the  case.  Drawing  a  little 
nearer,  like  one  who  is  about  to  deal  with  a  secret,  the 
honest  old  man  made  his  reply. 

"  To  pe  frank  wit'  you,  Sureflint,"  he  answered,  "  t'at  ist 
a  question  not  easily  answered.  Eferypoty  says  'tis  so,  ant, 
t'erefore,  I  s'pose  it  must  pe  so  ;  put  I  have  often  asked  my- 
self if  t'is  worlt  pe  truly  turned  upsite  town  at  night,  how 
is  it,  old  Chainpearer,  t'at  you  ton't  roll  out  of  pet  ? 
T'ere's  t'ings  in  natur'  t'at  are  incomprehensiple,  Track- 
less ;  quite  incomprehensiple  !  " 

The  Indian  listened  gravely,  and  it  seemed  to  satisfy  his 
longings  on  the  subject,  to  know  that  there  were  things 
in  nature  that  are  incomprehensible.  As  for  the  Chain- 


192  THR  CHAfNBRARER. 

bearer,  I  thought  that  he  changed  the  discourse  a  little 
suddenly  on  account  of  these  very  incomprehensible  things 
in  nature  ;  for  it  is  certain  he  broke  off  on  another  theme, 
in  a  way  to  alter  all  the  ideas  of  his  companions,  let  them 
be  on  their  heads  or  their  heels. 

"  Is  it  not  true,  Jaap,  t'at  you  ant  t'e  Onondago,  here, 
wast  pot'  present  at  t'e  Injin  massacre  t'at  took  place  in 
t'ese  parts,  pefore  t'e  revolution,  in  t'e  olt  French  war  ?  I 
mean  t'e  time  when  one  Traverse,  a  surveyor,  ant  a  fery 
goot  surveyor  he  was,  was  kil't,  wit' all  hischainpearers  ant 
axe-men  ? " 

"  True  as  gospel,  Masser  Andries,"  returned  the  negro, 
looking  up  seriously,  and  shaking  his  head — "  I  was  here, 
and  so  was  Sus.  Dat  was  de  fuss  time  we  smell  gunpow- 
der togedder.  De  French  Injins  was  out  in  droves,  and 
dey  cut  off  Masser  Traverse  and  all  his  party,  no  leaving 
half  a  scalp  on  a  single  head.  Yes,  sah  ;  I  remembers  dat, 
as  if  t'was  last  night" 

"Ant  what  was  tone  wit'  t'e  poties  ?  Youpuriett'e  pot- 
ies,  surely  ? " 

"  Sartain — Pete,  Masser  Ten  Eyck's  man,  was  put  into  a 
hole,  near  Masser  Corny's  hut,  which  must  be  out  here, 
four  or  five  miles  off  ;  while  masser  surveyor  and  his  men 
were  buried  by  a  spring,  somewhere  off  yonder.  Am  I 
right,  Injin  ?" 

The  Onondago  shook  his  head  ;  then  he  pointed  to  the 
true  direction  to  each  spot  that  had  been  mentioned,  show- 
ing that  Jaap  was  very  much  out  of  the  way.  I  had  heard 
of  certain  adventures  in  which  my  father  had  been  con- 
cerned when  a  young  man,  and  in  which,  indeed,  my 
mother  had  been  in  a  degree  an  actor,  but  I  did  not  know 
enough  of  the  events  fully  to  comprehend  the  discourse 
which  succeeded.  It  seemed  that  the  Chainbearer  knew 
the  occurrences  by  report  only,  not  having  been  present 
at  the  scenes  connected  with  them  ;  but  he  felt  a  strong 
desire  to  visit  the  graves  of  the  sufferers.  As  yet,  he  had 
not  even  visited  the  hut  of  Mr.  Traverse,  the  surveyor 
who  had  been  killed  ;  for,  the  work  on  which  he  had  been 
employed  being  one  of  detail,  or  that  of  subdividing  the 
great  lots  laid  down  before  the  revolution,  into  smaller 
lots,  for  present  sale,  it  had  not  taken  hirn  as  yet  from  the 
central  point  where  it  had  commenced.  His  new  assistant 
chainbearer  was  not  expected  to  join  us  for  a  day  or  two  ; 
and,  after  talking  the  matter  over  with  his  two  compan- 
ions for  a  few  minutes,  he  announced  a  determination  to 


THE  CHAIVBEARER.  193 

go  in  quest  of  all  the  graves  the  succeeding  morning,  with 
the  intention  of  having  suitable  memorials  of  their  exist- 
ence placed  over  them. 

The  evening  of  that  day  was  calm  and  delightful.  As 
the  sun  was  setting  I  paid  Dus  a  visit,  and  found  her  alone 
in  what  she  playfully  called  the  drawing-room  of  her 
"harem."  Luckily  there  were  no  mutes  to  prevent  my 
entrance,  the  usual  black  guardian,  of  whom  there  was  one, 
being  still  in  her  kitchen  at  work.  I  was  received  with- 
out  embarrassment,  and  taking  a  seat  on  the  threshold  of 
the  door,  I  sat  conversing,  while  the  mistress  of  the  place 
plied  her  needle  on  a  low  chair  within.  For  a  time  we 
talked  of  the  pigeons  and  of  our  little  journey  in  the 
woods  ;  after  whicli  the  conversation  insensibly  took  a 
direction  toward  our  present  situation,  the  past,  and  the 
future.  I  had  adverted  to  the  Chainbearer's  resolution  to 
search  for  the  graves  ;  and,  at  this  point,  I  shall  begin  to 
record  what  was  said,  as  it  was  said. 

"  I  have  heard  allusions  to  those  melancholy  events, 
rather  than  their  history,"  I  added.  "  For  some  cause, 
neither  of  my  parents  like  to  speak  of  them  ;  though  I 
know  not  the  reason." 

"  Their  history  is  well  known  at  Ravensnest,"  answered 
Dus  ;  "  and  it  is  often  related  there  ;  at  least,  as  marvels 
are  usually  related  in  country  settlements.  I  suppose 
there  is  a  grain  of  truth  mixed  up  with  a  pound  of  error." 

"  I  see  no  reason  for  misrepresenting  in  an  affair  of  that 
sort." 

"  There  is  no  other  than  the  universal  love  of  the  mar- 
vellous, which  causes  most  people  to  insist  on  having  it 
introduced  into  a  story,  if  it  do  not  happen  to  come  in  le- 
gitimately. Your  true  country  gossip  is  never  satisfied 
with  fact.  He  (or  she  would  be  the  better  word)  insists  on 
exercising  a  dull  imagination  at  invention.  In  this  case, 
however,  from  all  that  I  can  learn,  more  fact  and  less  in- 
vention has  been  used  than  common." 

We  then  spoke  of  the  outlines  of  the  story  each  had 
heard,  and  we  found  that,  in  the  main,  our  tales  agreed. 
In  making  the  comparison,  however,  I  found  that  I  was 
disposed  to  dwell  most  on  the  horrible  features  of  the  inci- 
dents, while  Dus,  gently  and  almost  insensibly,  yet  infalli- 
bly, inclined  to  those  that  were  gentler,  and  which  had 
more  connection  with  the  affections. 

"  Your  account  is  much  as  mine,  and  both  must  be  true 
in  the  main,  as  you  got  yours  from  the  principal  actors," 


t94  THE  CHAINRRARER. 

she  said  ;  "  but  our  gossips  relate  certain  points  connected 
with  love  and  marriage,  about  which  you  have  been  silent." 

"Let  me  hear  them,  then,"  I  cried  ;  "  for  I  never  was  in 
a  better  mood  to  converse  of  love  and  marriage"  laying  a 
strong  emphasis  on  the  last  word,  "  than  at  this  moment  ! " 

The  girl  started,  blushed,  compressed  her  lips,  and  con 
tinued  silent  for  half  a  minute.  I  could  see  that  her  hand 
trembled,  but  she  was  too  much  accustomed  to  extraordi- 
nary situations  easily  to  lose  her  self-command.  It  was 
nearly  dusk,  too,  and  the  obscurity  in  which  she  sat  within 
the  hut,  which  was  itself  beneath  the  shade  of  tall  trees, 
most  probably  aided  her  efforts  to  seem  unconscious.  Yet, 
I  had  spoken  warmly,  and  as  I  soon  saw,  in  a  manner  that 
demanded  explanation,  though  at  the  moment  quite  with- 
out plan,  and  scarcely  with  the  consciousness  of  what  I 
was  doing.  I  decided  not  to  retreat,  but  to  go  on,  in  doing 
which  I  should  merely  obey  an  impulse  that  was  getting 
to  be  too  strong  for  much  further  restraint  ;  that  was  not 
the  precise  moment,  nevertheless,  in  which  I  was  resolved 
to  speak,  but  I  waited  rather  for  the  natural  course  of 
things.  In  the  mean  time,  after  the  short  silence  men- 
tioned, the  discourse  continued. 

"  All  I  meant,"  resumed  Dus,  "was the  tradition  which  is 
related  among  your  tenants,  that  your  parents  were  united 
in  consequence  of  the  manner  in  which  your  father  defended 
Herman  Mordaunt's  dwelling,  his  daughter  included — 
though  Herman  Mordaunt  himself  preferred  some  English 
lord  for  his  son-in-law,  and — but  I  ought  to  repeat  no  more 
of  this  silly  tale." 

"  Let  me  hear  it  all,  though  it  be  the  loves  of  my  own 
parents." 

"  I  dare  say  it  is  not  true  ;  for  what  vulgar  report  of  pri- 
vate feelings  and  private  acts  ever  is  so  ?  My  tradition 
added  that  Miss  Mordaunt  was,  at  first,  captivated  by  the 
brilliant  qualities  of  the  young  lord,  though  she  much  pre- 
ferred General  Littlepage  in  the  end  ;  and  that  her  mar- 
riage has  been  most  happy." 

"Your  tradition,  then,  has  not  done  my  mother  justice, 
but  is  faulty  in  many  things.  Your  young  lord  was  merely 
a  baronet's  heir  ;  and  I  know  from  my  dear  grandmother 
that  my  mother's  attachment  to  my  father  commenced 
when  she  was  a  mere  child,  and  was  the  consequence  of 
his  resenting  an  insult  she  received  at  the  time  from  some 
other  boy." 

"  I  am  glad  of  that ! "  exclaimed  Dus,  with  an  emphasis 


THE  CHAINBEARER.  195 

so  marked  that  I  was  surprised  at  the  earnestness  of  her 
manner.  "  Second  attachments  in  woman  to  me  always 
seem  misplaced.  There  was  another  vein  to  my  tradition, 
which  tells  of  a  lady  who  lost  her  betrothed  the  night  the 
'Nest  was  assailed,  and  who  has  ever  since  lived  unmarried, 
true  to  his  memory.  That  is  a  part  of  the  story  I  have 
ever  loved." 

"  Was  her  name  Wallace  ? "  I  asked,  eagerly. 

"  It  was  ;  Mary  Wallace — and  I  have  honored  the  name 
ever  since  I  heard  the  circumstances.  In  my  eyes,  Mr. 
Littlepage,  there  can  be  no  picture  more  respectable  than 
that  of  a  female  remaining  true  to  her  first  attachments, 
under  all  circumstances  ;  in  death  as  well  as  in  life" 

"  Or  in  mine,  beloved  Ursula  !  "  I  cried — but  I  will  not 
make  a  fool  of  myself  by  attempting  to  record  what  I  said 
next.  The  fact  was,  that  Dus  had  been  winding  herself 
round  my  heart  for  the  last  few  weeks  in  a  way  that  would 
have  defied  any  attempts  of  mine  to  extricate  it  from  the 
net  into  which  it  had  fallen,  had  I  the  wish  to  do  so.  But 
I  had  considered  the  matter,  and  saw  no  reason  to 
desire  freedom  from  the  dominion  of  Ursula  Malbone.  To 
me  she  appeared  all  that  man  could  wish,  and  I  saw  no 
impediment  to  a  union  in  the  circumstance  of  her  poverty. 
Her  family  and  education  were  quite  equal  to  my  own  ; 
and  these  very  important  considerations  admitted,  I  had 
fortune  enough  for  both.  It  was  material  that  we  should 
have  the  habits,  opinions,  prejudices  if  you  will,  of  the 
same  social  caste  ;  but  beyond  this,  worldly  considerations, 
in  my  view  of  the  matter,  ought  to  have  no  influence. 

Under  such  notions,  therefore,  and  guided  by  the  strong 
impulse  of  a  generous  and  manly  passion,  I  poured  out  my 
whole  soul  to  Dus.  I  dare  say  I  spoke  a  quarter  of  an  hour 
without  once  being  interrupted.  I  did  not  wish  to  hear 
my  companion's  voice  ;  for  I  had  the  humility  which  is 
said  to  be  the  inseparable  attendant  of  a  true  love,  and  was 
fearful  that  the  answer  might  not  be  such  as  I  could  wish 
to  hear.  I  could  perceive,  spite  of  the  increasing  obscurity, 
that  Dus  was  strongly  agitated  ;  and  will  confess  a  lively 
hope  was  created  within  me  by  this  circumstance.  Thus 
encouraged,  it  was  natural  to  lose  my  fears  in  the  wish  to 
be  more  assured  ;  and  I  now  pressed  for  a  reply.  After  a 
brief  pause,  I  obtained  it  in  the  following  words,  which 
were  uttered  with  a  tremor  and  sensibility  that  gave  them 
tenfold  weight. 

"  For  this  unexpected,  and  I  believe  sincere  declaration, 


196  THE  CHAINS  RARER. 

Mr.  Littlepage,  I  thank  you  from  the  bottom  of  irrv 
heart,"  the  precious  creature  commenced.  "  There  are 
a  frankness,  an  honorable  sincerity  and  a  noble  gener- 
osity in  such  a  declaration,  coming  from  you  to  me,  that 
can  never  be  forgotten.  But,  I  am  not  my  own  mis- 
tress-— my  faith  is  plighted  to  another — my  affections  are 
with  my  faith  ;  and  I  cannot  accept  offers  which,  so  truly 
generous,  so  truly  noble,  demand  the  most  explicit  re- 
ply— 

I  heard  no  more  ;  for,  springing  from  the  floor,  and  an 
attitude  that  was  very  nearly  that  of  being  on  my  knees,  I 
rushed  from  the  hut  and  plunged  into  the  forest. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

DANS.      "  Ye  boys  who  pluck  the  flowers,  and  spoil  the  spring. 
Beware  the  secret  snake  that  shoots  a  sting." 

— Dry  den!  s  Ecloguts. 

FOR  the  first  half  hour  after  I  left  Ursula  Malbone's  hut, 
I  was  literally  unconscious  of  whither  I  was  going,  or  of 
what  I  was  about.  I  can  recollect  nothing  but  having 
passed  quite  near  to  the  Onondago,  who  appeared  desirous 
of  speaking  to  me,  but  whom  I  avoided  by  a  species  of 
instinct  rather  than  with  any  design.  In  fact,  fatigue  first 
brought  me  fairly  to  my  senses.  I  had  wandered  miles 
and  miles,  plunging  deeper  and  deeper  into  the  wilds  of 
the  forest,  and  this  without  any  aim,  or  any  knowledge  of 
even  the  direction  in  which  I  was  going.  Night  soon 
came  to  cast  its  shadows  on  the  earth,  and  my  uncertain 
course  was  held  amid  the  gloom  of  the  hour,  united  to 
those  of  the  woods.  I  had  wearied  myself  by  rapid  walk- 
ing over  the  uneven  surface  of  the  forest,  and  finally  threw 
myself  on  the  trunk  of  a  fallen  tree,  willing  to  take  some 
repose. 

At  first,  I  thought  of  nothing,  felt  for  nothing  but  the 
unwelcome  circumstance  that  the  faith  of  Dus  was  plighted 
to  another.  Had  I  fallen  in  love  with  Priscilla  Bayard, 
such  an  announcement  could  not  have  occasioned  the  same- 
surprise  ;  for  she  lived  in  the  world,  met  with  men  of  suit- 
able educations,  conditions,  and  opinions,  and  might  be 
supposed  to  have  been  brought  within  the  influence  of  the 
attentions  and  sympathies  that  are  wont  to  awaken  tender- 


THE  CHAIXBEARER.  197 

ness  in  the  female  breast.  With  Dus,  it  had  been  very 
different ;  she  had  gone  from  the  forest  to  the  school,  and 
returned  from  the  school  to  the  forest.  It  was  true,  that 
her  brother,  while  a  soldier,  might  have  had  some  friend 
who  admired  Ursula,  and  whose  admiration  awakened 
her  youthful  sympathies,  but  this  was  only  a  remote  prob- 
ability, and  I  was  left  burdened  with  a  load  of  doubt  as  re- 
spected even  the  character  and  position  of  my  rival. 

"  At  any  rate,  he  must  be  poor,"  I  said  to  myself,  the 
moment  I  was  capable  of  reflecting  coolly  on  the  subject, 
"or  he  would  never  have  left  Dus  in  that  hut,  to  pass  her 
youth  amid  chainbearers  and  the  other  rude  beings  of  a 
frontier.  If  I  cannot  obtain  her  love,  I  may  at  least  con- 
tribute to  her  happiness  by  using  those  means  which  a  kind 
Providence  has  bestowed,  and  enabling  her  to  marry  at 
once."  For  a  little  while  I  fancied  my  own  misery  would 
be  lessened,  could  I  only  see  Dus  married  and  happy. 
This  feeling  did  not  last  long,  however  ;  though  I  trust 
the  desire  to  see  her  happy  remained  after  I  became  keenly 
conscious  it  would  require  much  time  to  enable  me  to  look 
on  such  a  spectacle  with  composure.  Nevertheless,  the 
first  tranquil  moment,  the  first  relieving  sensation  I  ex- 
perienced, was  from  the  conviction  I  felt  that  Providence 
had  placed  it  in  my  power  to  cause  Ursula  and  the  man  of 
her  choice  to  be  united.  This  recollection  gave  me  even  a 
positive  pleasure  for  a  little  while,  and  I  ruminated  on  the 
means  of  effecting  it,  literally  for  hours.  I  was  still  think- 
ing of  it,  indeed,  when  I  threw  myself  on  the  fallen  tree, 
where  weariness  caused  me  to  fall  into  a  troubled  sleep, 
that  lasted,  with  more  or  less  of  forgetfulness,  several  hours. 
The  place  I  had  chosen  on  the  tree  was  among  its  branches, 
on  which  the  leaves  were  still  hanging,  and  it  was  not  with- 
out its  conveniences. 

When  I  awoke,  it  was  daylight  ;  or,  such  a  daylight  as 
penetrates  the  forest  ere  the  sun  has  risen.  At  first  I  felt 
stiff  and  sore  from  the  hardness  of  my  bed  ;  but,  on  chang- 
ing my  attitude  and  sitting  up,  these  sensations  soon  wore 
off,  leaving  me  refreshed  and  calm.  To  my  great  surprise, 
however,  I  found  that  a  small,  light  blanket,  such  as  wood- 
men use  in  summer,  had  been  thrown  over  me,  to  the  genial 
warmth  of  which  I  was  probably  indebted  more  than  I  then 
knew  myself.  This  circumstance  alarmed  me  at  first,  since 
it  was  obvious  the  blanket  could  not  have  come  there  with- 
out hands  ;  though  a  moment's  reflection  satisfied  me  that 
the  throwing  it  over  me,  under  the  circumstances,  must 


,98  THE  CHA1NBEARER. 

have  been  the  act  of  a  friend.  I  arose,  however,  to  my  feet, 
walked  along  the  trunk  of  the  tree  until  clear  of  its  branches, 
and  looked  about  me  with  a  lively  desire  to  ascertain  who 
this  secret  friend  might  be. 

The  place  was  like  any  other  in  the  solitude  of  the  forest. 
There  was  the  usual  array  of  the  trunks  of  stately  trees, 
the  leafy  canopy,  the  dark  shadows,  the  long  vistas,  the 
brown  and  broken  surface  of  the  earth,  and  the  damp  cool- 
ness of  the  boundless  woods.  A  fine  spring  broke  out  of 
a  hill-side  quite  near  me,  and  looking  further,  with  the  in- 
tention to  approach  and  use  its  water,  the  mystery  of  the 
blanket  was  at  once  explained.  I  saw  the  form  of  the 
Onondago,  motionless  as  one  of  the  trees  which  grew 
around  him,  leaning  on  his  rifle,  and  seemingly  gazing  at 
some  object  that  lay  at  his  feet.  In  a  minute  I  was  at  his 
side,  when  I  discovered  that  he  was  standing  over  a  human 
skeleton  !  This  was  a  strange  and  startling  object  to  meet 
in  the  depth  of  the  woods  !  Man  was  of  so  little  account, 
was  so  seldom  seen  in  the  virgin  wilds  of  America,  that 
one  naturally  felt  more  shocked  at  finding  such  a  memorial 
of  his  presence  in  a  place  like  that,  than  would  have  been 
the  case  had  he  stumbled  on  it  amid  peopled  districts.  As 
for  the  Indian,  he  gazed  at  the  bones  so  intently  that  he 
either  did  not  hear,  or  he  totally  disregarded  my  approach. 
I  touched  him  with  a  finger  before  he  even  looked  up. 
Glad  of  any  excuse  to  avoid  explanation  of  my  own  con- 
duct, I  eagerly  seized  the  occasion  offered  by  a  sight  so 
unusual,  to  speak  of  other  things. 

"  This  has  been  a  violent  death,  Sureflint,"  I  said;  "else 
the  body  would  not  have  been  left  unburied.  The  man 
has  been  killed  in  some  quarrel  of  the  red  warriors." 

"  Was  bury,"  answered  the  Indian,  without  manifesting 
the  least  surprise  at  my  touch,  or  at  the  sound  of  my  voice. 
"  Dere,  see  grave  ?  'Arth  wash  away,  and  bones  come  out. 
Nuttin'  else.  Know  he  bury,  for  help  bury,  myself." 

"  Do  you,  then,  know  anything  of  this  unhappy  man, 
and  of  the  cause  of  his  death  ? " 

"  Sartain  ;  know  all  'bout  him.  Kill  in  ole  French  war. 
Fader  here  ;  and  Colonel  Follock  ;  Jaap,  too.  Huron  kill 
'em  all ;  afterward  we  flog  Huron.  Yes,  dat  ole  story  now  !  " 

"I  have  heard  something  of  this  !  This  must  have  been 
the  spot,  then,  where  one  Traverse,  a  surveyor,  was  set 
upon  by  the  enemy,  and  was  slain,  with  his  chainbearers 
and  axe-men.  My  father  and  his  friends  did  find  the 
bodies  and  bury  them,  after  a  fashion." 


THE  CHAINBEARER.  199 

"  Sartain  ;  just  so  ;  poor  bury,  d'ough,  else  he  nebber 
come  out  of  groun'.  Dese  bones  of  surveyor  ;  know  'em 
well  :  hab  one  leg  broke,  once.  Dere  ;  you  see  mark." 

"  Shall  we  dig  a  new  grave,  Susquesus,  and  bury  the  re- 
mains again  ?" 

"  Best  not,  now,  Chainbearer  mean  do  dat  Be  here 
by-'m-bye.  Got  somet'ing  else  t'ink  of  now.  You  own  all 
land  'bout  here,  so  no  need  be  in  hurry." 

"  I  suppose  that  my  father  and  Colonel  Pollock  do. 
These  men  were  slain  on  the  estate,  while  running  out  its 
great  lots.  I  think  I  have  heard  they  had  not  near  finished 
their  work  in  this  quarter  of  the  patent,  which  was  aban- 
doned on  account  of  the  troubles  of  that  day." 

"Just  so  ;  who  own  mill,  here,  den  ?" 

"There  is  no  mill  near  us,  Susquesus  ;  can  be  no  mill,  as 
not  an  acre  of  the  Ridge  property  has  ever  been  sold  or 
leased." 

"  May  be  so — mill  d'ough — not  far  off,  needer.  Know 
mill  when  hear  him.  Saw  talk  loud." 

"  You  surely  do  not  hear  the  saw  of  a  mill  now,  my 
friend.  I  can  hear  nothing  like  one." 

"  No  hear,  now  ;  dat  true.  But  hear  him  in  night.  Ear 
--good  in  night — hear  great  way  off." 

"  You  are  right  enough  there,  Susquesus.  And  you 
fancied  you  heard  the  stroke  of  a  saw,  from  this  place, 
during  the  quiet  and  heavy  air  of  the  past  night  ? " 

"  Sartain — know  well ;  hear  him  plain  enough.  Isn't 
mile  off.  Out  here  ;  find  him  dere." 

This  was  still  more  startling  than  the  discovery  of  the 
skeleton.  I  had  a  rough,  general  map  of  the  patent  in  my 
pocket ;  and  on  examination,  I  found  a  mill-stream  was 
laid  down  on  it,  quite  near  the  spot  where  we  stood.  The 
appearance  of  the  woods,  and  the  formation  of  the  land, 
moreover,  favored  the  idea  of  the  proximity  of  a  mill. 
Pine  was  plenty,  and  the  hills  were  beginning  to  swell 
into  something  resembling  mountains. 

Fasting,  and  the  exercise  I  had  taken,  had  given  me  a 
keen  appetite  ;  and  in  one  sense  at  least,  I  was  not  sorry 
to  believe  that  human  habitations  were  near.  Did  any 
persons  dwell  in  that  forest,  they  were  squatters,  but  I  did 
not  feel  much  personal  apprehension  in  encountering  such 
men  ;  especially  when  my  only  present  object  was  to  ask 
for  food.  The  erecting  of  a  mill  denoted  a  decided  demon- 
stration, it  is  true,  and  a  little  reflection  might  have  told 
me  that  its  occupants  would  not  be  delighted  by  a  sudden 


«oo  THE  CHAINBRARER. 

visit  from  the  representative  of  the  owners  of  the  soil. 
On  the  other  hand,  however,  the  huts  were  long  miles 
away,  and  neither  Sureflint  nor  I  had  the  smallest  article 
of  food  about  us.  Both  were  hungry,  though  the  Onon- 
dago  professed  indifference  to  the  feeling,  an  unconcern  I 
could  not  share  with  him,  owing  to  habits  of  greater  self- 
indulgence.  Then  I  had  a  strong  wish  to  solve  this  mys- 
tery of  the  mill,  in  addition  to  a  feverish  desire  to  awaken 
within  me  some  new  excitement,  as  a  counterpoise  to  that 
I  still  keenly  felt  in  behalf  of  my  disappointed  love. 

Did  I  not  so  well  understand  the  character  of  my  com- 
panion, and  the  great  accuracy  of  Indian  senses,  I  might 
have  hesitated  about  going  on  what  seemed  to  be  a  fool's 
errand.  But  circumstances,  that  were  then  of  recent 
origin,  existed  to  give  some  countenance  to  the  conjecture 
of  Sureflint,  if  conjecture  his  precise  knowledge  could  be 
called.  Originally,  New  York  claimed  the  Connecticut 
for  a  part  of  its  eastern  boundary,  but  large  bodies  of 
settlers  had  crossed  that  stream  coming  mainly  from  the 
adjacent  colony  of  New  Hampshire,  and  these  persons  had 
become  formidable  by  their  positions  and  numbers,  some 
time  anterior  to  the  revolution.  During  that  struggle, 
these  hardy  mountaineers  had  manifested  a  spirit  favoi* 
able  to  the  colonies,  in  the  main,  though  every  indication 
of  an  intention  to  settle  their  claims  was  met  by  a  disposi- 
tion to  declare  themselves  neutral.  In  a  word,  they  were 
sufficiently  patriotic,  if  left  to  do  as  they  pleased  in  the 
matter  of  their  possessions,  but  not  sufficiently  so  to  sub- 
mit to  the  regular  administration  of  the  law.  About  the 
close  of  the  war,  the  leaders  of  this  self-created  colony 
were  more  than  suspected  of  coquetting  with  the  English 
authorities  ;  not  that  they  preferred  the  government  of  the 
crown,  or  any  other  control,  to  their  own,  but  because  the 
times  were  favorable  to  playing  off  their  neutrality,  in  this 
manner,  as  a  means  of  securing  themselves  in  the  posses- 
sion of  lands  to  which  their  titles,  in  the  ordinary  way, 
admitted  of  a  good  deal  of  dispute,  to  say  the  least.  The 
difficulty  was  by  no  means  disposed  of  by  the  peace  of  '83  ; 
but  the  counties  that  were  then  equally  known  by  the 
name  of  Vermont  and  that  of  the  Hampshire  Grants,  were 
existing,  in  one  sense,  as  a  people  apart,  not  yet  acknowl- 
edging the  power  of  the  confederacy  ;  nor  did  they  come 
into  the  Union,  under  the  constitution  of  1789,  until  all 
around  them  had  done  so,  and  the  last  spark  of  opposition 
to  the  new  system  had  been  extinguished, 


THE  CHAINBEARER.  201 

It  is  a  principle  of  moral,  as  well  as  of  physical  nature, 
that  like  should  produce  like.  The  right  ever  vindicates 
itself,  in  the  process  of  events,  and  the  sins  of  the  fathers 
are  visited  upon  the  children,  even  to  the  third  and  fourth 
generations,  in  their  melancholy  consequences.  It  was 
impossible  that  an  example  of  such  a  wrong  could  be  suc- 
cessfully exhibited  on  a  large  scale,  without  producing  its 
deluded  imitators,  on  another  that  was  better  suited  to  the 
rapacity  of  individual  longings.  It  is  probable  Vermont 
has  sent  out,  among  us,  two  squatters,  and  otherwise  law- 
less intruders  on  our  vacant  lands,  to  one  of  any  other  of 
the  adjoining  States,  counting  all  in  proportion  to  their 
whole  numbers.  I  knew  that  the  county  of  Charlotte,  as 
Washington  was  then  called,  was  peculiarly  exposed  to 
inroads  of  this  nature  ;  and  did  not  feel  much  surprise  at 
this  prospect  of  meeting  with  some  of  the  fruits  of  the 
seed  that  had  been  so  profusely  scattered  along  the  sides 
of  the  Green  Mountains.  Come  what  would,  however,  I 
was  determined  to  ascertain  the  facts,  as  soon  as  possible, 
with  the  double  purpose  of  satisfying  both  hunger  and 
curiosity.  As  for  the  Indian,  he  was  passive,  yielding  to 
my  decision  altogether  as  a  matter  of  course. 

"  Since  you  think  there  is  a  mill,  out  here,  west  of  us, 
Sureflint,"  I  observed,  after  turning  the  matter  over  in  my 
mind,  "  I  will  go  and  search  for  it,  if  you  will  bear  me 
company.  You  think  you  can  find  it,  I  trust,  knowing  the 
direction  in  which  it  stands  ?  " 

"  Sartain — find  him  easy  'nough.  Find  stream  first — 
den  find  mill.  Got  ear — got  eye — no  hard  to  find  him. 
Hear  saw  'fore  great  while." 

I  acquiesced,  and  made  a  sign  for  my  companion  to  pro- 
ceed. Susquesus  was  a  man  of  action,  and  not  of  words  ; 
and,  in  a  minute  he  was  leading  the  way  toward  a  spot  in 
the  woods  that  looked  as  if  it  might  contain  the  bed  of  the 
stream  that  was  known  to  exist  somewhere  near  by,  since 
it  was  laid  down  on  the  map. 

The  sort  of  instinct  possessed  by  the  Trackless,  enabled 
him  soon  to  find  this  little  river.  It  was  full  of  water,  and 
had  a  gentle  current  ;  a  fact  that  the  Indian  immediately 
interpreted  into  a  sign  that  the  mill  must  be  above  us, 
since  the  dam  would  have  checked  the  course  of  the  water, 
had  we  been  above  that.  Turning  up  stream,  then,  my 
companion  moved  on,  with  the  same  silent  industry  as  he 
would  have  trotted  along  the  path  that  led  to  his  own  wig- 
wam, had  he  been  near  it, 


202  THE  CHAINBEARER. 

We  had  not  been  on  the  banks  of  the  stream  five  min- 
utes, before  the  Trackless  came  to  a  dead  halt  ;  like  one 
who  had  met  an  unexpected  obstacle.  I  was  soon  at  his 
side,  curious  to  know  the  motive  of  this  delay. 

"  Soon  see  mill,  now,"  Susquesus  said,  in  answer  to  an 
inquiry  of  mine.  "  Board  plenty — come  down  stream  fast 
as  want  him." 

Sure  enough,  boards  were  coming  down,  in  the  current 
of  the  river,  much  faster  than  one  who  was  interested  in 
the  property  would  be  apt  to  wish  ;  unless,  indeed,  he  felt 
certain  of  obtaining  his  share  of  the  amount  of  sales. 
These  boards  were  neither  in  rafts,  nor  in  cribs  ;  but  they 
came  singly,  or  two  or  three  laid  together,  as  if  some  ar- 
rangement had  been  made  to  arrest  them  below,  before 
they  should  reach  any  shoals,  falls,  or  rapids.  All  this 
looked  surprisingly  like  a  regular  manufacturer  of  lumber, 
with  a  view  to  sales  in  the  markets  of  the  towns  on  the 
Hudson.  The  little  stream  we  were  on  was  a  tributary  of 
that  noble  river,  and,  once  in  the  latter,  there  would  be  no 
very  material  physical  obstacle  to  conveying  the  product 
of  our  hills  over  the  habitable  globe. 

"  This  really  looks  like  trade,  Sureflint,"  I  said,  as  soon 
as  certain  that  my  eyes  did  not  deceive  me.  "Where  there 
are  boards  made,  men  cannot  be  far  off.  Lumber,  cut  to 
order,  does  not  grow  in  the  wilderness,  though  the  mate- 
rial of  which  it  is  made,  may." 

"  Mill  make  him.  Know'd  mill,  when  hear  him.  Talk 
plain  'nough.  Pale-face  make  mill,  but  red  man  got  ear 
to  hear  wit' ! " 

This  was  all  true  enough  ;  and  it  remained  to  ascertain 
what  was  to  come  of  it.  I  will  acknowledge  that,  when  I 
saw  those  tell-tale  boards  come  floating  down  the  winding 
little  river,  I  felt  a  thrilling  of  the  nerves,  as  if  assured  the 
sight  would  be  succeeded  by  some  occurrence  of  impor- 
tance to  myself.  I  knew  that  these  lawless  lumbermen 
bore  a  bad  name  in  the  land,  and  that  they  were  generally 
regarded  as  a  set  of  plunderers,  who  did  not  hesitate  to 
defend  themselves  and  their  habits,  by  such  acts  of  violence 
and  fraud  as  they  fancied  their  circumstances  justified.  It 
is  one  evil  of  crime,  where  it  penetrates  masses,  that  num- 
bers are  enabled  to  give  it  a  gloss,  and  a  seeming  merit, 
that  unsettle  principles  ;  rendering  the  false  true,  in  the 
eyes  of  the  ignorant,  and  generally  placing  evil  before 
p;ood.  This  is  one  of  the  modes  in  which  justice  vindicates 
3elf,  under  the  providence  of  God  ;  the  wrongs  commit- 


THE  CHAINBEARER.  203 

ted  by  communities  reacting  on  themselves,  in  the  chape 
of  a  demoralization  that  soon  brings  its  own  merited  pun- 
ishment. 

There  was  little  time  for  speculation  or  conjecture,  how- 
ever ;  for,  resuming  our  march,  the  next  bend  in  the  river 
brought  into  view  a  reach  of  the  stream  in  which  half  a 
dozen  men  and  lads  were  at  work  in  the  water,  placing  the 
boards  in  piles  of  two  or  three,  and  setting  them  in  the 
current,  at  points  favorable  to  their  floating  downward. 
Booms,  connected  with  chains,  kept  the  confused  pile  in  a 
sort  of  basin  beneath  some  low  cliffs,  on  the  margin  of 
which  stood  the  expected  saw-mill  itself.  Here,  then,  was 
ocular  proof  that  squatters  were  systematically  at  work, 
plundering  the  forests  of  which  I  was  in  charge,  of  their 
most  valuable  trees,  and  setting  everything  like  law  and 
right  at  defiance.  The  circumstances  called  for  great  de- 
cision, united  with  the  utmost  circumspection.  I  had  gone 
so  far,  that  pride  would  not  suffer  me  to  retreat,  had  not  a 
sense  of  duty  to  my  father  and  Colonel  Pollock,  come  to 
increase  the  determination  to  go  on. 

The  reader  may  feel  some  desire  to  know  how  far  Dus 
mingled  with  my  thoughts,  all  this  time.  She  was  never 
absolutely  out  of  them,  though  the  repulse  I  had  met  in 
my  affections  gave  an  impetus  to  my  feelings  that  rendered 
me  more  than  usually  disposed  to  enter  on  an  adventure 
of  hazard  and  wildness.  If  I  were  naught  to  Ursula  Mai- 
bone,  it  mattered  little  what  else  became  of  me.  This  was 
the  sentiment  that  was  uppermost,  and  I  have  thought, 
ever  since,  that  Susquesus  had  some  insight  into  the  con- 
dition of  my  feelings,  and  understood  the  cause  of  the  sort 
of  desperation  with  which  I  was  about  to  rush  on  danger. 
We  were,  as  yet,  quite  concealed,  ourselves  ;  and  the  In- 
dian profited  by  the  circumstance,  to  hold  a  council,  before 
we  trusted  our  persons  in  the  hands  of  those  who  might 
feel  it  to  be  their  interest  to  make  away  with  us,  in  prefer- 
ence to  permitting  us  ever  to  see  our  friends  again.  In 
doing  this,  however,  Sureflint  was  in  no  degree  influenced 
by  concern  for  himself,  but  solely  by  a  desire  to  act  as  be- 
came an  experienced  warrior,  on  a  very  difficult  war-path. 

"  S'pose  you  know,"  said  Sureflint.  "  'Em  no  good  men 
— Varmount  squatter — you  t'ink  own  land — dey  t'ink  own 
land.  Carry  rifle  and  do  as  please.  Best  watch  him." 

"  I  believe  I  understand  you,  Susquesus,  and  I  shall  be 
on  my  guard,  accordingly.  Did  you  ever  see  either  of 
those  men  before  ?  " 


204  THE  CHA1NBEARER. 

"T'ink  have.  Must  meet  all  sort  of  men,  when  he  get 
Up  and  down  in  'e  wood.  Despret  squatter,  dat  ole  man, 
out  yonder.  Call  himself  T'ousandacre — say  he  alway 
own  t'ousand  acre  when  he  have  mind  to  find  him." 

"The  gentleman  must  be  well  provided  with  estates  !  A 
thousand  acres  will  make  a  very  pretty  homestead  for  a 
wanderer,  especially  when  he  has  the  privilege  of  carrying 
it  about  with  him,  in  his  travels.  You  mean  the  man  with 
gray  hairs,  I  suppose — he  who  is  half  dressed  in  buck- 
skin ? " 

"  Sartain  ;  dat  ole  T'ousandacre — nebber  want  land — 
take  him  where  he  find  him.  Born  over  by  great  salt  lake, 
he  say,  and  been  travel  toward  setting  sun  since  a  boy. 
Alway  help  himself — Hampshire  Grant  man,  dat.  But, 
major,  why  he  no  got  right,  well  as  you?" 

"  Because  our  laws  give  him  no  right,  while  they  give  to 
the  owner  in  fee,  a  perfect  right.  It  is  one  of  the  condi- 
tions of  the  society  in  which  we  live,  that  men  shall  respect 
each  other's  property,  and  this  is  not  his  property,  but  mine 
— or  rather,  it  is  the  property  of  my  father  and  Colonel 
Pollock." 

"  Best  not  say  so,  den.  No  need  tell  ebberyt'ing.  No 
your  land,  say  no  your  land.  If  he  t'ink  you  spy,  p'raps 
he  shoot  you,  eh  ?  Pale-face  shoot  spy  ;  red  man  t'ink  spy 
good  feller  !  " 

"Spies  can  be  shot  only  in -time  of  war;  but,  war  or 
peace,  you  do  not  think  these  men  will  push  matters  to  ex- 
tremities ?  They  will  be  afraid  of  the  law." 

"  Law  !  What  law  to  him  ?  Nebber  see  law — don't  go 
near  law  ;  don't  know  him." 

"Well,  I  shall  run  the  risk,  for  hunger  is  quite  as  active 
just  now  as  curiosity  and  interest.  There  is  no  necessity, 
however,  for  your  exposing  yourself,  Sureflint  ;  do  you 
stay  behind,  and  wait  for  the  result.  If  I  am  detained,  you 
can  carry  the  news  to  Chainbearer,  who  will  know  where 
to  seek  me.  Stay  you  here,  and  let  me  go  on  alone- 
adieu." 

Sureflint  was  not  to  be  dropped  in  this  manner.  He  said 
nothing,  but  the  moment  I  began  to  move,  he  stepped 
quietly  into  his  accustomed  place,  in  advance,  and  led  the 
way  toward  the  party  of  squatters.  There  were  four  of 
these  men  at  work  in  the  river,  in  addition  to  two  stout 
lads  and  the  old  leader,  who,  as  I  afterward  ascertained, 
was  very  generally  known  by  the  sobriquet  of  Thousand- 
acres.  The  last  remained  on  dry  land,  doubtless  imagining 


THE  CHA1NBEARER.  205 

that  his  years,  and  his  long  services  in  the  cause  of  law- 
lessness and  social  disorganization,  entitled  him  to  this 
small  advantage.  The  evil  one  has  his  privileges,  as  well 
as  the  public. 

The  first  intimation  our  hosts  received  of  this  unex- 
pected visit,  came  from  the  cracking  of  a  dried  stick  on 
which  I  had  trodden.  The  Indian  was  not  quicker  to  in- 
terpret and  observe  that  well-known  sound,  than  the  old 
squatter,  who  turned  his  head  like  thought,  and  at  once 
saw  the  Onondago  within  a  rod  of  the  spot  where  he  him- 
self was  standing.  I  was  close  on  the  Indian's  heels.  At 
first,  neither  surprise  nor  uneasiness  was  apparent  in  the 
countenance  of  Thousandacres.  He  knew  the  Trackless, 
as  he  called  Susquesus,  and,  though  this  was  the  first  visit 
of  the  Indian,  at  that  particular  "location,"  they  had  often 
met  in  a  similar  manner  before,  and  invariably  with  as  little 
preliminary  notice.  So  far  from  anything  unpleasant  ap- 
pearing in  the  countenance  of  the  squatter,  therefore,  Sus- 
quesus was  greeted  with  a  smile,  in  which  a  certain  leering 
expression  of  cunning  was  blended  with  that  of  welcome. 

"  So  its  only  you,  Trackless,"  exclaimed  Thousand  Acres, 
or  Thousandacres,  as  I  shall  in  future  spell  the  name — "  I 
didn't  know  but  it  might  be  a  sheriff.  Sitch  critturs  do 
get  out  into  the  woods,  sometimes,  you  know  ;  though  they 
don't  always  get  back  ag'in.  How  come  you  to  find  us  out, 
in  this  cunning  spot,  Onondago  !  " 

"  Hear  mill,  in  night.  Saw  got  loud  tongue.  Hungry  ; 
so  come  get  somet'ing  to  eat." 

"Waal,  you've  done  wisely,  in  that  partic'lar,  for  we 
never  have  been  better  off  for  vi't'als.  Pigeons  is  as  plenty 
as  land,  and  the  law  hasn't  got  to  that  pass  yet,  as  to  forbid 
a  body  from  taking  pigeons,  even  though  it  be  in  another 
man's  stubble.  I  must  keep  that  saw  better  greased,  nights  ; 
though,  I  s'p'ose,  a'ter  all,  't  was  the  cut  of  the  teeth  you 
heard,  and  not  the  rubbing  of  the  plate  ? " 

"  Hear  him  all — saw  got  loud  voice,  tell  you." 

"  Yes,  there's  natur'  in  that.  Come,  we'll  take  this  path, 
up  to  the  house,  and  see  what  Miss  Thousandacres  can  do 
for  you.  Breakfast  must  be  ready,  by  this  time  ;  and  you, 
and  your  fri'nd,  behind  you,  there,  is  wilcome  to  what  we 
have,  sitch  as  it  is.  Now,  as  we  go  along,"  continued  the 
squatter,  leading  the  way  up  the  path  he  had  mentioned — • 
"  now,  as  we  go  along,  you  can  tell  me  the  news,  Track- 
less. This  is  a  desp'rate  quiet  spot ;  and  all  the  tidings  we 
get  is  brought  back  by  the  b'ys,  when  they  come  up 


206  THE  CHAINBEARER. 

stream,  from  floating  boards  down  into  the  river.  A  des- 
p'rate  sight  have  we  got  on  hand,  and  I  hope  to  hear  that 
matters  be  going  on  so  well,  in  Albany,  that  boards  will 
bring  suthin',  soon.  It's  high  time  honest  labor  met  with 
its  reward." 

u  Don't  know — nebber  sell  board,"  answered  the  Indian 
— "  nebber  buy  him.  Don't  care  for  board.  Powder 
cheap,  now  'e  war-path  shut  up.  Dat  good,  s'pose  you 
t'ink." 

"  Waal,  Trackless,  I  kear  more  for  boards  than  for  pow- 
der, I  must  own  ;  though  powder's  useful,  too.  Yes,  yes  ; 
a  useful  thing  is  powder,  in  its  way.  Venison  and  bear's 
meat  are  both  healthy,  cheap,  food :  and  I  have  eaten  cata- 
mount. Powder  can  be  used  in  many  ways.  Who  is  your 
fri'nd,  Trackless  ? " 

"  Ole  young  frien' — know  his  fader.  Live  in  wood  now, 
like  us  this  summer.  Shoot  deer  like  hunter." 

"  He's  wilcome — he's  heartily  wilcome  !  All's  wilcome 
to  these  parts,  but  the  landlord.  You  know  me,  Trackless 
— you're  well  acquainted  with  old  Thousandacres  ;  and  few 
words  is  best,  among  fri'nds  of  long  standing.  But,  tell 
me,  Onondago,  have  you  seen  anything  of  the  Chainbearer, 
and  his  party  of  lawless  surveyors,  in  the  woods,  this  sum- 
mer ?  The  b'ys  brought  up  an  account  of  his  being  at 
work,  somewhere  near  by,  this  season,  and  that  he's  at  his 
old  tricks,  ag'in  ! " 

"  Sartain,  see  him.  Ole  frien',  too,  Chainbearer.  Live 
wit'  him,  afore  old  French  war — like  to  live  with  him,  when 
can.  Good  man,  Chainbearer,  tell  you,  Thousandacres. 
What  trick  he  do,  eh  ? " 

The  Indian  spoke  a  little  sternly,  for  he  loved  Andries 
too  well  to  hear  him  disrespectfully  named,  without  feel- 
ing some  sort  of  resentment.  These  men,  however,  were 
too  much  accustomed  to  plain  dealing  in  their  ordinary 
discourse,  to  take  serious  offence  at  trifles  ;  and  the  ami- 
cable sunshine  of  the  dialogue  received  no  serious  interrup- 
tion from  this  passing  cloud. 

"What  trick  does  Chainbearer  do,  Trackless,"  answered 
the  squatter — "a  mortal  sight  of  tricks,  with  them  plaguy 
chains  of  his'n  !  If  there  warn't  no  chains  and  chain- 
bearers,  there  could  be  no  surveyors  ;  and,  if  there  warn't 
no  surveyors,  there  could  be  no  boundaries  to  farms  but 
the  rifle  ;  which  is  the  best  law-maker,  too,  that  man  evei 
invented.  The  Indians  want  no  surveyors,  Trackless?" 

'*  S'pose  he  don't.     It  be  bad  to  measure  land,  will  own," 


THE  CHAINBEARER.  207 

answered  the  conscientious  Susquesus,  who  would  not 
deny  his  own  principles,  even  while  he  despised  and  con- 
demned the  man  who  now  asserted  them.  "  Nebber  see 
anyt'ing  good  in  measurin'  land." 

"Ay,  I  know'd  you  was  of  the  true  Injin  kidney  !"  ex- 
claimed Thousandacres,  exultingly,  "  and  that's  it  which 
makes  sich  fri'nds  of  us  squatters  and  you  red-skins.  But 
Chainbearer  is  at  work  hard  by,  is  he,  Trackless  ? " 

"  Sartain.  He  measure  General  Littlepage  farm  out. 
Who  your  landlord,  eh  ?" 

"Waal,  I  do  s'pose  it's  this  same  Littlepage,  and  a  des- 
p'rate  rogue  all  agree  in  callin'  him." 

I  started  at  hearing  my  honored  and  honorable  father 
thus  alluded  to,  and  felt  a  strong  disposition  to  resent  the 
injury  ;  though  a  glance  from  the  Indian's  eye  cautioned 
me  on  the  subject.  I  was  then  young,  and  had  yet  to 
learn  that  men  were  seldom  wronged  without  being  calum- 
niated. I  now  know  that  this  practice  of  circulating 
false  reports  of  landlords,  most  especially  in  relation  to 
tli'Mr  titles,  is  very  general,  taking  its  rise  in  the  hostile 
positions  that  adventurers  are  constantly  assuming  on  their 
estates,  in  a  country  as  unsettled  and  migratory  as  our 
own,  aided  by  the  common  and  vulgar  passion  of  envy. 
Let  a  man  travel  through  New  York,  even  at  this  day, 
and  lend  his  ear  to  the  language  of  the  discontented  tav- 
ern-brawlers, and  he  would  hardly  believe  there  was  such 
a  thing  as  a  good  title  to  an  estate  of  any  magnitude 
within  its  borders,  or  a  bad  one  to  the  farm  of  any  occu- 
pant in  possession.  There  is  among  us  a  set  of  declaimers, 
who  come  from  a  state  of  society  in  which  little  distinction 
exists  in  either  fortunes  or  social  conditions,  and  who  are 
incapable  of  even  seeing,  much  less  of  appreciating  the 
vast  differences  that  are  created  by  habits,  opinions,  and 
education,  but  who  reduce  all  moral  discrepancies  to  dol- 
lars and  cents.  These  men  invariably  quarrel  with  all 
above  them,  and,  with  them,  to  quarrel  is  to  caluminate. 
Leaguing  with  the  disaffected,  of  whom  there  always  must 
be  some,  especially  when  men  are  compelled  to  pay  their 
debts,  one  of  their  first  acts  is  to  assail  the  title  of  the 
landlord,  when  there  happens  to  be  one  in  their  neighbor- 
hood, by  lying  and  slandering.  There  seems  to  be  no  ex- 
ception to  the  rule,  the  practice  being  resorted  to  against 
the  oldest  as  well  as  against  the  most  recently  granted 
estates  among  us.  The  lie  only  varies  in  particulars ;  it  is 
equally  used  against  the  titles  of  the  old  families  of  Van 


ao8  THE  C HA  1KB  RARER. 

Rensselaer,  Livingston,  Beekman,  Van  Cortlandt,  De  Lair 
cey,  Schuyler,  and  others,  as  against  the  hundred  new 
names  that  have  sprung  up  in  what  is  called  the  western 
counties,  since  the  revolution.  It  is  the  lie  of  the  Father 
of  Lies,  who  varies  it  to  suit  circumstances  and  believers. 
"  A  desp'rate  rogue,"  all  agree  in  calling  the  man  who 
owns  land  that  they  desire  to  possess  themselves,  without 
being  put  to  the  unpleasant  trouble  of  purchasing  and 
paying  for  it. 

I  so  far  commanded  myself,  however,  as  to  make  no 
retort  for  the  injustice  done  my  upright,  beloved,  and 
noble-minded  father,  but  left  his  defence  to  the  friendly 
feelings  and  sterling  honesty  of  Sureflint. 

"  Not  so,"  answered  the  Indian  sternly.  u  Big  lie — 
forked  tongue  tell  dat — know  gen'ral — sarve  wid  him — 
know  him.  Good  warrior — honest  man — dat  lie.  Tell  him 
so  to  face." 

"Waal — wa-a-1 — I  don't  know,"  drawled  out  Mr.  Thou- 
sandacres :  how  those  rascals  will  "wa-a-1,"  and  "I  don't 
know,"  when  they  are  cornered  in  one  of  their  traducing 
tales,  and  are  met  face  to  face,  as  the  Indian  now  met  the 
squatter  !  "  Wa-a-1,  wa-a-1,  I  don't  know,  and  only  repeat 
what  I  have  heern  say.  But  here  we  be  at  the  cabin, 
Trackless  ;  and  I  see  by  the  smoke  that  old  Prudence  and 
her  gals  has  been  actyve  this  morning,  and  we  shall  get 
suthin'  comfortable  for  the  stomach." 

Hereupon,  Mr.  Thousandacres  stopped  at  a  convenient 
place  by  the  side  of  the  stream,  and  commenced  washing 
his  face  and  hands  ;  an  operation  that  was  now  performed 
for  the  first  time  that  day. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

"He  stepped  before  the  monarch's  chair, 
And  stood  with  rustic  plainness  there, 

And  little  reverence  made  ; 
Nor  head,  nor  body,  bowed  nor  bent, 
But  on  the  desk  his  arm  he  leant, 

And  words  like  these  he  said." — Marmion. 

WHILE  the  squatter  was  thus  occupied  in  arranging  his 
toilet,  previously  to  taking  his  morning  meal,  I  had  a 
moment  of  leisure  to  look  about  in.  We  had  ascended  to 
the  level  of  the  mill,  where  was  an  open,  half-cleared  space, 


THE  CHAINBEARER.  209 

of  some  sixty  acres  in  extent,  that  was  under  a  rude  culti- 
vation. Stubs  and  stumps  abounded,  and  the  fences  were 
of  logs,  showing  that  the  occupancy  was  still  of  recent 
date.  In  fact,  as  I  afterward  ascertained,  Thousandacres, 
with  his  family  of  hopeful  sons  and  daughters,  numbering 
in  all  more  than  twenty  souls,  had  squatted  at  that  spot 
just  four  years  before.  The  mill-seat  was  admirable,  nature 
having  done  for  it  nearly  all  that  was  required,  though  the 
mill  itself  was  as  unartificial  and  makeshift  as  such  a  con- 
struction very  well  could  be.  Agriculture  evidently  occu- 
pied very  little  of  the  time  of  the  family,  which  tilled  just 
enough  land  "to  make  a  live  on't,"  while  everything  in 
the  shape  of  lumber  was  "  improved  "  to  the  utmost.  A 
vast  number  of  noble  pines  had  been  felled,  and  boards 
and  shingles  were  to  be  seen  in  profusion  on  every  side. 
A  few  of  the  first  were  being  sent  to  market,  in  order  to 
meet  the  demands  of  the  moment,  in  the  way  of  grocer- 
ies ;  but  the  intention  was  to  wait  for  the  rise  of  the  little 
stream,  after  the  fall  rains,  in  order  to  send  the  bulk  of 
the  property  into  the  common  artery  of  the  Hudson,  and 
to  reap  the  great  reward  of  the  toil  of  the  summer  and 
spring. 

I  saw,  also,  that  there  must  be  additions  to  this  family, 
in  the  way  of  marriage,  as  they  occupied  no  less  than  five 
cabins,  all  of  which  were  of  logs,  freshly  erected,  and  had 
an  air  of  comfort  and  stability  about  them,  that  one  would 
not  have  expected  to  meet  where  the  title  was  so  flimsy. 
All  this,  as  I  fancied,  indicated  a  design  not  to  remove 
very  soon.  It  was  probable  that  some  of  the  oldest  of  the 
sons'and  daughters  were  married,  and  that  the  patriarch 
was  already  beholding  a  new  generation  of  squatters 
springing  up  about  him.  A  few  of  the  young  men  were 
visible,  lounging  about  the  different  cabins,  and  the  mill 
was  sending  forth  that  peculiar,  cutting,  grating  sound, 
that  had  so  distinctly  attracted  the  attention  of  Susquesus, 
even  in  the  depth  of  the  forest. 

"Walk  in,  Trackless,"  cried  Thousandacres,  in  a  hearty, 
free  manner,  which  proved  that  what  came  easily  went  as 
freely  ;  "  walk  in,  fri'nd  ;  I  don't  know  your  name,  but 
that's  no  great  matter,  where  there's  enough  for  all,  and  a 
wilcome  in  the  bargain.  Here's  the  old  woman,  ready 
and  willing  to  sarve  you,  and  looking  as  smiling  as  a  gal 
of  fifteen." 

The  last  part  of  the  statement,  however,  was  not  pre- 
cisely accurate.  "Miss  Thousandacres,"  as  the  squatter 


210  THE  CHAINBEARER. 

sometimes  magnificently  called  his  consort,  or  the  dam  of 
his  young  brood,  was  far  from  receiving  us  with  either 
smiles  or  welcomes.  A  sharp-featured,  keen,  gray-eyed, 
old  woman,  her  thoughts  were  chiefly  bent  on  the  cares  of 
her  brood  ;  and  her  charities  extended  little  beyond  them. 
She  had  been  the  mother  of  fourteen  children  herself, 
twelve  of  which  survived.  All  had  been  born  amid  the 
difficulties,  privations  and  solitudes  of  stolen  abodes  in 
the  wilderness.  That  woman  had  endured  enough  to 
break  down  the  constitutions  and  to  destroy  the  tempers 
of  half  a  dozen  of  the  ordinary  beings  of  her  sex  ;  yet  she 
survived,  the  same  enduring,  hard-working,  self-denying, 
suffering  creature  she  had  been  from  the  day  of  her  bloom 
and  beauty.  These  two  last  words  might  be  supposed  to 
be  used  in  mockery,  could  one  have  seen  old  Prudence, 
sallow,  attenuated,  with  sunken  cheeks,  hollow,  lack-lustre 
eyes,  and  broken-mouthed,  as  I  now  saw  her  ;  but  there 
were  the  remains  of  great  beauty,  notwithstanding,  about 
the  woman  ;  and  I  afterward  learned  that  she  had  once 
been  among  the  fairest  of  the  fair,  in  her  native  mountains. 
In  all  the  intercourse  I  subsequently  had  with  her  family, 
the  manner  of  this  woman  was  anxious,  distrustful,  watch- 
ful, and  bore  a  strong  resemblance  to  that  of  the  dam  that 
is  overseeing  the  welfare  of  her  cubs.  As  to  her  welcome 
at  the  board,  it  was  neither  hearty  nor  otherwise  ;  it  be- 
ing so  much  a  matter  of  course  for  the  American  to  share 
his  meal  with  the  stranger,  that  little  is  said  or  thought  of 
the  boon: 

Notwithstanding  the  size  of  the  family  of  Thousand- 
acres,  the  cabin  in  which  he  dwelt  was  not  crowded.  .  The 
younger  children  of  the  settlement,  ranging  between  the 
ages  of  four  and  twelve,  appeared  to  be  distributed  among 
all  the  habitations  indifferently,  putting  into  the  dishes 
wherever  there  was  an  opening,  much  as  pigs  thrust  them- 
selves in  at  any  opening  at  a  trough.  The  business  of  eat- 
ing commenced  simultaneously  throughout  the  whole 
settlement,  Prudence  having  blown  a  blast  upon  a  conch, 
shell,  as  the  signal.  I  was  too  hungry  to  lose  any  time  in 
discourse,  and  set  to,  with  the  most  hearty  good-will,  upon 
the  coarse  fare,  the  moment  there  was  an  opportunity. 
My  example  was  imitated  by  all  around  our  own  particu- 
lar board*  it  being  the  refined  and  intellectual  only,  who 
habitually  converse  at  their  meals.  The  animal  had  too 
great  a  preponderance  among  the  squatters,  to  leave  them 
jan  exception  to  the  rule. 


THE  CHA1NBEARER.  ±li 

At  length,  the  common  hunger  was  appeased,  and  I 
could  see  that  those  who  sat  around  began  to  examine  me 
with  a  little  more  curiosity  than  they  had  previously  mani- 
fested. There  was  nothing  in  the  fashion  of  my  attire  to 
excite  suspicion,  perhaps,  though  I  did  feel  some  little 
concern  on  account  of  its  quality.  In  that  day,  the  social 
classes  were  broadly  distinguished  by  dress,  no  man  even 
affecting  to  assume  the  wardrobe  of  a  gentleman,  without 
having  certain  pretensions  to  the  character.  In  the  woods, 
however,  it  was  the  custom  to  throw  aside  everything  like 
finery,  and  I  wore  the  hunting-shirt  already  mentioned,  as 
my  outer  garment.  The  articles  most  likely  to  betray  my 
station  in  life  were  beneath  this  fortunate  covering,  and 
might  escape  observation.  Then  our  party  was  small,  con- 
sisting, besides  the  parents  and  the  two  guests,  of  only  one 
young  man,  and  one  young  woman,  of  about  the  ages  of 
two-and-twenty  and  sixteen,  whom  the  mother  addressed 
as  Zephaniah  and  Lowiny,  the  latter  being  one  of  the  very 
common  American  corruptions  of  some  fine  name  taken 
from  a  book — :Lavinia,  quite  likely.*  These  two  young 
persons  deported  themselves  with  great  modesty  at  the 
table,  old  Thousandacres  and  his  wife,  spite  of  their  law- 
less lives,  having  maintained  a  good  deal  of  the  ancient 
Puritan  discipline  among  their  descendants,  in  relation  to 
things  of  this  nature.  Indeed,  I  was  struck  with  the  sin- 
gular contrast  between  the  habitual  attention  that  was  paid 
by  all  in  the  settlement  to  certain  appearances  of  the  sort, 
and  that  certainty  which  every  one  must  have  possessed 
that  they  were  living  daily  in  the  commission  of  offences 
opposed  not  only  to  the  laws  of  the  land,  but  to  the  com- 
mon, inherent  convictions  of  right.  In  this  particular,  they 
exhibited  what  is  often  found  in  life,  the  remains  of  ancient 
habits  and  principles,  existing  in  the  shape  of  habits,  long 
after  the  substance  that  had  produced  them  had  disappeared. 

*  The  commoner  dialect  of  New  England  is  as  distinct  from  the  language 
of  the  rest  of  the  republic,  cases  of  New  England  descent  excepted,  as  those 
of  many  of  the  English  counties  are  from  that  of  London.  One  of  the 
peculiarities  of  the  former,  is  to  pronounce  the  final  of  a  word  like  y  :  call- 
ing America,  Ameriky ;  Utica,  Utiky ;  Ithaca,  Ithaky.  Thus,  Lavinia 
would  be  very  apt  to  be  pronounced  Lavinny,  Lavj/ny,  or  Lowiny.  As 
there  is  a  marked  ambition  for  fine  names,  the  effect  of  these  corruptions 
on  a  practised  ear  is  somewhat  ludicrous.  The  rest  of  the  nation  is  quite 
free  from  the  peculiarity.  Foreigners  often  mistake  New  Englandisms  foi 
Americanisms  ;  the  energy,  importance,  and  prominency  of  the  people  of 
the  former  portion  of  the  country,  giving  them  an  influence  that  is  dispro- 
portioned  to  their  numbers. 


£12  THE  CHAINBEARER. 

"  Have  you  asked  these  folks  about  Chainbearer  ? "  said 
Prudence  abruptly,  as  soon  as  the  knives  and  forks  were 
laid  down,  and  while  we  still  continued  in  our  seats  at  the 
table.  "  I  feel  a  consarn  of  mind,  about  that  man,  that  I 
never  feel  about  any  other." 

"  Near  fear  Chainbearer,  woman,"  answered  the  hus- 
band. "  He's  got  his  summer's  work  afore  him,  without 
coming  near  us.  By  the  last  accounts,  this  young  Little- 
page,  that  the  old  rogue  of  a  father  has  sent  into  the 
country,  has  got  him  out  in  his  own  settlement ;  where 
he'll  be  apt  to  keep  him,  I  calcerlate,  till  cold  weather  sets 
in.  Let  me  once  get  off  all  the  lumber  we've  cut,  and  sell 
it,  and  I  kear  very  little  about  Chainbearer,  or  his  master." 

"  This  is  bold  talk,  Aaron  ;  but  jist  remember  how  often 
we've  squatted,  and  how  often  we've  been  driven  to  move. 
I  s'pose  I'm  talking  afore  fri'nds,  in  sayin'  what  I  do." 

"  No  fear  of  any  here,  wife.  Trackless  is  an  old  ac- 
quaintance, and  has  as  little  relish  for  law-titles,  as  any  on 
us  ;  and  his  fri'nd  is  our  fri'nd."  I  confess,  that  I  felt  a 
little  uncomfortable,  at  this  remark  ;  but  the  squatter  going 
on  with  his  conversation,  there  was  no  opportunity  for  say- 
ing anything,  had  I  been  so  disposed.  "  As  for  moving," 
continued  the  husband,  "  I  never  mov'd,  but  twice,  with- 
out getting  pay  for  my  betterments.  Now  I  call  that  a 
good  business,  for  a  man  who  has  squatted  no  less  than 
seventeen  times.  If  the  worst  comes  to  the  worst,  we're 
young  enough  to  make  an  eighteenth  pitch.  So  that  I 
save  the  lumber,  I  keer  but  little  for  your  Littlepages  or 
Greatpages  ;  the  mill  is  no  great  matter,  without  the  gear  ; 
and  that  has  travelled  all  the  way  from  Varmount,  as  it  is, 
and  is  used  to  moving.  It  can  go  farther." 

"Yes,  but  the  lumber,  Aaron!  The  water's  low  now, 
and  you  can  never  get  it  to  market,  until  the  rivers  rise, 
which  mayn't  be  these  three  months.  Think  how  many 
days'  labor  that  lumber  has  cost  you,  and  all  on  us,  and 
what  a  sight  of  it  there  would  be  to  lose  !  " 

4<Yes,  but  we  wuntlose  it,  woman,"  answered  Thousand- 
acres,  compressing  his  lips,  and  clenching  his  hands,  in  a 
way  to  show  how  intensely  he  felt  on  the  subject  of  prop, 
erty  himself,  however  dishonestly  acquired.  "  My  sweat 
and  labor  be  in  them  boards  ;  and  it's  as  good  as  sap,  any- 
day.  What  a  man  sweats  for,  he  has  a  right  to." 

This  was  somewhat  loose  morality,  it  is  true,  since  a  man 
might  sweat  in  bearing  away  his  neighbor's  goods  ;  but  a 
portion  of  the  human  race  is  a  good  deal  disposed  to  feel 


THE  CHAlXBhARER.  213 

and  reason  on  principles  but  little  more  sound  than  this  of 
old  Thousandacres. 

"Wa-a-11,"  answered  the  woman,  "  I'm  sure  I  don't  want 
to  see  you  and  the  b'ys  lose  the  fruits  of  your  labors  ;  not 
I.  You've  honestly  toiled  and  wrought  at  'em  logs,  in  a 
way  I  never  seed  human  beings  outdo  ;  and  'twould  be 
hard,"  looking  particularly  at  me,  "  now  that  they've  cut 
the  trees,  hauled  'em  to  mill,  and  sawed  the  boards,  to  see 
another  man  step  in  and  claim  all  the  property.  That 
could  never  be  right,  but  is  ag'in  all  justice,  whether  Var- 
mount  or  York.  I  s'pose  there's  no  great  harm  in  jist 
askin'  what  your  name  may  be,  young  man  ?" 

"  None  in  the  world,"  I  answered,  with  a  self-command 
that  I  could  see  delighted  the  Onondago.  "  My  name  is 
Mordaunt." 

"  Mordaunt !  "  repeated  the  woman,  quickly.  "  Don't 
we  know  suthin'  of  that  name  ? — Is  that  a  fri'ndly  name,  to 
us  Varmounters  ? — How  is  it,  Aaron  ?  you  ought  to  know." 

"  No,  I  hadn't  ought  to,  for  I  never  heerd  tell  of  any 
sich  name  afore.  So  long  as  'tisn't  Littlepage,  I  kear 
nothin'  about  it." 

I  felt  relieved  at  this  reply,  for  I  will  own,  that  the  idea 
of  falling  into  the  power  of  these  lawless  men  was  far  from 
pleasant  to  me.  From  Thousandacres,  down  to  the  lad  of 
seventeen,  they  all  stood  six  feet  in  their  stockings  ;  and  a 
stouter,  more  broad-shouldered,  sinewy  race,  was  not  often 
seen.  The  idea  of  resisting  them  by  force,  was  out  of  the 
question.  I  was  entirely  without  arms  ;  though  the  Indian 
was  better  provided  ;  but  no  less  than  four  rifles  were  laid 
on  brackets  in  this  one  cabin  ;  and  I  made  no  doubt  that 
every  male  of  the  family  had  his  own  particular  weapon. 
The  rifle  was  the  first  necessary  of  men  of  this  stamp, 
being  as  serviceable  in  procuring  food  as  in  protecting 
them  from  their  enemies. 

It  was  at  this  moment  that  Prudence  drew  a  long  sigh, 
and  rose  from  table  in  order  to  renew  her  domestic  labors. 
Lowiny  followed  her  motions  in  submissive  silence,  and 
we  men  sauntered  to  the  door  of  the  cabin,  where  I  could 
get  a  new  view  of  the  nature  of  those  "  betterments  "  that 
Thousandacres  so  highly  prized,  and  of  the  extent  of  the 
depredations  that  had  been  committed  on  Colonel  Pollock 
and  my  father.  The  last  were  by  no  means  insignificant  ; 
and,  at  a  later  day,  they  were  estimated,  by  competent 
judges,  to  amount  to  fully  a  thousand  dollars  in  value. 
Of  course  these  were  a  thousand  dollars  totally  lost,  inas* 


2J4  THE  CHA1NBEARER. 

much  as  redress,  in  a  pecuniary  sense,  was  entirely  out  oi 
the  question  with  men  of  the  stamp  of  Thousandacres  and 
his  sons.  This  class  of  persons  are  fond  of  saying,  "  I'll 
guarantee,"  and  "  I'll  bind  myself"  to  do  this  or  that ;  but 
the  guarantee  and  obligation  are  equally  without  value.  In 
fact,  those  who  are  the  least  responsible  are  usually  the 
freest  with  such  pledges. 

"This  is  a  handsome  spot,"  said  Thousandacres,  whose 
real  name  was  Aaron  Timberman.  "  This  is  a  handsome 
spot,  Mr.  Mordaunt,  and  one  it  would  go  kind  o'  hard  to 
give  it  up  at  the  biddin'  of  a  man  who  never  laid  eye  on't. 
Be  you  any  way  acquainted  with  law  ? " 

"  A  very  little  ;  no  more  than  we  all  get  to  be  as  we 
move  along  through  life." 

"  You've  not  travelled  far  on  that  journey,  young  man, 
as  any  one  can  see  by  your  face.  But  you've  had  oppor- 
tunities, as  a  body  can  tell  by  your  speech,  which  isn't 
exactly  like  our'n,  out  here  in  the  woods,  from  which  I 
had  kind  o'  thought  your  schoolin'  might  be  more  than 
common.  A  body  can  tell,  though  his  own  1'arnin  amounts 
to  no  great  matter." 

This  notion  of  Aaron's,  that  my  modes  of  speech,  pro- 
nunciation, accent,  and  utterance  had  come  from  the 
schools,  was  natural  enough,  perhaps  ;  though  few  persons 
ever  acquire  accuracy  in  either,  except  in  the  familiar  in- 
tercourse of  their  childhood.  As  for  the  "  common  schools  " 
of  New  York,  they  are  perpetuating  errors  in  these  re- 
spects, rather  than  correcting  them  ;  and  one  of  the  largest 
steps  in  their  improvement  would  be  to  have  a  care  that 
he  who  teaches,  teaches  accurately  as  to  sounds,  as  well  as 
to  significations.  Under  the  present  system,  vicious  habits 
are  confirmed  by  deliberate  instruction  and  example  rather 
than  corrected. 

"  My  schooling,"  I  answered  modestly  enough,  I  trust, 
"  has  been  a  little  better  than  common,  though  it  has  not 
been  good  enough,  as  you  see,  to  keep  me  out  of  the 
woods." 

"  All  that  may  be  inclination.  Some  folks  have  a  nat'ral 
turn  for  the  wilderness,  and  it's  workin'  agin'  the  grain, 
and  nearly  useless,  to  try  to  make  settlement-bodies  of 
'em.  D'ye  happen  to  know  what  lumber  is  likely  to  bring 
this  fall  ? " 

"Everything  is  looking  up  since  the  peace,  and  it  is  fair 
to  expect  lumber  will  begin  to  command  a  price,  as  well 
as  other  property." 


THE  CHAINBEARRR.  2IJ 

"  Wa-a-1,  it's  time  it  should !  During  the  whull  war  a 
board  has  been  of  little  more  account  than  a  strip  of  bark, 
unless  it  happened  to  be  in  the  neighborhood  of  an  army. 
We  lumbermen  have  had  an  awful  time  on  it  these  last 
eight  years,  and  more  than  once  I've  felt  tempted  to  gi'n 
in,  and  go  and  settle  down  in  some  clearin',  like  quieter 
folks  ;  but  I  thought  as  the  'arth  is  to  come  to  an  eend,  the 
war  must  certainly  come  to  an  eend  afore  it." 

"  The  calculation  was  a  pretty  safe  one  ;  the  war  must 
have  truly  made  a  dull  time  to  you  ;  nor  do  I  see  how  you 
well  got  along  during  the  period  it  lasted." 

"  Bad  enough  ;  though  war-times  has  their  windfalls  as 
well  as  peace-times.  Once,  the  inimy  seized  a  sight  of 
continental  stores,  sich  as  pork,  and  flour,  and  New  Eng- 
land rum,  and  they  pressed  all  the  teams,  far  and  near,  to 
carry  off  their  plunder,  and  my  sleigh  and  horses  had  to 
go  along  with  the  rest  on  'em.  Waal,  go  we  did  ;  and  I 
got  as  handsome  a  load  as  ever  you  seed  laid  in  a  lumber- 
sleigh  ;  what  I  call  an  assortment,  and  one,  too,  that  was 
mightily  to  my  own  likin',  seein'  I  loaded  it  up  with  my 
own  hands.  'Twas  in  a  woody  country,  as  you  may  spose, 
or  I  wouldn't  have  been  there  ;  and,  as  I  know'd  all  the  by- 
roads, I  watched  my  chance,  and  got  out  of  the  line  with- 
out being  seen,  and  druv'  as  straight  to  my  own  hum'  as 
if  I'd  just  come  from  tradin'  in  the  nearest  settlement. 
That  was  the  most  profitablest  journey  I  ever  tuck,  and 
what  is  more,  it  was  a  short  one." 

Here  old  Thousandacres  stopped  to  laugh,  which  he  did 
in  as  hearty,  frank  a  manner  as  if  his  conscience  had  never 
known  care.  This  story,  I  fancy,  was  a  favorite  one  with 
him,  for  I  heard  no  less  than  three  other  allusions  to 
the  exploit  on  which  it  was  based,  during  the  short  time 
our  communication  with  each  other  lasted.  I  observed 
the  first  smile  I  had  seen  on  the  face  of  Zephaniah,  appear 
at  the  recital  of  this  anecdote  ;  though  I  had  not  failed  to 
notice  that  the  young  man,  as  fine  a  specimen  of  rustic, 
rude,  manly  proportions  as  one  could  wish  to  see,  had  kept 
his  eyes  on  me  at  every  occasion,  in  a  manner  that  excited 
some  uneasiness. 

"That  was  a  fortunate  service  for  you,"  I  remarked,  as 
soon  as  Aaron  had  had  his  laugh  ;  "  unless,  indeed,  yoic 
felt  the  necessity  of  giving  back  the  property  to  the  con- 
tinental officers." 

"Not  a  bit  of  it !  Congress  was  poor  enough,  I'm  will- 
in*  to  own,  but  it  was  richer  than  I  was,  or  ever  will  be. 


Ji6  THE  CHA2XBEARER. 

When  property  has  changed  hands  once,  title  goes  with 
it  ;  and  some  say  that  these  very  lands,  coming  from  the 
king,  ought  now  to  go  to  the  people,  jist  as  folks  happen 
to  want  'em.  There's  reason  and  right,  I'm  sartain,  in  the 
idee,  and  I  shouldn't  wonder  if  it  held  good  in  law,  one 
day ! " 

Alas !  alas !  for  poor  human  nature  again.  Seldom 
does  man  commit  a  wrong  but  he  sets  his  ingenuity  to 
work  to  frame  excuses  for  it.  When  his  mind  thus  gets 
to  be  perverted  by  the  influence  of  his  passions,  and  more 
especially  by  that  of  rapacity,  he  never  fails  to  fancy  new 
principles  to  exist  to  favor  his  schemes,  and  manifests  a 
readiness  in  inventing  them,  which,  enlisted  on  the  side  of 
goodness,  might  render  him  a  blessing  instead  of  a  curse  to 
his  race.  But  roguery  is  so  active,  while  virtue  is  so  apt  to  be 
passive,  that  in  the  eternal  conflict  that  is  waged  between 
them,  that  which  is  gained  by  the  truth  and  inherent  power 
of  the  last  is,  half  the  time,  more  than  neutralized  by  the 
unwearied  exertions  of  the  first !  This,  I  fear,  may  be 
found  to  contain  the  weak  spot  of  our  institutions.  So 
long  as  law  represents  the  authority  of  an  individual,  indi- 
vidual pride  and  jealousy  may  stimulate  it  to  constant 
watchfulness  ;  whereas,  law  representing  the  community, 
carries  with  it  a  divided  responsibility,  that  needs  the  ex- 
citement of  intolerable  abuses  ere  it  will  arouse  itself  in 
its  own  vindication.  The  result  is  merely  another  proof 
that,  in  the  management  of  the  ordinary  affairs  of  life, 
men  are  usually  found  to  be  stronger  than  principles. 

"  Have  you  ever  had  occasion  to  try  one  of  your  titles  of 
possession  in  a  court  of  law,  against  that  of  a  landholder 
who  got  his  right  from  a  grant  ?"  I  asked,  after  reflecting 
a  moment  on  the  truth  I  have  just  narrated. 

Thousandacres  shook  his  head,  looked  down  a  moment, 
and  pondered  a  little  in  his  turn,  ere  he  gave  me  the  fol- 
lowing answer  : 

"  Sartain,"  he  said.  "  We  all  like  to  be  on  the  right  side, 
if  we  can  ;  and  some  of  our  folks  kind  o'  persuaded  me  I 
might  make  out,  once,  ag'in  a  reg'lar  landlord.  So  I  stood 
trial  with  him  ;  but  he  beat  me,  Mr.  Mordaunt,  just  the 
same  as  if  I  had  been  a  chicken,  and  he  the  hawk  that  had 
me  in  his  talons.  You'll  never  catch  me  trusting  myself  in 
the  claws  of  the  law  ag'in,  though  that  happened  as  long 
ago  as  afore  the  old  French  war.  I  shall  never  trust  to  law 
any  more.  It  may  do  for  them  that's  rich,  and  don't  kear 
whether  they  win  or  lose  ;  but  law  is  a  desp'rate  bad  busi- 


THE  CHAINBEARER.  217 

ness  for  them  that  hasn't  got  money  to  go  into  it,  right  eend 
foremost." 

"And  should  Mr.  Littlepage  discover  your  being  here, 
and  feel  disposed  to  come  to  some  arrangement  with  you, 
what  conditions  would  you  be  apt  to  accept?" 

"  Oh  !  I'm  never  ag'in  trade.  Trade's  the  spirit  of  life  ; 
and  seein'  that  Gin'ral  .Littlepage  has  some  right,  as  I  do 
s'pose  is  the  case,  I  shouldn't  want  to  be  hard  on  him.  If 
he  would  keep  things  quiet,  and  not  make  a  fuss  about  it, 
but  would  leave  the  matter  out  to  men,  and  they  men  of 
the  right  sort,  I  shouldn't  be  difficult  ;  for  I'm  one  of  that 
kind  that  hates  lawsuits,  and  am  always  ready  to  do  the 
right  thing  ;  and  so  he'd  find  me  as  ready  to  settle  as  any 
man  he  ever  had  on  his  lands." 

"  But  on  what  terms  ?  You  have  not  told  me  the  terms." 
.  "  As  to  tarms,  I'd  not  be  hard,  by  any  means.  No  man 
can  say  old  Thousandacres  ever  druV  hard  tarms,  when  he 
had  the  best  on't.  That's  not  in  my  natur',  which  runs 
altogether  toward  reason  and  what's  right.  Now  you  see, 
Mordaunt,  how  matters  stand  atween  this  Littlepage  and 
myself.  He's  got  a  paper  title,  they  tell  me,  and  I've  got 
possession,  which  is  always  a  squatter's  claim  ;  and  a  good 
one  'tis,  where  there's  plenty  of  pine  and  a  mill-seat  with 
a  handy  market !  " 

Here  Thousandacres  stopped  to  laugh  again,  for  he  gen- 
erally indulged  in  this  way,  in  so  hearty  and  deep  a  tone, 
as  to  render  it  difficult  to  laugh  and  talk  in  the  same 
breath.  As  soon  as  through,  however,  he  did  not  forget 
to  pursue  the  discourse. 

"  No,  no  man  that  understands  the  woods  will  gainsay 
them  advantages,"  added  the  squatter  ;  "  and  of  all  on  'em 
am  I  now  in  the  enj'yment.  Wa-a-1,  Gin'ral  Littlepage,  as 
they  call  him  about  here,  has  a  paper  title  ;  and  I've  got 
possession.  He  has  the  courts  on  his  side,  I'll  allow  ;  but 
here  are  my  betterments — sixty-three  as  large  acres 
chopped  over  and  hauled  to  mill,  as  can  be  found  in  all 
Charlotte,  or  Washington,  as  they  tell  me  the  county  is 
now  called." 

"  But  General  Littlepage  may  not  fancy  it  an  improve- 
ment to  have  his  land  stripped  of  its  pine.  You  know, 
Thousandacres,  as  well  as  I  do,  that  pine  is  usually 
thought  to  greatly  add  to  the  value  of  lands  hereabouts, 
the  Hudson  making  it  so  easy  to  get  it  to  market." 

"Lord  !  youngster,  do  you  think  I  hadn't  all  that  in  my 
mind,  when  I  made  my  pitch  here  ?  You  can't  teach  old 


218  THE  CHAINBEARER. 

bones  where  it's  best  to  strike  the   first  blow  with  an  axe. 
Now  I've  got  in  the  creek  "  (this   word  is  used,  in  the 
parlance  of  the  state,  for  a  small  river,  nine  times  in  ten) 
"  now  I've  got  in  the  creek,  on  the  way  to  the    Hudson,  in 
the  booms  below  the   mill,  and  in  the  mill-yard  yonder, 
a  hundred  and  twenty  thousand  feet  of  as  handsome  stufl 
as  ever  was  cribbed,   or  rafted  ;  and  there's  logs  enough 
cut  and  hauled  to  make  more  than  as  much  more.     I  some 
sort  o'  think  you  know  this  Littlepage,  by  your  talk  ;  and, 
as  I  like  fair  dealin's,  and  what's  right   atween   man   anc 
man,  I'll  just  tell  you  what   I'll   do,   so  that  you  can  tel 
him,   if  you  ever  meet,  and  the  matter  should  come  up 
atween  you,  as  sich  things  sometimes  do,  in  all  talk  like 
though  a  body  has  no  real  consarn  in   the  affair ;  and  so 
you  can  tell  this  gin'ral  that  old  Thousandacres  is  a  reason 
able  man,  and  is  willing  to  settle  on  these  tarms  ;  but  he 
won't  gi'n  a  grain  more.     If  the  gin'ral  will  let  me   get  al 
the  lumber  to  market  peaceably,  and  take  off  the  crops 
the  b'ys  have  put  in  with   their  own   hands,  and  carry  of 
all  the  mill-gear,  and  take  down  the  doors  and  windows  o 
the  houses,  and  all  the  iron-work  a  body  can   find  about 
I'm  willing  to  agree  to  quit  'arly  enough  in  the  spring  to 
let  any  man  he    chooses    come    into    possession  in  gooc 
season  to  get  in  spring  grain,  and   make  garden.     There 
them's  my  tarms,  and  I'll  not  abate  on   one  on  'em,  on  no 
account  at  all.     But  that  much  I'll  do  for  peace  ;  for  I  do 
love  peace  and  quiet,  my  woman  says,  most  desp'ately." 

I  was  about  to  answer  this  characteristic  communication 
— perfectly  characteristic  as  to  feelings,  one-sided  sense  o 
right,  principles,  and  language — when  Zephaniah,  the  tal 
son  of  the  squatter,  suddenly  laid  a  hand  on  his  father's 
arm,  and  led  him  aside.  This  young  man  had  been  ex 
amining  my  person,  during  the  whole  of  the  dialogue  at 
the  door  of  the  cabin,  in  a  way  that  was  a  little  marked 
I  was  disposed  at  first  to  attribute  these  attentions  to  the 
curiosity  natural  to  youth,  at  its  first  meeting  with  one 
who  might  be  supposed  to  enjoy  opportunities  of  ascer- 
taining the  newest  modes  of  dress  and  deportment.  Rus- 
tics, in  America,  ever  manifest  this  feeling,  and  it  was  not 
unreasonable  to  suppose  that  this  young  squatter  might 
have  felt  its  influence.  But,  as  it  soon  appeared,  1  had 
altogether  mistaken  my  man.  Although  both  he  and  his 
sister,  Lowiny,  had  never  turned  their  eyes  from  my  per- 
son, I  soon  discovered  that  they  had  been  governed  by 
totally  opposing  feelings. 


THE  CHAINBEARER.  219 

The  first  intimation  I  got  of  the  nature  of  the  mistake 
into  which  I  had  fallen,  was  from  the  manner  of  Thousand- 
acres,  as  soon  as  his  son  had  spoken  to  him,  apart,  for  a 
single  minute.  I  observed  that  the  old  squatter  turned 
suddenly,  and  began  to  scrutinize  my  appearance  with  a 
scowling,  but  sharp  eye.  Then  he  would  give  all  his  at- 
tention to  his  son  ;  after  which,  I  came  in  for  a  new  turn  of 
examination.  Of  course,  such  a  scene  could  not  last,  a 
great  while,  and  I  soon  felt  the  relief  of  being,  again,  face 
to  face  with  the  man  whom  I  now  set  down  for  an  enemy. 

"  Harkee,  young  man,"  resumed  Thousandacres,  as  soon 
as  he  had  returned  and  placed  himself  directly  before  me, 
"my  b'y,  Zeph,  there,  has  got  a  suspicion  consarning  you, 
that  must  be  cleared  up,  fairly  atween  us,  afore  we  part.  I 
like  fair  dealin's,  as  I've  told  you  more  than  once,  already, 
and  despise  underhandedness  from  the  bottom  of  my  heart. 
Zeph  tells  me  that  he  has  a  kind  o'  suspicion  that  you're 
the  son  of  this  very  Littlepage,  and  have  been  sent  among 
us  to  spy  us  out,  and  to  Tarn  how  things  stood,  afore  you 
let  on  your  evil  intentions.  Is  it  so,  or  not  ?" 

"What  reason  has  Zeph  for  such  a  suspicion?"  I  an- 
swered, with  such  coolness  as  I  could  assume.  "  He  is  a 
perfect  stranger  to  me,  and  I  fancy  this  is  the  first  time  we 
have  ever  met." 

"  He  agrees  to  that,  himself  ;  but  mankind  can  sometimes 
see  things  that  isn't  put  directly  afore  their  eyes.  My  son 
goes  and  comes,  frequently,  between  the  Ravensnest  set- 
tlement and  our  own,  though  I  don't  suppose  he  lets  on 
any  great  deal  about  his  proper  hum'.  He  has  worked  as 
much  as  two  months,  at  a  time,  in  that  part  of  the  country, 
and  I  find  him  useful  in  carrying  on  a  little  trade,  once  and 
awhile,  with  'Squire  Newcome." 

"  You  are  acquainted,  then,  with  Mr.  Jason  Newcome,  or 
'Squire  Newcome,  as  you  call  him?" 

"  I  call  him  what's  right,  I  hope  !  "  answered  the  old  man 
sharply.  "  He  is  a  'squire,  and  should  be  called  a  'squire. 
Give  the  devil  his  due  ;  that's  my  principle.  But  Zepha- 
niah  has  been  out  a  considerable  spell  this  summer 
to  work  at  Ravensnest.  I  tell  him  he  has  a  gal  in 
his  eye,  by  his  hankering  so  much  after  the  'Nest  folks, 
but  he  won't  own  it  ;  but  out  he  has  been,  and  he  tells 
me  this  Littlepage's  son  was  expected  to  come  into  the  set- 
tlement about  the  time  he  last  left  there." 

"  And  you  are  acquainted  with  'Squire  Newcome?"  I 
said,  pursuing  the  subject  as  its  points  presented  them- 


220  THE  CHAINBEARER. 

selves  to  my  own  mind,  rather  than  following  the  thread 
of  the  squatter's  discursive  manner  of  thinking  ;  "  so  well 
acquainted  as  to  trade  with  him  ?  " 

"  Sartain ;  well  acquainted,  I  may  say.  The  'Squire 
tuck  (took)  all  the  lumber  I  cut  'arly  in  the  spring,  rafting 
and  selling  it  on  his  own  account,  paying  us  in  groceries, 
women's  cloth,  and  rum.  He  made  a  good  job  of  it,  I 
hear  tell,  and  is  hankerin'  round  a'ter  what  is  now  in  the 
creek  ;  but  I  rather  think  I'll  send  the  b'ys  off  with  that. 
But  what's  that  to  the  purpose  ?  Didn't  you  tell  me,  young 
man,  that  your  name  is  Mordaunt  ? " 

"  I  did  ;  and  in  so  saying  I  told  no  more  than  the  truth." 

"  And  what  may  you  call  your  given  name  ?  A'ter  all, 
old  woman,"  turning  to  the  anxious  wife  and  mother,  who 
had  drawn  near  to  listen,  having  most  probably  been  made 
acquainted  with  the  nature  of  her  son's  suspicions — "a'ter 
all  the  b'y  may  be  mistaken,  and  this  young  man  as  inno- 
cent as  any  one  of  your  own  flesh  and  blood." 

"Mordaunt  is  what  you  call  my  'given  name,'  "  I  an- 
swered, disdaining  deception,  "  and  Littlepage —  The 
hand  of  the  Indian  was  suddenly  placed  on  my  mouth, 
stopping  further  utterance. 

It  was  too  late,  however,  for  the  friendly  design  of  the 
Onondago,  the  squatters  readily  comprehending  all  I  had 
intended  to  say.  As  for  Prudence,  she  walked  away  ;  and 
I  soon  heard  her  calling  all  her  younger  children  by  name, 
to  collect  them  near  her  person,  as  the  hen  gathers  its 
chickens  beneath  the  wing.  Thousandacres  took  the  mat- 
ter very  differently.  His  countenance  grew  dark,  and  he 
whispered  a  word  to  Lowiny,  who  departed  on  some  errand 
with  reluctant  steps,  as  I  thought,  and  eyes  that  did  not 
always  look  in  the  direction  she  was  walking. 

u  I  see  how  it  is  !  I  see  how  it  is  !  "  exclaimed  the  squat- 
ter, with  as  much  of  suppressed  indignation  in  his  voice 
and  mien  as  if  his  cause  were  that  of  offended  innocence  ; 
"we've  got  a  spy  among  us,  and  war-time's  too  fresh  not 
to  let  us  know  how  to  deal  with  sich  folks.  Young  man, 
what's  your  arr'nd  down  here,  in  my  betterments,  and  be- 
neath my  ruff  ? " 

"  My  errand,  as  you  call  it,  Thousandacres,  is  to  look 
after  the  property  that  is  intrusted  to  my  care.  I  am  the 
son  of  General  Littlepage,  one  of  the  owners  of  this  spot, 
and  the  attorney  of  both." 

"Oh!  an  attorney,  be  you?"  cried  the  squatter,  mistak- 
ing the  attorney  in  fact  for  an  attorney  at  law — a  sort  of 


THE  CHAINBEARER.  221 

being  for  whom  he  necessarily  entertained  a  professional 
antipathy.  "  I'll  attorney  ye  !  If  you  or  your  gin'ral 
father  thinks  that  Aaron  Thousandacres  is  a  man  to  have 
his  territories  invaded  by  the  inimy,  and  keep  his  hands  in 
his  pockets  the  whull  time,  he's  mistaken.  Send  'em 
along,  Lowiny,  send  along  the  b'ys,  and  let's  see  if  we 
can't  find  lodgin's  for  this  young  attorney  gin'ral4  as  well 
as  board." 

There  was  no  mistaking  the  aspect  of  things  now.  Hos- 
tilities had  commenced  in  a  certain  sense,  and  it  became 
incurnbent  on  me  for  the  sake  of  safety  to  be  on  the  alert. 
I  knew  that  the  Indian  was  armed  ;  and,  determined  to  de- 
fend my  person  if  possible,  I  was  resolved  to  avail  myself 
of  the  use  of  his  weapon  should  it  become  necessary. 
Stretching  out  an  arm,  and  turning  to  the  spot  where  Sus- 
quesus  had  just  stood,  to  lay  hold  of  his  rifle,  I  discovered 
that  he  had  disappeared. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

"The  lawless  herd,  with  fury  blind, 

Have  done  him  cruel  wrong  ; 
The  flowers  are  gone,  but  still  we  find, 
The  honey  on  his  tongue." — COWPER. 

THERE  I  stood  alone  and  unarmed,  in  the  centre  of  six 
athletic  men — for  Lowiny  had  been  sent  to  assemble  her 
brothers,  a  business  in  which  she  was  aided  by  Prudence's 
blowing  a  peculiar  sort  of  blast  on  her  conch — and  as  un- 
able to  resist  as  a  child  would  have  been  in  the  hands  of  its 
parent.  As  a  fruitless  scuffle  would  have  been  degrading, 
as  well  as  useless,  I  at  once  determined  to  submit,  tempo- 
rarily at  least,  or  so  long  as  submission  did  not  infer  dis- 
grace, and  was  better  than  resistance.  There  did  not  seem 
to  be  any  immediate  disposition  to  lay  violent  hands  on 
me,  however,  and  there  I  stood,  a  minute  or  two,  after  I 
had  missed  Sureflint,  surrounded  by  the  whole  brood  of 
the  squatter,  young  and  old,  male  and  female  ;  some  look- 
ing defiance,  others  troubled,  and  all  anxious.  As  for  my- 
self, I  will  frankly  own  my  sensations  were  far  from 
pleasant  ;  for  I  knew  I  was  in  the  hands  of  the  Philistines, 
in  the  depths  of  a  forest,  fully  twenty  miles  from  any  set- 
tlement, and  with  no  friends  nearer  than  the  party  of  the 


222  THE  CHAINBEARER. 

Chainbearer,  who  was  at  least  two  leagues  distant,  and 
altogether  ignorant  of  my  position  as  well  as  of  my  neces- 
sities. A  ray  of  hope,  however,  gleamed  in  upon  me 
through  the  probable  agency  of  the  Onondago. 

Not  for  an  instant  did  I  imagine  that  long-known  and 
well-tried  friend  of  my  father  and  the  Chainbearer  false. 
His  character  was  too  well  established  for  that ;  and  it 
soon  occurred  to  me,  that,  foreseeing  his  own  probable  de- 
tention should  he  remain,  he  had  vanished  with  a  design 
to  let  the  strait  in  which  I  was  placed  be  known,  and  to 
lead  a  party  to  my  rescue.  A  similar  idea  probably  struck 
Thousandacres  almost  at  the  same  instant ;  for,  glancing 
his  eye  around  him,  he  suddenly  demanded — 

"What  has  become  of  the  red-skin  ?  The  varmint  has 
dodged  away,  as  I'm  an  honest  man  !  Nathaniel,  Moses, 
and  Daniel,  to  your  rifles  and  on  the  trail.  Bring  the  fel- 
low in,  if  you  can,  with  a  whull  skin  ;  but  if  you  can't,  an 
Injin  more  or  less  will  never  be  heeded  in  the  woods." 

I  soon  had  occasion  to  note  that  the  patriarchal  govern- 
ment of  Thousandacres  was  of  a  somewhat  decided  and 
prompt  character.  A  few  words  went  a  great  way  in  it,  as 
was  now  apparent  ;  for  in  less  than  two  minutes  after 
Aaron  had  issued  his  decree,  those  namesakes  of  the  proph- 
ets and  law-givers  of  old,  Nathaniel,  and  Moses,  and 
Daniel,  were  quitting  the  clearing  on  diverging  lines,  each 
carrying  a  formidable,  long,  American  hunting-rifle  in  his 
hand.  This  weapon,  so  different  in  the  degree  of  its 
power  from  the  short  military  piece  that  has  become  known 
to  modern  warfare,  was  certainly  in  dangerous  hands  ;  for 
each  of  those  young  men  had  been  familiar  with  his  rifle 
from  boyhood  ;  gunpowder  and  liquor,  with  a  little  lead, 
composing  nearly  all  the  articles  on  which  they  lavished 
money  for  their  amusement.  I  trembled  for  Susquesus  ; 
though  I  knew  he  must  anticipate  a  pursuit,  and  was  so 
well  skilled  in  throwing  off  a  chase  as  to  have  obtained 
the  name  of  the  Trackless.  Still,  the  odds  were  against 
him  ;  and  experience  has  shown  that  the  white  man  usually 
surpasses  the  Indian  even  in  his  own  peculiar  practices, 
when  there  have  been  opportunities  to  be  taught.  I  could 
do  no  more,  however,  than  utter  a  mental  prayer  for  the 
escape  of  my  friend. 

"  Bring  that  chap  in  here,"  added  old  Thousandacres, 
sternly,  the  moment  he  saw  that  his  three  sons  were  off; 
enough  remaining  to  enforce  that  or  any  other  order  he 
might  choose  to  issue.  "  Bring  him  into  this  room,  and 


THK  CIIAIKBEARER.  223 

let  us  hold  a  court  on  him,  sin'  he  is  sich  a  lover  of  the 
law.  If  law  he  likes,  law  let  him  have.  An  attorney,  is  he  ? 
I  warnt  to  know  !  What  has  an  attorney  to  do  with  me 
and  mine,  out  here  in  the  woods  ? " 

While  this  was  in  the  course  of  being  said,  the  squatter, 
and  father  of  squatters,  led  the  way  into  his  own  cabin, 
where  he  seated  himself  with  an  air  of  authority,  causing 
the  females  and  younger  males  of  his  brood  to  range  them- 
selves in  a  circle  behind  his  chair.  Seeing  the  folly  of  re- 
sistance, at  a  hint  from  Zephaniah  I  followed,  the  three 
young  men  occupying  the  place  near  the  door,  as  a  species 
of  guard.  In  this  manner  we  formed  a  sort  of  court,  in 
which  the  old  fellow  figured  as  the  investigating  magis- 
trate, and  I  figured  as  the  criminal. 

"  An  attorney,  be  you  ! "  muttered  Thousandacres,  whose 
ire  against  me  in  my  supposed,  would  seem  to  be  more  ex- 
cited than  it  was  against  me  in  my  real  character,  "B'ys, 
silence  in  the  court ;  we'll  give  this  chap  as  much  law  as 
he  can  stagger  under,  sin'  he's  of  a  law  natur'.  Everything 
shall  be  done  accordin'  to  rule.  Tobit,"  addressing  his  old- 
est son,  a  colossal  figure  of  about  six-and-twenty,  "  you've 
been  in  the  law  more  than  any  on  us,  and  can  give  us  the 
word.  What  was't  they  did  with  you,  first,  when  they  had 
you  up  in  Hampshire  colony  ;  the  time  when  you  and  that 
other  young  man  went  across  from  the  Varmount  settle- 
ments to  look  for  sheep  ?  A  raft  of  the  critturs  you  did 
get  atween  you,  though  you  was  waylaid  and  robbed  of  all 
your  hard  'arnin's  afore  you  got  back  ag'in  in  the  moun- 
tains. They  dealt  with  you  accordin'  to  law,  'twas  said  ; 
now,  what  was  the  first  thing  done  ?  " 

"  I  was  tuck  [taken]  afore  the  'squire,"  answered  Tobit 
Thousandacres,  as  he  was  often  called,  "  who  heerd  the 
case,  asked  me  what  I  had  to  say  for  myself,  and  then  per- 
mitted me,  as  it  was  tarmed  ;  so  I  went  to  jail  until  the 
trial  came  on,  and  I  s'pose  you  know  what  come  next,  as 
well  as  I  do." 

I  took  it  for  granted  that  what  "  come  next "  was  any- 
thing but  pleasant  in  remembrance,  the  reason  Tobit  did 
not  relish  it  even  in  description,  inasmuch  as  sheep-steal- 
ers  were  very  apt  to  get  "  forty  save  one  "  at  the  whipping- 
post, in  that  day,  a  species  of  punishment  that  was  admi- 
rably adapted  to  the  particular  offence.  We  are  getting 
among  us  a  set  of  soi-disant  philanthropists,  who,  in  their 
great  desire  to  coddle  and  reform  rogues,  are  fast  placing 
the  punishment  of  offences  on  the  honest  portion  of  the 


t±4  THE  CHAINS  RARER. 

community,  for  the  especial  benefit  of  their  eleves.  Some 
of  these  persons  have  already  succeeded  in  cutting  down 
all  our  whipping-posts,  thereby  destroying  the  cheapest 
and  best  mode  of  punishing  a  particular  class  of  crimes 
that  was  ever  intended  or  practised.  A  generation  hence 
our  children  will  feel  the  consequences  of  this  mistaken 
philanthropy.  In  that  day,  let  those  who  own  fowl-houses, 
pigpens,  orchards,  smoke-houses,  and  other  similar  temp- 
tations to  small  depredations,  look  to  it,  for  I  am  greatly 
mistaken  if  the  insecurity  of  their  movables  does  not  give 
the  most  unanswerable  of  all  commentaries  on  this  capital 
misstep.  One  whipping-post,  discreetly  used,  will  do  more 
toward  reforming  a  neighborhood  than  a  hundred  jails, 
with  their  twenty  and  thirty  days'  imprisonment.*  I  have 
as  much  disposition  to  care  for  the  reformation  of  crim- 
inals as  is  healthful,  if  I  know  myself  ;  but  the  great  object 
of  all  the  punishments  of  society,  viz.,  its  own  security, 
ought  never  to  be  sacrificed  to  this,  which  is  but  a  second- 
ary consideration.  Render  character,  person  and  property 
as  secure  as  possible,  in  the  first  place,  after  which,  try  as 
many  experiments  in  philanthropy  as  you  please. 

I  am  sorry  to  see  how  far  the  disposition  to  economize 
is  extending  itself  in  the  administration  of  American  jus- 
tice generally.  Under  a  government  like  that  of  this 
country,  it  is  worse  than  idle,  for  it  is  perfectly  futile  to 
attempt  to  gratify  the  imagination  by  a  display  of  its  power 
through  the  agency  of  pomp  and  representation.  Such 
things,  doubtless,  have  their  uses,  and  are  not  to  be  sense- 
lessly condemned  until  one  has  had  an  opportunity  of  tak- 
ing near  views  of  their  effects ;  though  useful,  or  the 
reverse,  they  can  never  succeed  here.  But  these  commu- 
nities of  ours  have  it  in  their  power  to  furnish  to  the  world 
a  far  more  illustrious  example  of  human  prescience,  and 
benevolent  care,  by  their  prompt,  exact,  and  well-consid- 
ered administration  of  justice — including  the  cases  both  in 
the  civil  and  the  criminal  courts.  With  what  pride  might 
not  the  American  retort,  when  derided  for  the  simplicity 
of  his  executive,  and  the  smallness  of  the  national  expen- 

*  Mr.  Mordaunt  Littlepage  writes  here  with  prophetic  accuracy.  Small 
depredations  of  this  nature  have  got  to  be  so  very  common  that  few  now 
think  of  resorting  to  the  law  for  redress.  Instead  of  furnishing  the  prompt 
and  useful  punishment  that  was  administered  by  our  fathers,  the  law  is  as 
much  adorned  with  its  cavillings  and  delays  in  the  minor  as  in  the  more 
important  cases ;  and  it  often  takes  years  to  bring  a  small  depredator  even 
to  trial,  if  he  can  find  money  to  fee  a  sagacious  lawyer. — EDITOR. 


THE  CHAINBEARER.  22$ 

diture  in  matters  of  mere  representation,  could  he  only  say 
— "  True,  we  waste  nothing  on  mere  parade  ;  but,  turn  to 
the  courts,  and  to  the  justice  of  the  country  ;  which,  after 
all,  are  the  great  aim  of  every  good  government.  Look  at 
the  liberality  of  our  expenditures  for  the  command  of  the 
highest  talent,  in  the  first  place  ;  see  with  what  generous 
care  we  furnish  judges  in  abundance,  to  prevent  them  from 
being  overworked,  and  to  avoid  ruinous  delays  to  suitors  ; 
then  turn  to  the  criminal  courts,  and  into,  first,  the  entire 
justice  of  the  laws  ;  next,  the  care  had  in  the  selection  of 
jurors;  the  thorough  impartiality  of  all  the  proceedings; 
and,  finally,  when  the  right  demands  it,  the  prompt,  un- 
erring, and  almost  terrific  majesty  of  punishment."  But 
to  return  to  something  that  is  a  good  deal  more  like 
truth  : — 

"Yes,  yes,"  rejoined  Thousandacres,  "  there  is  no  use  in 
riling  the  feelin's,  by  talking  of  that"  (meaning  Tobit's 
sufferings,  not  at  the  stake,  but  at  the  past) — "a  hint's  as 
good  as  a  description.  You  was  taken  afore  a  magistrate, 
was  you — and  he  permitted  you  to  prison— but  he  asked 
what  you  had  to  say  for  yourself,  first  ?  That  was  only 
fair,  and  I  mean  to  act  it  all  out  here,  accordin'  to  law. 
Come,  young  attorney,  what  have  you  got  to  say  for  your- 
self ? " 

It  struck  me  that,  alone  as  I  was,  in  the  hands  of  men 
who  were  a  species  of  outlaws,  it  might  be  well  to  clear 
myself  from  every  imputation  that,  at  least,  was  not 
merited. 

"  In  the  first  place,"  I  answered,  "  I  will  explain  a  mis- 
take into  which  you  have  fallen,  Thousandacres  ;  for,  let 
us  live  as  friends  or  foes,  it  is  always  best  to  understand 
facts.  I  am  not  an  attorney,  in  the  sense  you  imagine — I 
am  not  a  lawyer."  . 

I  could  see  that  the  whole  brood  of  squatters,  Prudence 
included,  was  a  good  deal  mollified  by  this  declaration., 
As  for  Lowiny,  her  handsome,  ruddy  face  actually  ex- 
pressed exultation  and  delight !  I  thought  I  heard  that 
girl  half  suppress  some  such  exclamation  as — "I  know'd  he 
wasn't  no  lawyer !  "  As  for  Tobit,  the  scowling  look,  re- 
plete with  cat-o'-nine-tails,  actually  departed,  temporarily 
at  least.  In  short,  this  announcement  produced  a  mani- 
fest change  for  the  better. 

"  No  lawyer  a'ter  all !  "  exclaimed  Thousandacres — 
"  Didn't  you  say  you  was  an  attorney  ? " 

"That  much  is  true.     I  told  you  that  I  was  the  son  of 


226  THE  CIIAINBEARER. 

General  Littlepage,  and  that  I  was  his  attorney,  and  that 
of  Colonel  Pollock,  the  other  tenant  in  common  of  this 
estate  ;  meaning  that  I  held  their  flvwer  of  attorney  to  con- 
vey lands,  and  to  transact  certain  other  business  in  their 
names." 

This  caused  me  to  lose  almost  as  much  ground  as  I  had 
just  gained,  though,  being  the  literal  truth,  I  was  resolved 
neither  to  conceal,  nor  to  attempt  to  evade  it. 

"  Good  land  !  "  murmured  Lowiny.  "  Why  couldn't  the 
man  say  nothin'  about  all  that?" 

A  reproving  look  from  Prudence,  rebuked  the  girl,  and 
she  remained  silent  afterward,  for  sometime. 

"  A.  power  of  attorney,  is  it!"  rejoined  the  squatter. 
"  Wa-a-1,  that's  not  much  better  than  being  a  downright 
lawyer.  It's  having  the  power  of  an  attorney,  I  s'pose,  and 
without  their  accursed  power  it's  little  I  should  kear  for 
any  of  the  breed.  Then  you're  the  son  of  that  Gin'ral 
Littlepage,  which  is  next  thing  to  being  the  man  himself. 
I  should  expect  if  Tobit,  my  oldest  b'y,  was  to  fall  into  the 
hands  of  some  that  might  be  named,  it  would  go  hard  with 
him,  all  the  same  as  if  t'was  myself.  I  know  that  some 
make  a  difference  atween  parents  and  children,  but  other 
some  doesn't.  What's  that  you  said  about  this  gin'ral's 
only  being  a  common  tenant  of  this  land  ?  How  dares  he 
to  call  himself  it's  owner,  if  he's  only  a  common  tenant?" 

The  reader  is  not  to  be  surprised  at  Thousandacre's  tri- 
fling blunders  of  this  sort ;  for,  those  whose  rule  of  right 
is  present  interest,  frequently,  in  the  eagerness  of  rapacity, 
fall  into  this  very  kind  of  error;  holding  that  cheap  at 
one  moment,  which  they  affect  to  deem  sacred  at  the  next. 
I  dare  say,  if  the  old  squatter  had  held  a  lease  of  the  spot 
he  occupied,  he  would  at  once  have  viewed  the  character 
and  rights  of  a  "common  tenant,"  as  connected  with  two 
of  the  most  important  interests  of  the  country.  It  hap- 
pened now,  however,  that  it  was  "his  bull  that  was  goring 
our  ox." 

"  How  dares  he  to  call  himself  the  owner  of  the  sile, 
when  he's  only  a  common  tenant,  I  say?"  repeated  Thoi> 
sandacres,  with  increasing  energy,  when  he  found  I  did 
not  answer  immediately. 

"You  have  misunderstood  my  meaning.  I  did  not  say 
that  my  father  was  only  a  'common  tenant'  of  this  prop- 
erty, but  that  he  and  Colonel  Pollock  own  it  absolutely 
in  common,  each  having  his  right  in  every  acre,  and  not  one 
owning  one  half  while  the  other  owns  the  other ;  which  is 


THE  CHAINBEARER.  227 

what  the  law  terms  being  *  tenants  in  common,'  though 
strictly  owners  in  fee." 

"  I  shouldn't  wonder,  Tobit,  if  he  turns  out  to  be  an  at- 
torney, in  our  meaning,  a'ter,  all !  " 

"It looks  desp'rately  like  it,  father,"  answered  the  eldest 
born,  who  might  have  been  well  termed  the  heir  at  law  of 
all  his  progenitor's  squatting  and  fierce  propensities.  "  If 
he  isn't  a  downright  lawyer,  he  looks  more  like  one  than 
any  man  I  ever  seed  out  of  court,  in  my  whull  life." 

"  He'll  find  his  match  !  Law  and  I  have  been  at  logger- 
heads ever  sin'  the  day  I  first  went  into  Varmount,  or  them 
plaguy  Hampshire  Grants.  When  law  gets  me  in  its 
clutches,  it's  no  wonder  if  it  gets  the  best  on't ;  but,  when 
I  get  law  in  mine,  or  one  of  its  sarvants,  it  shall  be  my 
fault  if  law  doesn't  come  out  second  best.  Wa-a-1,  we've 
heerd  the  young  man's  story,  Tobit.  I've  asked  him  what 
he  had  to  say  for  himself,  and  he  has  g'in  us  his  tell — tell'd 
us  how  he's  his  own  father's  son,  and  that  the  gin'ral  is 
some  sort  of  a  big  tenant,  instead  of  being  a  landlord,  and 
isn't  much  better  than  we  are  ourselves  ;  and  it's  high 
time  I  permitted  him  to  custody.  You  had  writin's  for 
what  they  did  to  you,  I  dares  to  say,  Tobit  ? " 

"  Sartain.  The  magistrate  give  the  sheriff's  deputy  a 
permittimus,  and  on  the  strength  of  that,  they  permitted 
me  to  jail." 

"Ye-e-es — I  know  all  about  their  niceties  and  appear- 
ances !  I  have  had  dealin's  afore  many  a  magistrate,  in 
my  day,  and  have  onsuited  many  a  chap  that  thought  to 
get  the  best  on't  afore  we  begun!  Onsuiting  the  man 
that  brings  the  suit,  is  the  cleanest  way  of  getting  out  of 
the  law,  as  I  knows  on  ;  but  it  takes  a  desp'rate  long  head 
sometimes  to  do  it !  Afore  I  permit  this  young  man,  I'll 
show  writin's,  too.  Prudence,  just  onlock  the  drawer 

"  I  wish  to  correct  one  mistake  before  you  proceed  fur- 
ther," interrupted  I.  "  For  the  second  time,  I  tell  you  I 
am  no  lawyer,  in  any  sense  of  the  word.  I  am  a  soldier- — 
have  commanded  a  company  in  General  Littlepage's  own 
regiment,  and  served  with  the  army  when  only  a  boy  in 
years.  I  saw  both  Burgoyne  and  Cornwallis  surrender, 
and  their  troops  lay  down  their  arms." 

"  Good  now  !  Who'd  ha'  thought  it !  "  exclaimed  the 
compassionate  Lowiny.  "  And  he  so  young,  that  you'd 
hardly  think  the  wind  had  ever  blown  on  him  !" 

My  announcement  of  this  new  character  was  not  with- 
out a  marked  effect.  Fighting  was  a  thing  to  the  whole 


228  THE  CHAINBEARER. 

family's  taste,  and  what  they  could  appreciate  better,  per- 
haps, than  any  other  act  or  deed.  There  was  something 
warlike  in  Thousandacres'  very  countenance  and  air,  and 
I  was  not  mistaken  in  supposing  he  might  feel  some  little 
sympathy  for  a  soldier.  He  eyed  me  keenly  ;  and  whether 
or  not  he  discovered  signs  of  the  truth  of  my  assertion  in 
my  mien,  I  saw  that  he  once  more  relented  in  purpose. 

"You  out  ag'in  Burg'yne  !"  the  old  fellow  exclaimed. 
"Can  I  believe  what  you  say  ?  Why,  I  was  out  ag'in  Bur- 
g'yne myself,  with  Tobit  and  Moses,  and  Nathaniel  and 
Jedediah — with  every  male  crittur'  of  the  family,  in  short, 
that  was  big  enough  to  load  and  fire.  I  count  them  days 
as  among  my  very  best,  though  they  did  come  late,  and 
a'ter  old  age  had  made  some  head  ag'in  me.  How  can  you 
prove  you  was  out  ag'in  Burg'yne  and  Cornwallis  ? " 

I  knew  that  there  was  often  a  strange  medley  of  soi-disant 
patriotic  feeling  mixed  up  with  the  most  confirmed  knavery 
in  ordinary  matters,  and  saw  I  had  touched  a  chord  that 
might  thrill  on  the  sympathies  of  even  these  rude  and  su- 
premely selfish  beings.  The  patriotism  of  such  men,  in- 
deed, is  nothing  but  an  enlargement  of  selfishness,  since 
they  prize  things  because  they  belong  to  themselves,  or 
they,  in  one  sense,  belong  to  the  things.  They  take  sides 
with  themselves,  but  never  with  principles.  That  pa- 
triotism alone  is  pure,  which  would  keep  the  country  in 
the  paths  of  truth,  honor,  and  justice  ;  and  no  man  is  em- 
powered, in  his  zeal  for  his  particular  nation,  any  more 
than  in  his  zeal,  for  himself,  to  forget  the  law  of  right. 

"  I  cannot  prove  I  was  out  against  Burgoyne,  standing 
here  where  I  am,  certainly,"  I  answered  ;  "  but  give  me 
an  opportunity,  and  I  will  show  it  to  your  entire  satisfac- 
tion." 

"Which  rijimentwas  on  the  right,  Hazen's  orBrookes's, 
in  storming  the  Jarmans  ?  Tell  me  that,  and  I  will  soon 
let  you  know  whether  I  believe  you  or  not." 

"  I  cannot  tell  you  that  fact,  for  I  was  with  my  own  bat- 
talion, and  the  smoke  would  not  permit  such  a  thing  to  be 
seen.  I  do  not  know  that  either  of  the  corps  you  mention 
was  in  that  particular  part  of  the  field  that  day,  though  I 
believe  both  to  have  been  warmly  engaged." 

"  He  warnt  there,"  drawled  out  Tobit,  in  his  most  dissat- 
isfied manner,  almost  showing  his  teeth,  like  a  dog,  under 
the  impulse  of  the  hatred  he  felt. 

"  He  was  there  !  "  cried  Lowiny,  positively  ;  "  I  know  he 
was  there  ! " 


THE  CHAINBEARER.  229 

A  slap  from  Prudence  taught  the  girl  the  merit  of  si- 
lence ;  but  the  men  were  too  much  interested  to  heed  an 
interruption  as  characteristic  and  as  bootless  as  this. 

"  I  see  how  it  is,"  added  Thousandacres  ;  "  I  must  per- 
mit the  chap  a'ter  all.  Seein',  however,  that  there  is  a 
chance  of  his  having  been  out  ag'in  Burg'yne,  I'll  permit 
him  without  writin's,  and  he  shan't  be  bound.  Tobit,  take 
your  prisoner  away,  and  shut  him  up  in  the  store'us'. 
When  your  brothers  get  back  from  their  hunt  a'ter  the 
Injin,  we'll  detarmine  among  us  what  is  to  be  done  with 
him." 

Thousandacres  delivered  his  orders  with  dignity,  and 
they  were  obeyed  to  the  letter.  I  made  no  resistance, 
since  it  would  only  have  led  to  a  scuffle,  in  which  I  should 
have  sustained  the  indignity  of  defeat,  to  say  nothing  of 
personal  injuries.  Tobit,  however,  did  not  offer  personal 
violence,  contenting  himself  with  making  a  sign  for  me  to 
follow  him,  which  I  did,  followed  in  turn  by  his  two  double- 
jointed  brothers.  I  will  acknowledge  that,  as  we  proceeded 
toward  my  prison,  the  thought  of  flight  crossed  my  mind ; 
and  I  might  have  attempted  it,  but  for  the  perfect  certainty 
that,  with  so  many  on  my  heels,  I  must  have  been  over- 
taken, when  severe  punishment  would  probably  have  been 
my  lot.  On  the  whole,  I  thought  it  best  to  submit  for  a 
time,  and  trust  the  future  to  Providence.  As  to  remon- 
strance or  deprecation,  pride  forbade  my  having  recourse 
to  either.  I  was  not  yet  reduced  so  low  as  to  solicit  favors 
from  a  squatter. 

The  jail  to  which  I  was  "permitted"  by  Thousand- 
acres  was  a  storehouse,  or,  as  he  pronounced  the  word,  a 
"  store'us,"  of  logs,  which  had  been  made  of  sufficient 
strength  to  resist  depredations,  let  them  come  from  whom 
they  might,  and  they  were  quite  as  likely  to  come  from 
some  within  as  from  any  without.  In  consequence  of  its 
destination,  the  building  was  not  ill-suited  to  become  a 
jail.  The  logs,  of  course,  gave  a  sufficient  security  against 
the  attempts  of  a  prisoner  without  tools  or  implements  of 
any  sort,  the  roof  being  made  of  the  same  materials  as  the 
sides.  There  was  no  window,  abundance  of  air  and  light 
entering  through  the  fissures  of  the  rough  logs,  which  had 
open  intervals  between  them  ;  and  the  only  artificial  aper- 
ture was  the  door.  This  last  was  made  of  stout  planks, 
and  was  well  secured  by  heavy  hinges,  and  strong  bolts 
and  locks.  The  building  was  of  some  size,  too — twenty 
feet  in  length  at  least — one  end  of  it,  though  then  quite 


*30  THE  CHAINBEARER. 

empty,  having  been  intended  and  used  as  a  crib  for  the 
grain  that  we  Americans  call,/#r  excellence,  corn.  Into  this 
building  I  entered,  after  having  the  large  knife  that  most 
woodsmen  carry  taken  from  my  pocket ;  and  a  search  was 
made  on  my  person  for  any  similar  implement  that  might 
aid  me  in  an  attempt  to  escape. 

In  that  day  America  had  no  paper  money,  from  the  bay 
of  Hudson  to  Cape  Horn.  Gold  and  silver  formed  the 
currency,  and  my  pockets  had  a  liberal  supply  of  both,  in 
the  shape  of  joes  and  half-joes,  dollars,  halves,  and  quar- 
ters. Not  a  piece  of  coin,  of  any  sort,  was  molested, 
however,  these  squatters  not  being  robbers,  in  the  ordinary 
signification  of  the  term,  but  merely  deluded  citizens  who 
appropriated  the  property  of  others  to  their  own  use, 
agreeably  to  certain  great  principles  of  morals  that  had 
grown  up  under  their  own  peculiar  relations  to  the  rest  of 
mankind,  their  immediate  necessities  and  their  conven- 
ience. I  make  no  doubt  that  every  member  of  the  family 
of  Thousandacres  would  spurn  the  idea  of  his  or  her  being 
a  vulgar  thief,  drawing  some  such  distinctions  in  the  prem- 
ises as  the  Drakes,  Morgans,  Woodes,  Rogers,  and  others 
of  that  school  drew  between  themselves  and  the  vulgar 
every  day  sea-robbers  of  the  seventeenth  century,  though 
with  far  less  reason.  But  robbers  these  squatters  were 
not,  except  in  one  mode  and  that  mode  they  almost  raised 
to  the  dignity  of  respectable  hostilities,  by  the  scale  on 
which  they  transacted  business. 

I  was  no  sooner  "  locked-up  "  than  I  began  a  survey  of 
my  prison  and  the  surrounding  objects.  There  was  no 
difficulty  in  doing  either,  the  opening  between  the  logs  al- 
lowing of  a  clear  reconnoissance  on  every  side.  With  a 
view  to  keeping  its  contents  in  open  sight,  I  fancy,  the 
"  store'us  "  was  placed  in  the  very  centre  of  the  settlement, 
having  the  mills,  cabins,  barns,  sheds,  and  other  houses, 
encircling  it  in  a  sort  of  hamlet.  This  circumstance, 
which  would  render  escape  doubly  difficult,  was,  notwith- 
standing, greatly  in  favor  of  reconnoitring.  I  will  now 
describe  the  results  of  my  observations.  As  a  matter  of 
course,  my  appearance,  the  announcement  of  my  charac- 
ter, and  my  subsequent  arrest,  were  circumstances  likely 
to  produce  a  sensation  in  the  family  of  the  squatter.  All 
the  women  had  gathered  around  Prudence,  near  the  door 
of  her  cabin,  and  the  younger  girls  were  attracted  to  that 
spot,  as  the  particles  of  matter  are  known  to  obey  the  laws 
of  affinity.  The  males,  one  boy  of  eight  or  ten  years  ex- 


THE  CHAINBEARER.  231 

cepted,  were  collected  near  the  mill,  where  Thousandacres, 
apparently,  was  holding  a  consultation  with  Tobit  and  the 
rest  of  the  brotherhood,  among  whom,  I  fancy,  was  no  one 
entitled  to  be  termed  an  angel.  Everybody  seemed  to  be 
intently  listening  to  the  different  speakers,  the  females  of- 
ten turning  their  eyes  toward  their  male  protectors,  anx- 
iously and  with  long  protracted  gazes.  Indeed,  many  of 
them  looked  in  that  direction,  even  while  they  gave  ear  to 
the  wisdom  of  Prudence  herself. 

The  excepted  boy  had  laid  himself,  in  a  lounging,  Ameri- 
can sort  of  an  attitude,  on  a  saw-log  near  my  prison,  and 
in  a  position  that  enabled  him  to  see  both  sides  of  it,  with- 
out changing  his  ground.  By  the  manner  in  which  his 
eyes  were  fastened  on  the  "  store'us  "  I  was  soon  satisfied 
that  he  was  acting  in  the  character  of  a  sentinel.  Thus, 
my  jail  was  certainly  sufficiently  secure,  as  the  force  of  no 
man,  unaided  and  without  implements,  could  have  broken 
a  passage  through  the  logs. 

Having  thus  taken  a  look  at  the  general  aspect  of  things, 
I  had  leisure  to  reflect  on  my  situation,  and  the  probable 
consequences  of  my  arrest.  For  my  life  I  had  no  great 
apprehensions,  not  as  much  as  I  ought  to  have  had  under 
the  circumstances  ;  but  it  did  not  strike  me  that  I  was  in 
any  great  danger  on  that  score.  The  American  character, 
in  general,  is  not  bloodthirsty,  and  that  of  New  England 
less  so,  perhaps,  than  that  of  the  rest  of  the  country. 
Nevertheless,  in  a  case  of  property  the  tenacity  of  the  men 
of  that  quarter  of  the  country  was  proverbial,  and  I  came 
to  the  conclusion  that  I  should  be  detained,  if  possible, 
until  all  the  lumber  could  be  got  to  market  and  disposed 
of,  as  the  only  means  of  reaping  the  fruit  of  past  labor. 
The  possibility  depended  on  the  escape  or  the  arrest  of 
Sureflint.  Should  that  Indian  be  taken,  Thousandacres 
and  his  family  would  be  as  secure  as  ever  in  their  wilder- 
ness ;  but  on  the  other  hand,  should  he  escape,  I  might  ex- 
pect to  hear  from  my  friends  in  the  course  of  the  day.  By 
resorting  to  a  requisition  on  'Squire  Newcome,  who  was  a 
magistrate^  my  tenants  might  be  expected  to  make  an 
effort  in  my  behalf,  when  the  only  grounds  of  apprehen- 
sion would  be  the  consequences  of  the  struggle.  The 
squatters  were  sometimes  dangerous  under  excitement,  and 
when  sustaining  each  other,  with  arms  in  their  hands,  in 
what  they  fancy  to  be  their  hard-earned  privileges.  There 
is  no  end  to  the  delusions  of  men  on  such  subjects,  self-in- 
terest seeming  completely  to  blind  their  sense  of  right ' 


232  THE  CIIA1NBEARER. 

and  I  have  often  met  with  cases  in  which  parties  who  were 
trespassers,  and  in  a  moral  view,  robbers,  ab  origine,  have 
got  really  to  fancy  that  their  subsequent  labors  (every  new 
blow7  of  the  axe  being  an  additional  wrong)  gave  a  sort  of 
sanctity  to  possessions,  in  the  defence  of  which  they  were 
W7illing  to  die.  It  is  scarcely  necessary  to  say  that  such  per- 
sons look  only  at  themselves,  entirely  disregarding  the 
rights  of  others  ;  but  one  wonders  where  the  fruits  of  all 
the  religious  instruction  of  the  country  are  to  be  found, 
when  opinions  so  loose  and  acts  so  flagrant  are  constantly 
occurring  among  us.  The  fact  is,  land  is  so  abundant,  and 
such  vast  bodies  lie  neglected  and  seemingly  forgotten  by 
their  owners,  that  the  needy  are  apt  to  think  indifference 
authorizes  invasions  on  such  unoccupied  property  ;  and 
their  own  labor  once  applied,  they  are  quick  to  imagine 
that  it  gives  them  a  moral  and  legal  interest  in  the  soil ; 
though  in  the  eye  of  the  law.  and  of  unbiased  reason,  each 
new  step  taken  in  what  is  called  the  improvement  of  a 
"  betterment  "  is  but  a  farther  advance  in  the  direction  of 
wrong-doing. 

I  was  reflecting  on  things  of  this  sort,  when,  looking 
through  the  cracks  of  my  prison,  to  ascertain  the  state  of 
matters  without,  I  was  surprised  by  the  appearance  of  a 
man  on  horseback,  who  was  entering  the  clearing  on  its 
eastern  side,  seemingly  quite  at  home  in  his  course,  though 
he  was  travelling  without  a  footpath  to  aid  him.  As  this 
man  had  a  pair  of  the  common  saddle-bags  of  the  day  on 
his  horse,  I  at  first  took  him  for  one  of  those  practitioners 
of  the  healing  art  who  are  constantly  met  with  in  the  new 
settlements,  winding  their  way  through  stumps,  logs,  mo- 
rasses and  forests,  the  ministers  of  good  or  evil,  I  shall  not 
pretend  to  say  which.  Ordinarily,  families  like  that  of 
Thousandacres  do  their  own  "  doctoring;"  but  a  case 
might  occur  that  demanded  the  wisdom  of  the  licensed 
leech  ;  and  I  had  just  decided  in  my  own  mind  that  this 
must  be  one,  when,  as  the  stranger  drew  nearer,  to  my  sur- 
prise I  saw  that  it  was  no  other  than  my  late  agent,  Mr. 
Jason  Newcome,  and  the  moral  and  physical  factotum  of 
Ravensnest  I 

As  the  distance  between  the  mill  that  'Squire  Newcome 
leased  of  me,  .and  that  which  Thousandacres  had  set  up  on 
the  property  of  Mooseridge,  could  not  be  less  than  five- 
and-twenty  miles,  the  arrival  of  this  visitor  at  an  hour  so 
early  was  a  certain  proof  that  he  had  left  his  own  house 
long  before  the  dawn.  It  was  probably  convenient  to  pass 


THE  CHAINBEARER.  233 

through  the  farms  and  dwellings  of  Ravensnest  on  the 
errand  on  which  he  was  now  bent>  at  an  hour  of  the  night 
or  morning  when  darkness  would  conceal  the  movement. 
By  timing  his  departure  with  the  same  judgment,  it  was 
obvious  he  could  reach  home  under  the  concealment  of 
the  other  end  of  the  same  mantle.  In  a  word,  this  visit 
was  evidently  one,  in  the  objects  and  incidents  of  which 
it  was  intended  that  the  world  at  large  should  have  no 
share. 

The  dialogues  between  the  members  of  the  family  of 
Thousandacres  ceased,  the  moment  'Squire  Newcome  came 
in  view  ;  though,  as  was  apparent  by  the  unmoved  man 
ner  in  which  his  approach  was  witnessed,  the  sudden  ap- 
pearance of  this  particularvisitor  produced  neither  surprise 
nor  uneasiness.  Although  it  must  have  been  a  thing  to  be 
desired  by  the  squatters,  to  keep  their  "  location  "  a  secret, 
more  especially  since  the  peace  left  landlords  at  leisure  to 
look  after  their  lands,  no  one  manifested  any  concern  at 
discovering  this  arrival  in  their  clearing  of  the  nearest 
magistrate.  Any  one  might  see,  by  the  manner  of  men, 
women,  and  children,  that  'Squire  Newcome  was  no 
stranger,  and  that  his  presence  gave  them  no  alarm.  Even 
the  early  hour  of  his  visit  was  most  probably  that  to  which 
they  were  accustomed,  the  quick-witted  intellects  of  the 
young  fry  causing  them  to  understand  the  reason  quite  as 
readily  as  was  the  case  with  their  seniors.  In  a  word,  the 
guest  was  regarded  as  a  friend  rather  than  as  an  enemy. 

Newcome  was  some  little  time,  after  he  came  into  view, 
in  reaching  the  hamlet,  if  the  cluster  of  buildings  can  be 
so  termed  ;  and  when  he  did  alight,  it  was  before  the  door 
of  a  stable,  toward  which  one  of  the  boys  now  scampered, 
to  be  in  readiness  to  receive  his  horse.  The  beast  disposed 
of,  the  'squire  advanced  to  the  spot  where  Thousandacres 
and  his  elder  sons  still  remained  to  receive  him,  or  that 
near  the  mill.  The  manner  in  which  all  parties  shook 
hands,  and  the  cordiality  of  the  salutations  generally,  in 
which  Prudence  and  her  daughters  soon  shared,  betokened 
something  more  than  amity,  I  fancied,  for  it  looked  very 
much  like  intimacy. 

Jason  Newcome  remained  in  the  family  group  some 
eight  or  ten  minutes,  and  I  could  almost  fancy  the  pre- 
scribed inquiries  about  the  "folks"  (anglice,  folk),  the 
"general  state  of  health,"  and  the  character  of  the 
J<  times,"  ere  the  magistrate  and  the  squatter  separated 
themselves  from  the  rest  of  the  party,  walking  aside  like 


234  THE  CHAINS  BARER. 

men  who  had  matters  of  moment  to  discuss,  and  that 
under  circumstances  which  could  dispense  with  the  pres- 
ence of  any  listeners. 


CHAPTER   XIX. 

"  Peculiar  both! 

Our  soil's  strong  growth 
And  our  bold  natives'  hardy  mind  ; 
Sure  heaven  bespoke 
Our  hearts  and  oak 
To  give  a  master  to  mankind." — YOUNG. 

THOUSANDACRES  and  the  magistrate  held  their  way  di- 
rectly toward  the  storehouse  ;  and  the  log  of  the  sentinel 
offering  a  comfortable  seat,  that  functionary  was  dismissed, 
when  the  two  worthies  took  his  place,  with  their  backs 
turned  toward  my  prison.  Whether  this  disposition  of  their 
persons  was  owing  to  a  deep-laid  plan  of  the  squatter's,  or 
not,  I  never  knew  ;  but,  let  the  cause  have  been  what  it 
might,  the  effect  was  to  render  me  an  auditor  of  nearly  all 
that  passed  in  the  dialogue  which  succeeded.  It  will 
greatly  aid  the  reader  in  understanding  the  incidents  about 
to  be  recorded,  if  I  spread  on  the  record  the  language 
that  passed  between  rny  late  agent  and  one  who  was  obvi- 
ously his  confidant  in  certain  matters,  if  not  in  all  that 
touched  my  interests  in  that  quarter  of  the  world.  As  for 
listening,  I  have  no  hesitation  in  avowing  it,  inasmuch  as 
the  circumstances  would  have  justified  me  in  taking  far 
greater  liberties  with  the  customary  obligations  of  society 
in  its  every-day  aspect,  had  I  seen  fit  so  to  do.  I  was  deal- 
ing with  rogues,  who  had  me  in  their  power,  and  there  was 
no  obligation  to  be  particularly  scrupulous  on  the  score 
of  mere  conventional  propriety,  at  least. 

"As  I  was.  tellin'  ye,  Thousandacres,"  Newcome  con- 
tinued the  discourse  by  saying,  and  that  with  the  familiar- 
ity of  one  who  well  knew  his  companion,  "the  young  man 
is  in  this  part  of  the  country,  and  somewhere  quite  near 
you  at  this  moment " — I  was  much  nearer  than  the  'squire 
himself  had  any  notion  of  at  that  instant — "  yes,  he's  out 
in  the  woods  of  this  very  property,  with  Chainbearer  and 
his  gang  ;  and,  for  'tinow  [for  aught  I  know],  measuring 
out  farms  within  a  mile  or  two  of  this  very  spot  !  " 

"  How  many  men  be  there  ? "  asked  the  squatter  with 


THE  CHAINBEARER.  235 

interest.  "If  no  more  than  the  usual  set,  'twill  be  anon- 
lucky  day  for  them,  should  they  stumble  on  my  clearin' !" 

"  Perhaps  they  will,  perhaps  they  wunt  ;  a  body  never 
knows.  Surveyin'  's  a  sort  o'  work  that  leads  a  man  here, 
or  it  leads  him  there.  One  never  knows  where  a  line  will 
carry  him,  in  the  woods.  That's  the  reason  I've  kept  the 
crittur's  out  of  my  own  timber-land  ;  for,  to  speak  to  you, 
Thousandacres,  as  one  neighbor  can  speak  to  another  with- 
out risk,  there's  desp'rate  large  pine-trees  on  the  unleased 
hills  both  north  and  east  of  my  lot.  Sometimes  it's  handy 
to  have  lines  about  a  mill,  you  know,  sometimes  't  isn't." 

"A  curse  on  all  lines,  in  a  free  country,  say  I,  'squire," 
answered  Thousandacres,  who  looked,  as  he  bestowed  this 
characteristic  benediction,  as  if  he  might  better  be  named 
7>#thousandacres  ;  "  they're  an  invention  of  the  devil.  I 
lived  seven  whull  years  in  Varmount  state,  as  it's  now 
called,  the  old  Hampshire  Grants,  you  know,  next-door 
neighbor  to  two  families,  one  north  and  one  south  on  me, 
and  we  chopped  away  the  whull  time,  just  as  freely  as  we 
pleased,  and  not  a  cross  word  or  an  angry  look  passed 
at  ween  us." 

"I  rather  conclude,  friend  Aaron,  you  had  all  sat  down 
under  the  same  title  ? "  put  in  the  magistrate  with  a  sly 
look  at  his  companion.  ''When  that  is  the  case,  it  would 
exceed  all  reason  to  quarrel." 

"Why,  I'll  own  that  our  titles  were  pretty  much  the 
same  ; — possession  and  free  axes.  Then  it  was  ag'in  York 
colony  landholders  that  our  time  was  running.  What's 
your  candid  opinion  about  law,  on  this  p'int,  'Squire  New- 
come  ? — I  know  you're  a  man  of  edication,  college  1'arnt 
some  say  ;  though,  I  s'pose,  that's  no  better  1'arnin'  than 
any  other,  when  a  body  has  once  got  it — but  what's  your 
opinion  about  possession  ? — Will  it  hold  good  for  twenty- 
one  years,  without  writin's,  or  not  ?  Some  say  it  will,  and 
some  say  it  wunt." 

"  It  wunt.  The  law  is  settled  ;  there  must  be  a  shadow 
of  title,  or  possession's  good  for  nothin'  ;  no  better  than 
the  scrapin's  of  a  flour-barrel." 

"  I've  heer'n  say  the  opposyte  of  that ;  and  there's  reason 
why  possession  should  count  ag'in  everything.  By  pos- 
session, however,  I  don't  mean  hangin'  up  a  pair  of  saddle- 
bags on  a  tree,  as  is  sometimes  done,  but  goin'  honestly 
and  fairly  in  upon  land,  and  cuttin'  down  trees,  and  build- 
in'  mills,  and  housen  and  barns,  and  cuttin'  and  slashin', 
and  sawin'  right  and  left,  like  all  creation.  Thafs  what  I 


236'  THE  CI-1A2XBEARER. 

always  doos  myself,  and  that's  what  I  call  sich  a  possession 
as  ought  to  stand  in  law — ay,  and  in  gospel,  too  ;  for  I'm 
not  one  of  them  that  flies  in  the  face  of  religion." 

"  In  that  you're  quite  right ;  keep  the  gospel  on  your  side 
whatever  you  do,  neighbor  Thousandacres.  Our  Puritan 
fathers  didn't  cross  the  ocean,  and  encounter  the  horrors 
of  the  wilderness,  and  step  on  the  rock  of  Plymouth,  and 
undergo  more  than  man  could  possibly  bear,  and  that  all 
for  nothin'  !  " 

"  Wa-a-1,  to  my  notion,  the  *  horrors  of  the  wilderness,' 
as  you  call  'em,  is  no  great  matter ;  though,  as  for  crossin' 
the  ocean,  I  can  easily  imagine  that  must  be  suthin'  to  try 
a  man's  patience  and  endurance.  I  never  could  take  to 
the  water.  They  tell  me  there  isn't  a  single  tree  growin' 
the  whull  distance  atween  Ameriky  and  England  !  Float- 
in'  saw-logs  be  sometimes  met  with,  I've  heer'n  say,  but 
not  a  standin'  crittur'  of  a  tree  from  Massachusetts  Bay  to 
London  town  ! " 

"  It's  all  water,  and  of  course  trees  be  scarce,  Thousand- 
acres  ;  but  let's  come  a  little  clusser  to  the  p'int.  As  I  was  tell- 
in'  you,  the  whelp  is  in,  and  he'll  growl  as  loud  as  the  old 
bear  himself,  should  he  hear  of  all  them  boards  you've  got 
in  the  creek — to  say  nothin'  of  the  piles  up  here  that  you 
haven't  begun  to  put  into  the  \vater."  • 

"  Let  him  growl,"  returned  the  old  squatter,  glancing 
surlily  toward  my  prison  ;  "  like  a  good  many  other  crittur's 
that  I've  met  with,  'twill  turn  out  that  his  bark  is  worse 
than  his  bite." 

"  I  don't  know  that,  neighbor  Thousandacres,  I  don't  by 
any  means  know  that.  Major  Littlepage  is  a  gentleman 
of  spirit  and  decision,  as  is  to  be  seen  by  his  having  taken 
his  agency  from  me,  who  have  held  it  so  long,  and  gi'n  it 
to  a  young  chap  who  has  no  other  claim  than  bein'  a  toler- 
able surveyor  ;  but  who  hasn't  been  in  the  settlement  more 
than  a  twelvemonth." 

"  Gi'n  it  to  a  surveyer !  Is  he  one  of  Chainbearer's 
measurin'  devils?" 

"Just  so;  'tis  the  very  young  fellow  Chainbearer  has 
had  with  him  this  year  or  so,  runnin'  lines  an'  measurin' 
land  on  this  very  property." 

"That  old  fellow,  Chainbearer,  had  best  look  to  himself  ! 
He's  thwarted  me  now  three  times  in  the  course  of  his  life, 
and  he's  gettin'  to  be  desp'rate  old  ;  I'm  afeard  he  won't 
live  long ! " 

I  could  now  see  that  Squire  Newcome  felt  uneasy.     Al- 


THE  CHA1NBEARER.  237 

though  a  colleague  of  the  squatter's  in  what  is  only  too  apt 
to  be  considered  a  venal  roguery  in  a  ne\v  country,  or  in 
the  stealing  of  timber,  it  did  not  at  all  comport  with  the 
scale  of  his  rascality  to  menace  a  man's  life.  He  would 
connive  at  stealing  timber  by  purchasing  the  lumber  at 
sufficiently  low  prices,  so  long  as  the  danger  of  being  de- 
tected was  kept  within  reasonable  limits,  but  he  did  not 
like  to  be  connected  with  any  transaction  that  did  not,  in 
the  case  of  necessity,  admit  of  a  tolerably  safe  retreat  from 
all  pains  and  penalties.  Men  become  very  much  what — 
not  their  laws — but  what  the  administration  of  their  laws 
makes  them.  In  countries  in  which  it  is  prompt,  sure,  and 
sufficiently  severe,  crimes  are  mainly  the  fruits  of  tempta- 
tion and  necessity  ;  but  a  state  of  society  may  exist,  in 
which  justice  falls  into  contempt,  by  her  own  impotency, 
and  men  are  led  to  offend  merely  to  brave  her.  Thus 
we  have  long  labored  under  the  great  disadvantage  of 
living  under  laws  that,  in  a  great  degree,  were  framed 
for  another  set  of  circumstances.  By  the  common 
law,  it  was  only  trespass  to  cut  down  a  tree  in  Eng- 
land ;  for  trees  were  seldom  or  never  stolen,  and  the 
law  did  not  wish  to  annex  the  penalties  of  felony  to  the 
simple  offence  of  cutting  a  twig  in  a  wood.  With  us,  how- 
ever, entire  new  classes  of  offences  have  sprung  up  under 
our  own  novel  circumstances  ;  and  we  probably  owe  a  por- 
tion of  the  vast  amount  of  timber-stealing  that  has  now 
long  existed  among  us,  quite  as  much  to  the  mistaken  lenity 
of  the  laws,  as  to  the  fact  that  this  particular  description 
•of  property  is  so  much  exposed.  Many  a  man  would  com- 
mit a  trespass  of  the  gravest  sort,  who  would  shrink  from 
the  commission  of  a  felony  of  the  lowest.  Such  was  the 
case  with  Nevvcome.  He  had  a  certain  sort  of  law-honesty 
about  him,  that  enabled  him  in  a  degree  to  preserve  ap- 
pearances. It  is  true  he  connived  at  the  unlawful  cutting 
of  timber  by  purchasing  the  sawed  lumber,  but  he  took 
good  care,  at  the  same  time,  not  to  have  any  such  direct 
connection  with  the  strictly  illegal  part  of  the  transaction 
as  to  involve  him  in  the  penalties  of  the  law.  Had  timber' 
stealing  been  felony,  he  would  have  often  been  an  acces- 
sory before  the  act  ;  but  in  a  case  of  misdemeanor,  the  law 
knows  no  such  offence.  Purchasing  the  sawed  lumber, 
too,  if  done  with  proper  precaution,  owing  to  the  glorious 
subterfuges  permitted  by  "the  perfection  of  reason,"  was 
an  affair  of  no  personal  hazard  in  a  criminal  point  of  view, 
and  even  admitted  of  so  many  expedients  as  to  leave  the 


238  THE  CHAINBEARER. 

question  of  property  a  very  open  one,  after  the  boards  wer< 
fully  in  his  own  possession.  The  object  of  his  present  visit 
to  the  clearing  of  Thousandacres,  as  the  reader  will  most 
probably  have  anticipated,  was  to  profit  by  my  supposed 
proximity,  and  to  frighten  the  squatter  into  a  sale  on  such 
terms  as  should  leave  larger  profits  than  common  in  the 
hands  of  the  purchaser.  Unfortunately  for  the  success  of 
this  upright  project,  my  proximity  was  so  much  greater 
than  even  Squire  Newcome  supposed,  as  to  put  it  in  danger 
by  the  very  excess  of  the  thing  that  was  to  produce  the 
result  desired.  Little  did  the  honest  magistrate  suppose 
that  I  was,  the  whole  time,  within  twenty  feet  of  him,  and 
that  I  heard  all  that  passed. 

"  Chainbearer  is  about  seventy,"  returned  Newcome, 
after  musing  a  moment  on  the  character  of  his  compan- 
ion's last  remark.  ''Yes,  about  seventy,  I  should  judge 
from  what  I've  heerd,  and  what  I  know  of  the  man. 
It's  a  good  old  age,  but  folks  often  live  years  and  years 
beyond  it.  You  must  be  suthin'  like  that  yourself,  Thou- 
sandacres ? " 

"  Seventy-three,  every  day  and  hour  on't,  'squire  ;  and 
days  and  hours  well  drawn  out,  too.  If  you  count  by  old 
style,  I  b'lieve  I'm  a  month  or  so  older.  But  I'm  not 
Chainbearer.  No  man  can  say  of  me,  that  I  ever  made 
myself  troublesome  to  a  neighborhood.  No  man  can  p'int 
to  the  time  when  I  ever  disturbed  his  lines.  No  man  can 
tell  of  the  day  when  I  ever  went  into  court  to  be  a  witness 
on  such  a  small  matter  as  the  length  or  breadth  of  lots,  to 
breed  quarrels  atween  neighbors.  No,  'Squire  Newcome, 
I  set  store  by  my  character,  which  will  bear  comparison 
with  that  of  any  other  inhabitant  of  the  woods  I  ever  met 
with.  And  what  I  say  of  myself  I  can  say  of  my  sons  and 
da'ghters,  too — from  Tobit  down  to  Sampson,  from  Nab 
to  Jeruthy.  We're  what  I  call  a  reasonable  and  reconcila- 
ble breed,  minding  our  own  business,  and  having  a  respect 
for  that  of  other  people.  Now,  here  am  I,  in  my  seventy- 
fourth  year,  and  the  father  of  twelve  living  children,  and 
I've  made,  in  my  time,  many  and  many  a  pitch  on't,  but 
never  was  I  known  to  pitch  on  land  that  another  man  had 
in  possession  ; — and  I  carry  my  idees  of  possession  farther 
than  most  folks,  too,  for  I  call  it  possession  to  have  said 
openly,  and  afore  witnesses,  that  a  man  intends  to  pitch 
on  any  partic'lar  spot  afore  next  ploughin'  or  droppin1 
time,  as  the  case  may  be.  No,  I  respect  possession, 
which  ought  to  be  the  only  lawful  title  to  property,  in 


THE  CHA1NBEARER.  239 

a  free  country.  When  a  man  wants  a  clearin'  or  wants 
to  make  one,  my  doctrine  is,  let  him  look  about  him, 
and  make  his  pitch  on  calcerlation  ;  and  when  he's  tired 
of  the  spot,  and  wants  a  change,  let  him  sell  his  better- 
ments, if  he  lights  of  a  chap,  and  if  he  doos'nt,  let  him 
leave  'em  open,  and  clear  off  all  incumbrances,  for  the 
next  comer." 

It  is  probable  that  Jason  Newcome,  Esq., —  magistrates 
h  America  are  extremely  tenacious  of  this  title,  though 
tiey  have  no  more  right  to  it  than  any  one  else — but  Jason 
Newcome,  Esq.,*  did  not  carry  his  notions  of  the  rights  of 
squatters,  and  of  the  sacred  character  of  possession,  quite 
as  far  as  did  his  friend  Thousandacres.  Newcome  was  an 
exceedingly  selfish,  but  withal,  an  exceedingly  shrewd  man. 
J  do  not  know  that  the  term  clever,  in  its  broadest  signifi- 
cation, would  fitly  apply  to  him,  for  in  that  sense,  I  con- 
ceive, it  means  quickness  and  intelligence  enough  to  do 
what  is  right ;  but  he  was  fully  entitled  to  receive  it,  under 
that  qualification  by  which  we  say  a  man  is  "  a  clever 
rogue."  In  a  word,  Mr.  Newcome  understood  himself, 
and  his  relations  to  the  community  in  which  he  lived,  too 
well  to  fall  into  very  serious  mistakes  by  a  direct  derelic- 
tion from  his  duties,  though  he  lived  in  a  never-ceasing 
condition  of  small  divergencies  that  might  at  any  time  lead 
him  into  serious  difficulties.  Nevertheless,  it  was  easy 

*  In  order  to  understand  Mr.  Littlepage  in  what  he  says  of  "esquires," 
a  word  of  explanation  may  be  necessary.  The  term  "esquire"  is,  as  ev- 
ery well-informed  person  knows,  a  title  of  honor,  standing  next  in  degree 
below  that  of  knight.  On  the  continent  of  Europe  the  "ecuyer"  prop- 
erly infers  nobility,  I  believe,  as  nobility  is  there  considered,  which  is  little 
if  any  more  than  the  condition  of  the  old  English  gentry,  or  of  the  families 
having  coat-armor.  By  the  English  law,  certain  persons  are  born  esquires, 
and  others  have  the  rank  ex  offuio.  Among  the  last  is  a  justice  of  the 
peace,  who  is  legally  an  "esquire"  during  his  official  term.  Now  this 
rule  prevailed  in  the  colonies,  and  American  magistrates  were,  perhaps  le- 
gally, esquires,  as  well  as  the  English.  But  titles  of  honor  were  abolished 
at  the  revolution,  and  it  is  a  singular  contradiction,  in  substance,  to  hold 
that  the  principle  is  destroyed  while  the  incident  remains.  The  rank  of 
esquire  can  no  more  legally  exist  in  America,  than  that  of  knight.  In  one 
sense,  neither  is  noble,  it  is  true  :  but  in  that  broad  signification  by  which 
all  constitutions  are,  or  ought  to  be  interpreted  both  would  come  within 
the  proscribed  category,  as  set  forth  in  art.  yth,  sect,  gth,  and  art.  1st, 
sect.  loth,  Const.  U.  S.  Nevertheless,  so  much  stronger  is  custom  than 
positive  law,  that  not  only  every  magistrate,  but  every  lawyer  in  the 
country  fancies  himself  peculiarly  an  "esquire!"  It  is  scarcely  neces- 
sary to  add  that,  by  usage,  the  appellation  is  given  by  courtesy,  wherever 
the  English  language  is  spoken,  to  all  who  are  supposed  to  belong  to  the 
class  of  gentlemen.  This,  after  all,  is  the  only  true  American  use  of  the 
word. — EDITOR. 


240  THE  CHAINBEARER. 

enough  to  see  he  had  no  relish  for  Thousandacres'  allu- 
sions to  the  termination  of  the  days  of  my  excellent  old 
friend,  Chainbearer  ;  nor  can  I  say  that  they  gave  me  any 
particular  concern,  for,  while  I  knew  how  desperate  the 
squatters  sometimes  became,  I  had  a  notion  that  this  olc 
fellow's  bark  would  prove  worse  than  his  bite,  as  he  had 
just  observed  of  myself. 

It  would  hardly  repay  the  trouble,  were  I  to  attempt  re- 
cording all  that  passed  next  between  our  two  colloquists: 
although  it  was  a  sufficiently  amusing  exhibition  of  wilj 
management  to  frighten  the  squatter  to  part  with  his  lum- 
ber at  a  low  price,  on  one  side,  and  of  sullen  security  on 
the  other.  The  security  proceeded  from  the  fact  tha: 
Thousandacres  had  me,  at  that  very  moment,  a  prisoner  ir. 
his  storehouse. 

A  bargain  conducted  on  such  terms  was  not  likely  soon 
to  come  to  a  happy  termination.  After  a  great  deal  of 
chaffering  and  discussing,  the  conference  broke  up,  noth- 
ing having  been  decided,  by  the  magistrate's  saying — 

"  Well,  Thousandacres,  I  hope  you'll  have  no  reason  to 
repent ;  but  I  kind  o'  fear  you  will." 

"The  loss  will  be  mine  and  the  b'ys'  if  I  do,"  was 
the  squatter's  answer.  "  I  know  I  can  get  all  the  boards 
into  the  creek  ;  and,  for  that  matter,  into  the  river,  afore 
young  Littlepage  can  do  me  any  harm  ;  though  there  is 
one  circumstance  that  may  yet  turn  my  mind — 

Here  the  squatter  came  to  a  pause  ;  and  Newcome,  who 
had  risen,  turned  short  round,  eagerly,  to  press  the  doubt 
that  he  saw  was  working  in  the  other's  mind. 

"  I  thought  you  would  think  better  of  it,"  he  said  ; 
"for,  it's  out  of  doubt,  should  Major  Littlepage  1'arn  your 
pitch,  that  he'd  uproot  you,  as  the  winds  uproot  the  fallin' 
tree." 

"  No,  'squire,  my  mind's  made  up,"  Thousandacres 
coolly  rejoined.  "  I'll  sell,  and  gladly  ;  but  not  on  the 
tarms  you  have  named.  Two  pounds  eight  the  thousand 
foot,  board  measure,  and  taking  it  all  round,  clear 
stuff  and  refuse,  without  any  store-pay,  will  carry  off  the 
lumber." 

"  Too  much,  Thousandacres  ;  altogether  too  much, 
when  you  consider  the  risks  I  run.  I'm  not  sartain  that  I 
could  hold  the  lumber,  even  after  I  got  it  into  the  river ; 
for  a  replevy  is  a  formidable  thing  in  law,  I  can  tell  you. 
One  pound  sixteen,  one-third  store-pay,  is  the  utmost 
forthin'  I  can  offer." 


THE  CHAINBEARER.  24! 

In  that  day  all  our  calculations  were  in  pounds,  shillings 
and  pence. 

"  Then  the  bargain's  off. — I  s'pose,  squire,  you've  the  old 
avarsion  to  being  seen  in  my  settlement  ? " 

u  Sartain —  sartain,"  answered  Newcome,  in  haste. 
"There's  no  danger  of  that,  I  hope.  You  cannot  well 
have  strangers  among  you  ? " 

"  I  wunt  answer  for  that.  I  see  some  of  the  b'ys  com- 
ing out  of  the  woods,  yonder  ;  and  it  seems  to  me  there 
is  a  fourth  man  with  them.  There  is,  of  a  certainty  ;  and 
it  is  no  other  than  Susquesus,  the  Onondago.  The  fellow 
is  cluss-mouthed,  like  most  red-skins  ;  but  you  can  say  best 
whether  you'd  like  to  be  seen  by  him,  or  not.  I  hear  he's 
a  great  fri'nd  of  Chainbearer's." 

It  was  very  evident  that  the  magistrate  decided,  at  once, 
in  the  negative.  Witli  a  good  deal  of  decent  haste  he 
dodged  round  a  pile  of  logs,  and  I  saw  no  more  of  him 
until  I  caught  a  distant  view  of  his  person  in  the  skirts  of 
the  woods,  at  the  point  whence  he  had  issued  into  the  clear- 
ing, two  hours  before,  and  where  he  now  received  his 
horse  from  the  hands  of  the  youngest  of  Thousandacre's 
sons,  who  led  the  animal  to  the  spot  for  his  especial  accom- 
modation. Mr.  Newcome  was  no  sooner  in  possession  of 
his  beast  again,  than  he  mounted  and  rode  away  into  the 
depths  of  the  forest.  So  adroitly  was  this  retreat  con- 
ducted, that  no  person  of  ordinary  observation  could  pos- 
sibly have  detected  it,  unless  indeed  his  attention  had  been 
previously  drawn  to  the  movement. 

What  passed,  at  parting,  between  Thousandacres  and  his 
visitor,  I  never  knew ;  but  they  must  have  been  altogether 
alone  for  a  few  minutes.  When  the  former  reappeared, 
he  came  out  from  behind  the  logs,  his  whole  attention 
seemingly  fastened  on  the  approaching  party,  composed  of 
his  sons  and  Susquesus.  Those  resolute  and  practised  men 
had,  indeed,  overtaken  and  captured  the  Onondago,  and 
were  now  bringing  him  a  prisoner,  unarmed,  in  their 
midst,  to  receive  the  commands  of  their  father  !  Notwith- 
standing all  that  I  knew  of  this  man,  and  of  his  character, 
there  was  something  imposing  in  the  manner  in  which  he 
now  waited  for  the  arrival  of  his  sons  and  their  prisoner. 
Accustomed  to  exercise  an  almost  absolute  sway  in  his 
own  family,  the  old  man  had  acquired  some  of  the  dignity 
of  authority  ;  and  as  for  his  posterity,  old  and  young,  male 
and  female,  not  excepting  Prudence,  they  had  gained  very 
iutie  in  tne  way  of  freedom,  by  throwing  aside  the  tram- 

i 


242  THE  CHAINBEARER. 

mels  of  regular  and  recognized  law,  to  live  under  the  rule 
of  their  patriarch.  In  this  respect  they  might  be  likened 
to  the  masses,  who,  in  a  blind  pursuit  of  liberty,  impatiently 
cast  away  the  legal  and  healthful  restraints  of  society,  to 
submit  to  the  arbitrary,  selfish,  and  ever  unjust  dictation 
of  demagogues.  Whatever  difference  there  might  be  be- 
tween the  two  governments,  was  in  favor  of  that  of  the 
squatter,  who  possessed  the  feelings  of  "nature  in  behalf 
of  his  own  flesh  and  blood,  and  was  consequently  often 
indulgent. 

It  is  so  difficult  to  read  an  Indian's  mind  in  his-  manner, 
that  I  did  not  expect  to  ascertain  the  .state  of  the  Onon- 
dago's  feelings  by  the  countenance  he  wore,  on  drawing 
near.  In  exterior,  this  man  was  as  calm  and  unmoved  as 
if  just  arrived  on  a  friendly  visit.  His  captors  had  bound 
him,  fearful  he  might  elude  them,  in  some  of  the  thickets 
they  had  been  compelled  to  pass  ;  but  the  thongs  seemed 
to  give  him  neither  mental  nor  bodily  concern.  Old  Thou- 
sandacres  was  stern  in  aspect ;  but  he  had  too  much  ex- 
perience in  Indian  character — knew  too  well  the  unfor- 
giving nature  of  the  Indians'  dispositions,  or  the  enduring 
memories  that  forgot  neither  favors  nor  injuries,  to  wan- 
tonly increase  the  feeling  that  must  naturally  have  been 
awakened  between  him  and  his  prisoner. 

"Trackless,"  he  said,  considerately,  "you're  an  old  war- 
rior, and  must  know  that  in  troubled  times  every  man  must 
look  out  for  himself.  I'm  glad  the  b'ys  warn't  driven  to 
do  you  any  harm  ;  but  it  would  never  have  done  to  let  you 
carry  the  tidings  of  what  has  happened  here,  this  morning, 
to  Chainbearer  and  his  gang.  How  long  I  may  have  to 
keep  you,  is  more  than  I  know  myself  ;  but  your  treatment 
shall  be  good,  and  your  wilcome  wrarm,  so  long  as  you  give 
no  trouble.  I  know  what  a  red-skin's  word  is;  and  maybe, 
a'ter  thinkin'  on  it  a  little,  I  may  let  you  out  to  wander 
about  the  clearin',  provided  you'd  give  your  parole  not  to 
go  off.  I'll  think  on't,  and  let  you  know  to-morrow  ;  but 
to-day  I  must  put  you  in  the  store'us'  along  with  the  young 
chap  that  you  travelled  here  with." 

Thousandacres  then  demanded  of  his  sons  an  account  of 
the  manner  in  which  they  had  taken  their  captive  ;  which 
it  is  unnecessary  to  relate  here,  as  I  shall  have  occasion  to 
give  it  directly  in  the  language  of  the  Indian  himself.  As 
soon  as  satisfied  on  this  head,  the  door  of  my  prison  was 
opened,  and  the  Onondago  entered  it  unbound,  without 
manifesting  the  smallest  shade  of  regret,  or  any  resistance, 


THE  CHA1NBEARER.  243 

Everything  was  done  in  a  very  lock-up  sort  of  manner  .• 
the  new  prisoner  being  no  sooner  "permitted,"  than  the 
door  was  secured,  and  I  was  left  alone  with  Sureflint  ;  one 
of  the  younger  girls  now  remaining  near  the  building 
as  a  sentinel.  I  waited  a  moment,  to  make  certain  we 
were  alone,  when  I  opened  the  communications  with  my 
friend. 

"  I  am  very  sorry  for  this,  Sureflint,"  I  commenced,  "  for  I 
had  hopes  your  knowledge  of  the  woods,  and  practice  on 
trails,  would  have  enabled  you  to  throw  off  your  pursuers, 
that  you  might  have  carried  the  news  of  my  imprisonment 
to  our  friends.  This  is  a  sore  disappointment  to  me  ;  hav- 
ing made  sure  you  would  let  Chainbearer  know  where 
I  am." 

"  W'y  t'ink  different,  now,  eh?  S'pose,  'cause  Injin  pris- 
oner, can't  help  himself  ?  " 

"  You  surely  do  not  mean  that  you  are  here  with  your 
own  consent  ?" 

"  Sartain.  S'pose  no  want  to  come  ;  am  no  come.  You 
t'ink  Thousandacres'  b'ys  catch  Susquesus  in  woods,  and 
he  don't  want  to  ?  Be  sure,  winter  come,  and  summer 
come.  Be  sure,  gray  hair  come  a  little.  Be  sure  Track- 
less get  ole,  by-'m-bye  ;  but  he  moccason  leave  no  trail 
yet  !" 

"  As  I  cannot  understand  why  you  should  first  escape, 
and  then  wish  to  come  back,  I  must  beg  you  to  explain 
yourself.  Let  me  know  all  that  has  passed,  Sureflint — • 
how  it  has  passed,  and  why  it  has  passed.  Tell  it  in  your 
own  way,  but  tell  it  fully." 

"  Sartain — why  no  tell  ?  No  harm  ;  all  good — somet'ing 
capital  !  Nebber  hab  better  luck." 

"  You  excite  my  curiosity,  Sureflint ;  tell  the  whole 
story  at  once,  beginning  at  the  time  when  you  slipped 
off,  and  carrying  it  down  to  the  moment  of  your  arrival 
here." 

Hereupon,  Susquesus  turned  on  me  a  significant  look, 
drew  his  pipe  from  his  belt,  filled  and  lighted  it,  and  be- 
gan to  smoke  with  a  composure  that  was  not  easily  dis- 
turbed. As  soon  as  assured  that  his  pipe  was  in  a  proper 
state,  however,  the  Indian  quietly  began  his  story. 

"Now  listen,  you  hear,"  he  said.  "Run  away,  'cause 
no  good  to  stay  here,  and  be  prisoner — dat  why." 

"  But  you  are  a  prisoner,  as  it  is,  as  well  as  myself,  and, 
by  your  statement,  a  prisoner  with  your  own  consent." 

"  Sartain — nebber  hab  been  prisoner,  won't  be  prisoner, 


244  THE  CHA1NBEARER. 

if  don't  want  to.  S'pose  shot,  den  can't  help  him  ;  but  in 
woods,  Injin  nebber  prisoner,  'less  lazy  or  drunk.  Rum 
make  great  many  prisoner." 

"I  can  believe  all  this — but  tell  me  the  story.  Why 
did  you  go  off  at  first  ? " 

"  S'pose  don't  want  Chainbearer  know  where  he  be,  eh? 
T'ink  T'ousandacre  ebber  let  you  go  while  board  in  stream  ? 
When  board  go,  he  go  ;  not  afore.  Stay  all  summer  ;  want 
to  live  in  store'us'  all  summer,  eh  ? " 

"  Certainly  not — well,  you  left  me,  in  order  to  let  our 
friends  know  where  I  was,  that  the'y  might  cast  about  for 
the  means  of  getting  me  free.  All  this  I  understand  ;  what 
next  ? " 

"  Next,  go  off  in  wood.  Easy  'nough  to  slip  off  when 
T'ousandacre  no  look.  Well,  went  about  two  mile  ;  leave 
no  trail — bird  make  as  much  in  air.  What  s'pose  meet, 
eh  ? " 

"  I  wait  for  you  to  tell  me." 

"  Meet  Jaap — yes — meet  nigger.  Look  for  young  mas- 
ter— ebberybody  in  trouble,  and  won'er  where  young 
chief  be.  Some  look  here — some  look  out  yonder — all 
look  somewhere — Jaap  look  just  dere." 

"And  you  told  Jaap  the  whole  story,  and  sent  him  back 
to  the  huts  with  it !  " 

"  Sartain — just  so.  Make  good  guess  dat  time.  Den 
t'ink  what  do,  next.  Want  to  come  back  and  help  young 
pale-face  frien';  so  t'ought  get  take  prisoner  one  time. 
Like  to  know  how  he  feel  to  be  prisoner  one  time.  No 
feel  so  bad  as  s'pose.  Squatter  no  hard  master  for  pris- 
oner." 

"  But  how  did  all  this  happen,  and  in  what  manner  have 
you  misled  the  young  men  ?" 

"  No  hard  to  do  at  all.  All  he  want  is  know  how.  A'ter 
Jaap  get  his  ar'n'd,  and  go  off,  made  trail  plain  'nough  for 
squaw  to  find.  Travel  to  a  spring — sit  down  and  put  rifle 
away  off,  so  no  need  shoot,  and  let  him  squatter's  boys 
catch  me,  by  what  you  call  s'prise  ;  yes,  'e  pale-faces  s'prise 
red  man  dat  time  !  Warrant  he  brag  on't  well ! " 

Here,  then,  was  the  simple  explanation  of  it  all  I  Sus- 
quesus  had  stolen  away,  in  order  to  apprise  my  friends  of 
my  situation  ;  he  had  fallen  in  with  Jaap,  or  Jaaf,  in  search 
of  his  lost  master  ;  and,  communicating  all  the  circum- 
stances to  the  negro,  had  artfully  allowed  himself  to  be  re- 
captured, carefully  avoiding  a  struggle,  and  had  been 
brought  back  and  placed  by  my  side.  No  explanations 


THE  CHAINBEARER.  245 

were  necessary  to  point  out  the  advantages.  By  communi- 
cating with  the  negro,  who  had  been  familiar  for  years  with 
the  clipped  manner  of  the  Indian's  mode  of  speaking  Eng- 
lish, everything  would  be  made  known  to  Chainbearer ; 
by  suffering  himself  to  be  taken,  the  squatters  were  led  by 
Sureflint  to  suppose  our  capture  and  their  "  pitch  "  re- 
mained secrets  ;  while,  by  rejoining  me,  I  should  have  the 
presence,  counsel  and  assistance  of  a  most  tried  friend  of 
my  father's  and  Chainbearer's  in  the  event  of  necessity. 

This  brief  summary  of  his  reasoning  shows  the  admi- 
rable sagacity  of  the  Onondago,  who  had  kept  in  view  every 
requisite  of  his  situation,  and  failed  in  nothing. 

I  was  delighted  with  the  address  of  Sureflint,  as  well  as 
touched  by  his  fidelity.  In  the  course  of  our  conversation, 
he  gave  me  to  understand  that  my  disappearance  and  ab- 
sence for  an  entire  night  had  produced  great  consternation 
in  the  huts,  and  that  everybody  was  out  in  quest  of  me 
and  himself,  at  the  time  when  he  so  opportunely  fell  in  with 
Jaap. 

"  Gal  out,  too  " — added  the  Onondago,  significantly. 
"  S'pose  good  reason  for  dat." 

This  startled  me  a  little,  for  I  had  a  vague  suspicion  that 
Susquesus  must  have  been  an  unseen  observer  of  my  inter- 
view with  Ursula  Malbone  ;  and  noticing  my  manner  on 
rushing  from  her  cabin,  had  been  induced  to  follow 
me,  as  has  been  related.  The  reader  is  not  to  suppose 
that  my  late  adventures  had  driven  Dus  from  my  mind. 
So  far  from  this,  I  thought  of  her  incessantly  ;  and  the 
knowledge  that  she  took  so  much  interest  in  me  as  to  roam 
the  woods  in  the  search,  had  no  tendency  to  lessen  the 
steadiness  or  intensity  of  my  reflections.  Nevertheless, 
common  humanity  might  induce  one  of  her  energy  and  ac- 
tivity to  do  as  much  as  this  ;  and  had  I  not  her  own  decla- 
ration that  she  was  plighted  to  another  ! 

After  getting  his  whole  story,  I  consulted  the  Indian  on 
the  subject  of  our  future  proceedings.  He  was  of  opinion 
that  we  had  better  wait  the  movements  of  our  friends,  from 
whom  we  must  hear  in  some  mode  or  other,  in  the  course 
of  the  approaching  night,  or  of  the  succeeding  day.  What 
course  Chainbearer  might  see  fit  to  pursue,  neither  of  us 
could  conjecture,  though  both  felt  assured  he  never  would 
remain  quiet  with  two  as  fast  friends  as  ourselves  in  du- 
rance. My  great  concern  was  that  he  might  resort  at  once 
to  force,  for  old  Andries  had  a  fiery  spirit,  though  one  that 
was  eminently  just ;  and  he  had  been  accustomed  to  see 


246  THE  CHA1NBEARER. 

gunpowder  burned  from  his  youth  upward.  Should  he,  on 
the  other  hand,  resort  to  legal  means,  and  apply  to  Mr. 
Newcome  for  warrants  to  arrest  my  captors,  as  men  guilty 
of  illegal  personal  violence,  a  course  it  struck  me  Frank 
Malbone  would  be  very  apt  to  advise,  what  might  I  not  ex- 
pect from  the  collusion  of  the  magistrate,  in  the  way  of 
frauds,  delays  and  private  machinations  ?  In  such  a  case, 
there  would  be  time  to  send  me  to  some  other  place  of 
concealment,  and  the  forest  must  have  a  hundred  such  that 
were  accessible  to  my  new  masters,  while  their  friend  New- 
come  would  scarcely  fail  to  let  them  have  timely  notice  of 
the  necessity  of  some  such  step.  Men  acting  in  conformity 
with  the  rules  of  right,  fulfilling  the  requirements  of  the 
law,  and  practising  virtue,  might  be  so  remiss  as  not  to 
send  information  of  such  an  impending  danger,  for  such 
persons  are  only  too  apt  to  rely  on  the  integrity  of  their 
own  characters,  and  to  put  their  trust  on  the  laws  of  Provi- 
dence ;  but  rogues,  certain  that  they  can  have  no  such  suc- 
cor, depend  mainly  on  themselves,  recognizing  the  well- 
known  principle  of  Frederick  the  Great,  who  thought  it  a 
safe  rule  to  suppose  that  "  Providence  was  usually  on  the 
side  of  strong  battalions."  I  felt  certain,  therefore,  that 
Squire  Newcome  would  let  his  friends  at  the  "clearing" 
know  all  that  was  plotting  against  them,  as  soon  as  he 
knew  it  himself. 

The  squatters  were  not  unkind  to  us  prisoners  in  the 
way  of  general  treatment.  Certainly  I  had  every  right  to 
complain  of  the  particular  wrong  they  did  me  ;  but,  other- 
wise, they  were  sufficiently  considerate  and  liberal  through- 
out that  day.  Our  fare  was  their  own.  We  had  water 
brought  in  fresh  by  Lowiny  no  fewer  than  five  several 
times  ;  and  so  attentive  to  my  supposed  wants  was  this 
girl,  that  she  actually  brought  me  every  book  that  was  to 
be  found  in  all  the  libraries  of  the  family.  These  were 
but  three — a  fragment  of  a  Bible,  Pilgrim's  Progress,  and 
an  almanac  that  was  four  years  old. 


THE  CHAINBEARER.  247 


CHAPTER  XX. 

"I  mark'd  his  desultory  pace, 

His  gestures  strange,  and  varying  face, 
With  many  a  muttered  sound  ; 
And  ah  !  too  late,  aghast,  I  view'd 
The  reeking  blade,  the  hand  imbru'd  : 
He  fell,  and  groaning  grasp'd  in  agony  the  ground." 

— WARTON. 

IN  this  manner  passed  that  long  and  weary  day.  I  could 
and  did  take  exercise,  by  walking  to  and  fro  in  my  prison  ; 
but  the  Indian  seldom  stirred  from  the  moment  he  entered. 
As  for  the  squatter  himself,  he  came  no  more  near  the 
storehouse,  though  I  saw  him,  two  or  three  times  in  the 
course  of  the  day,  in  private  conference  with  his  elder  sons, 
most  probably  consulting  on  my  case.  At  such  moments, 
their  manner  was  serious,  and  there  were  instants  when  I 
fancied  it  menacing. 

Provision  was  made  for  our  comfort  by  throwing  a  suf- 
ficient number  of  bundles  of  straw  into  the  prison,  and  my 
fellow-captive  and  myself  had  each  a  sufficiently  comforta- 
ble bed.  A  soldier  was  not  to  be  frightened  at  sleeping 
on  straw,  moreover  ;  and  as  for  Susquesus,  he  asked  for  no 
more  than  room  to  stretch  himself,  though  it  were  even 
on  a  rock.  An  Indian  loves  his  ease,  and  takes  it  when  it 
comes  in  his  way  ;  but  it  is  really  amazing  to  what  an  ex- 
tent his  powers  of  endurance  go,  when  it  becomes  necessary 
for  him  to  exert  them. 

In  the  early  part  of  the  night  I  slept  profoundly,  as  I 
believe  did  the  Indian.  I  must  acknowledge  that  an  un- 
comfortable distrust  existed  in  my  mind,  that  had  some 
slight  effect  in  keeping  me  from  slumbering,  though  fatigue 
soon  overcame  the  apprehensions  such  a  feeling  would  be 
likely  to  awaken.  I  did  not  know  but  Thousandacres  and 
his  sons  might  take  it  into  their  heads  to  make  away  with 
the  Indian  and  myself  under  cover  of  the  darkness,  as  the 
most  effectual  means  of  protecting  themselves  against  the 
consequences  of  their  past  depredations,  and  of  securing 
the  possession  of  those  that  they  had  projected  for  the 
future.  We  were  completely  in  their  power,  and,  so  far  as 
the  squatter  knew,  the  secret  of  our  visit  would  die  with 
us,  the  knowledge  of  those  of  his  own  flesh  and  blood  pos- 
sessed on  the  subject  excepted.  Notwithstanding  these 


248  THE  CHA1NBEARER. 

thoughts  crossed  my  mind,  and  did  give  me  some  little  un* 
easiness,  they  were  not  sufficiently  active  or  sufficiently 
prominent  to  prevent  me  from  slumbering,  after  I  had 
fairly  fallen  asleep,  without  awaking  once,  until  it  was  three 
o'clock,  or  within  an  hour  of  the  approach  of  day. 

I  am  not  certain  that  any  external  cause  aroused  me 
from  my  slumbers.  But  I  well  remember  that  I  lay  there 
on  my  straw,  meditating  for  some  time,  half  asleep  and 
half  awake,  until  I  fancied  I  heard  the  musical  voice  of 
Dus,  murmuring  in  my  ear  my  own  name.  This  illusion 
lasted  some  little  time  ;  when,  as  my  faculties  gradually 
resumed  their  powers,  I  became  slowly  convinced  that 
some  one  was  actually  calling  me,  and  by  name  too,  within 
a  foot  or  two  of  my  ears.  I  could  not  be  mistaken  ;  the 
fact  was  so,  and  the  call  was  in  a  woman's  tones.  Spring- 
ing up,  I  demanded — 

"Who  is  here  ?  In  the  name  of  heaven,  can  this  really 
be  Miss  Malbone — Dus  !  " 

"My  name  is  Lowiny,"  answered  my  visitor,  "and  I'm 
Thousandacres'  da'ghter.  But  don't  speak  so  loud,  for 
there  is  one  of  the  b'ys  on  the  watch  at  the  other  end  of 
the  store'us,  and  you'll  wake  him  up  unless  you're  care- 
ful." 

"Lowiny,  is  it  you,  my  good  girl  ?  Not  content  to  care 
for  us  throughout  the  day,  you  still  have  a  thought  for  us 
during  the  night !" 

I  thought  the  girl  felt  embarrassed,  for  she  must  have 
been  conscious  of  having  a  little  trespassed  on  the  usages 
and  reserve  of  her  sex.  It  is  rare,  indeed,  that  any  mother, 
and  especially  an  American  mother,  ever  falls  so  low  as 
completely  to  become  unsexed  in  feelings  and  character, 
and  rarer  still  that  she  forgets  to  impart  many  of  the  de- 
cencies of  woman  to  her  daughter.  Old  Prudence,  not- 
withstanding the  life  she  led,  and  the  many  causes  of  cor- 
ruption and  backslidings  that  existed  around  her,  was  true 
to  her  native  instincts,  and  had  taught  to  her  girls  many 
of  those  little  proprieties  that  become  so  great  charms  in 
woman. 

Lowiny  was  far  from  disagreeable  in  person,  and  had 
the  advantage  of  being  youthful  in  appearance,  as  well  as 
in  fact.  In  addition  to  these  marks  of  her  sex,  she  had 
manifested  an  interest  in  my  fate,  from  the  first,  that  had 
not  escaped  me  ;  and  here  she  was  now,  doubtless  on 
some  errand  of  which  the  object  was  our  good.  My  re- 
mark embarrassed  her,  however,  and  a  fe\v  moments 


THE  CHAINBEARER.  249 

passed  before  she  got  entirely  over  the  feeling.     As  soon 
as  she  did,  she  again  spoke. 

"  I  don't  think  anything  of  bringing  you  and  the  Injin  a 
little  water,"  she  said — laying  an  emphasis  on  the  words  I 
have  put  in  Italics — "  nor  should  I  had  we  any  beer  or 
sap-cider  instead.  But  all  our  spruce  is  out ;  and  father 
said  he  wouldn't  have  any  more  of  the  cider  made,  seein' 
that  we  want  all  the  sap  for  sugar.  I  hope  you  had  a 
plentiful  supply,  Mr.  Littlepage  ;  and  for  fear  you  hadn't, 
I've  brought  you  and  the  red-skin  a  pitcher  of  milk  and  a 
bowl  of  hasty-pudding — he  can  eat  a'ter  you've  done,  you 
know." 

I  thanked  my  kind-hearted  friend,  and  received  her  gift 
through  a  hole  that  she  pointed  out  to  me.  The  food,  in 
the  end,  proved  very  acceptable,  as  subsequent  circum- 
stances caused  our  regular  breakfast  to  be  forgotten  for  a 
time.  I  was  desirous  of  ascertaining  from  this  girl  what 
was  said  or  contemplated  among  her  relatives,  on  the  sub- 
ject of  my  future  fate  ;  but  felt  a  nearly  unconquerable 
dislike  to  be  prying  into  what  was  a  species  of  family  se- 
crets, by  putting  direct  questions  to  her.  Fortunately,  the 
communicative  and  friendly  disposition  of  Lowiny  herself 
soon  removed  all  necessity  for  any  such  step  ;  for  after 
executing  her  main  purpose,  she  lingered  with  an  evident 
wish  to  gossip. 

"  I  wish  father  wouldn't  be  a  squatter  any  longer,"  the 
girl  said,  with  an  earnestness  that  proved  she  was  uttering 
her  real  sentiment.  "  It's  awful  to  be  forever  fighting 
ag'in  law  !  " 

"  It  would  be  far  better  if  he  would  apply  to  some  land- 
owner and  get  a  farm  on  lease,  or  by  purchase.  Land  is 
so  plenty  in  this  country,  no  man  need  go  without  a  legal 
interest  in  his  hundred  acres,  provided  he  be  only  sober 
and  industrious." 

"  Father  never  drinks,  unless  it's  on  the  Fourth  of  July  ; 
and  the  b'ys  be  all  pretty  sober,  too,  as  young  men  go, 
nowadays.  I  believe,  Mr.  Littlepage,  if  mother  has  told 
father  once,  she  has  told  him  a  thousand  times,  that  she 
doos  wish  he'd  leave  off  squatting,  and  take  writin's  for 
some  piece  of  land  or  other.  But  father  says,  'no — he 
warn't  made  for  writin's,  nor  writin's  for  him.'  He's  des- 
p'ately  troubled  to  know  what  to  do  with  you,  now  he's 
got  you." 

"  Did  Mr.  Newcome  give  no  opinion  on  the  subject 
while  he  was  with  you  ? " 


250  THE  CHAINBEARER. 

'"Squire  Newcome  !  Father  never  let  on  to  him  a  syl- 
lable about  ever  having  seen  you.  He  knows  too  much 
to  put  himself  in  'Squire  Newcome's  power,  sin'  his  lum- 
ber would  go  ail  the  cheaper  for  it.  What's  your  opinion, 
Mr.  Littlepage,  about  our  right  to  the  boards,  when  we've 
cut,  and  hauled,  and  sawed  the  logs  with  our  own  hands. 
Don'  that  make  some  difference  ?  " 

"What  is  your  opinion  of  your  right  to  a  gown  that  an- 
other girl  has  made  out  of  calico  she  had  taken  from  your 
drawer,  when  your  back  was  turned,  and  carried  away, 
and  cut  and  stitched,  and  sewed  with  her  own  hands  ? " 

"  She  never  would  have  any  right  to  my  calico,  let  her 
cut  it  as  much  as  she  might.  But  lumber  is  made  out  of 
trees." 

"  And  trees  have  owners  just  as  much  as  calico.  Haul- 
ing, and  cutting,  and  sawing  can  of  themselves  give  no 
man  a  right  to  another  man's  logs." 

"  I  was  afeard  it  was  so — "  answered  Lowiny,  sighing  so 
loud  as  to  be  heard.  "  There's  suthin'  in  that  old  Bible  I 
lent  you  that  I  read  pretty  much  in  that  way  ;  though 
Tobit,  and  most  of  the  b'ys  say  that  it  don't  mean  any 
sich  thing.  They  say  there's  nothin'  about  lumber  in  the 
Bible  at  all." 

"  And  what  does  your  mother  tell  you  on  this  head  ? " 

"  Why,  mother  don't  talk  about  it.  She  wants  father  to 
lease  or  buy  ;  but  you  know  how  it  is  with  women,  Mr. 
Littlepage  ;  when  their  fr'nds  act,  it's  all  the  same  as  a 
law  to  "them  to  try  to  think  that  they  act  right.  Mother 
never  says  anything  to  us  about  the  lawfulness  of  father's 
doin's,  though  she  often  wishes  he  would  live  under 
writin's.  Mother  wants  father  to  try  and  get  writin's  of 
you,  now  you're  here,  and  in  his  hands.  Wouldn't  you 
give  us  writin's,  Mr.  Littlepage,  if  we'd  promise  to  give 
you  suthin'  for  rent  ?" 

"  If  I  did  they  would  be  good  for  nothing,  unless  I  were 
free  and  among  friends.  Deeds  and  leases  got  from  men 
who  are  '  in  the  hands,'  as  you  call  it,  of  those  who  take 
them,  are  of  no  value." 

"  I'm  sorry  for  that — "  rejoined  Lowiny,  with  another 
sigh — "  not  that  I  wanted  you  to  be  driven  into  anything, 
but  I  thought  if  you  would  only  consent  to  let  father  have 
writin's  for  this  clearin',  it's  so  good  a  time  to  do  it  now, 
'twould  be  a  pity  to  lose  it.  If  it  can't  be  done,  however, 
it  can't,  and  there's  no  use  in  complaining.  Father  thinks 
he  can  hold  you  'till  the  water  rises  in  the  fall,  and  the 


THE  CHAINBEARER.  251 

b'ys  have  run  all  the  lumber  down  to  Albany  ;  a'ter 
which  he'll  not  be  so  particular  about  keepin'  you  any 
longer,  and  maybe  he'll  let  you  go." 

"  Hold  me  until  the  water  rises  !  Why,  that  will  not  take 
place  these  three  months !  " 

"Well,  Mr.  Littlepage,  three  months  don't  seem  to  me 
sich  a  desp'rate  long  time  when  a  body  is  among  fri'nds. 
We  should  treat  you  as  well  as  we  know  how,  that  you 
may  depend  on — I'll  answer  for  it,  you  shall  want  for 
nothin'  that  we've  got  to  give." 

"  I  dare  say,  my  excellent  girl,  but  I  should  be  extremely 
sorry  to  trouble  your  family  with  so  long  a  visit.  As  for 
the  boards,  I  have  no  power  to  waive  the  rights  of  the 
owners  of  the  land  to  that  property  ;  my  power  being 
merely  to  sell  lots  to  actual  settlers." 

"  I'm  sorry  to  hear  that,"  answered  Lowiny  in  a  gentle 
tone,  that  fully  confirmed  her  words  ;  "  for  father  and  the 
b'ys  be  really  awful  about  anything  that  touches  their 
profits  for  work  done.  They  say  their  flesh  and  blood's  in 
them  boards,  and  flesh  and  blood  shall  go,  afore  the  boards 
shall  go.  It  makes  my  blood  run  cold  to  hear  the  way  they 
do  talk  !  I'm  not  a  bit  skeary  ;  and  last  winter,  when  I 
shot  the  bear  that  was  a'ter  the  store-hogs,  mother  said  I 
acted  as  well  as  she  could  have  done  herself,  and  she  has 
killed  four  bears  and  near  upon  twenty  wolves,  in  her  time. 
Yes,  mother  said  I  behaved  like  her  own  da'ghter,  and  that 
she  set  twice  the  store  by  me  that  she  did  before." 

"You  are  a  brave  girl,  Lo\viny,  and  an  excellent  one  in 
the  main,  I  make  no  question.  Whatever  become  of  me, 
I  shall  not  forget  your  kindness  as  long  as  I  live.  It  will 
be  a  very  serious  matter,  however,  to  your  friends,  to  attempt 
keeping  me  here  three  or  four  months,  as  mine  will  cer- 
tainly have  a  search  for  me,  when  this  clearing  would  be 
found.  I  need  not  tell  you  what  would  be  the  conse- 
quence." 

"  What  can — what  will  father  and  the  b'ys  do  ?  I  can't 
bear  to  think  on't — oh  !  they'll  not  have  the  hearts  to  try 
to  put  you  out  of  the  way  ! " 

"  I  should  hope  not,  for  their  own  sakes,  and  for  the 
credit  of  the  American  name.  We  are  not  a  nation  ad- 
dicted to  such  practices,  and  I  should  really  regret  to  learn 
that  we  have  made  so  long  a  step  towrard  the  crimes  of 
older  countries.  But  there  is  little  danger  of  anything  of 
the  sort,  after  all,  my  good  Lowiny." 

"  I  hope  so,  too,"  the  girl  answered,  in  a  low,  tremulous 


252  THE  CHAINBEARER. 

voice  ;  "  though  Tobit  is  a  starn  bein'  sometimes  He 
makes  father  worse  than  he  would  be,  if  let  alone,  I  know. 
But  I  must  go,  now.  It's  near  daylight,  and  I  hear  'em 
stirring  in  Tobit's  house.  It  would  cost  me  dear  did  any 
on  'em  know  I  had  been  out  of  my  bed,  talking  to  you." 

As  this  was  said,  the  girl  vanished.  Before  I  could  find 
an  aperture  to  watch  her  movements,  she  had  disappeared. 
Susquesus  arose  a  few  minutes  later,  but  he  never  made 
any  allusion  to  the  secret  visit  of  the  girl.  In  this  respect, 
he  observed  the  most  scrupulous  delicacy,  never  letting 
me  know  by  hint,  look,  or  smile,  that  he  had  been  in  the 
least  conscious  of  her  presence. 

Day  came  as  usual,  but  it  did  not  find  these  squatters  in 
their  beds.  They  appeared  with  the  dawn,  and  most  of 
them  were  at  work  ere  the  broad  light  of  the  sun  was  shed 
on  the  forest.  Most  of  the  men  went  down  into  the  river, 
and  busied  themselves,  as  we  supposed,  for  we  could  not 
see  them,  in  the  water,  with  the  apples  of  their  eyes,  their 
boards.  Old  Thousandacres,  however,  chose  to  remain 
near  his  habitation,  keeping  two  or  three  well-grown  lads 
about  him  ;  probably  adverting  in  his  mind  to  the  vast  im- 
portance it  was  to  all  of  his  race,  to  make  sure  of  his  pris- 
oners. I  could  see  by  the  thoughtful  manner  of  the  old 
squatter,  as  he  lounged  around  his  mill,  among  his  swine, 
and  walked  through  his  potatoes,  that  his  mind  wavered 
greatly  as  to  the  course  he  ought  to  pursue,  and  that  he 
was  sorely  troubled.  How  long  this  perplexity  of  feeling 
would  have  continued,  and  to  what  it  might  have  led,  it  is 
hard  to  say,  had  it  not  been  cut  short  by  an  incident  of  a 
very  unexpected  nature,  and  one  that  called  for  more  im- 
mediate decision  and  action.  I  shall  relate  the  occurrence 
a  little  in  detail. 

The  day  was  considerably  advanced,  and,  Thousandacres 
and  the  girl  who  then  watched  the  storehouse  excepted, 
everybody  was  occupied.  Even  Susquesus  had  picked  up 
a  piece  of  birch,  and  with  a  melancholy  countenance,  that 
I  fancied  was  shadowing  forth  the  future  life  of  a  half-civ- 
ilized red  man,  was  attempting  to  make  a  broom  with  a 
part  of  a  knife  that  he  had  found  in  the  building  ;  while  I 
was  sketching,  on  a  leaf  of  my  pocket-book,  the  mill  and  a 
bit  of  mountain  land  that  served  it  for  a  background. 
Thousandacres,  for  the  first  time  that  morning,  drew  near 
our  prison,  and  spoke  to  me.  His  countenance  was  severe, 
yet  I  could  see  he  was  much  troubled.  As  I  afterward  as- 
certained, Tobit  had  been  urging  on  him  the  necessity  of 


THE  CHAINS  BARER.  253 

putting  both  myself  and  the  Indian  to  death,  as  the  only 
probable  means  that  offered  to  save  the  lumber. 

"Young  man,"  said  Thousandacres,  "you  have  stolen 
on  me  and  mine  like  a  thief  at  night,  and  you  ought  to 
expect  the  fate  of  one.  How  in  natur'  can  you  expect  men 
will  give  up  their  hard  'arnin's  without  a  struggle  and  a 
fight  for  'em  ?  You  tempt  me  more  than  I  can  bear  !" 

I  felt  the  fearful  import  of  these  words  ;  but  human 
nature  revolted  at  the  thought  of  being  cowed  into  any 
submission,  or  terms  unworthy  of  my  character,  or  late 
profession.  I  was  on  the  point  of  making  an  answer  in 
entire  consonance  with  this  feeling,  when,  in  looking 
through  the  chinks  of  my  prison  to  fasten  an  eye  on  my 
old  tyrant,  I  saw  Chainbearer  advancing  directly  toward 
the  storehouse,  and  already  within  a  hundred  yards  of  us. 
The  manner  in  which  I  gazed  at  this  apparition  attracted 
the  attention  of  the  squatter,  who  turned  and  first  saw  the 
unexpected  visitor  who  approached.  At  the  next  minute, 
Andries  was  at  his  side. 

"  So,  T'ousandacres,  I  fint  you  here  !  "  exclaimed  Chain- 
bearer.  "  It's  a  goot  many  years  since  you  and  I  met,  and 
I'm  sorry  we  meet  now  on  such  pisiness  as  t'is !  " 

"  The  meetin's  of  your  own  seekin',  Chainbearer.  I've 
neither  invited  nor  wished  for  your  company." 

"  I  p'lieve  you  wit'  all  my  heart.  No,  no  ;  you  wish  for 
no  chains  and  no  chainpearers,  no  surfeyors  and  no  com- 
passes, no  lots  and  no  owners,  too,  put  a  squatter.  You 
and  I  haf  not  to  make  an  acquaintance  for  t'e  first  time, 
T'ousandacres,  after  knowin'  each  other  for  fifty  years." 

"Yes,  we  do  know  each  other  for  fifty  years  ;  and  seein' 
that  them  years  hav'nt  sarved  to  bring  us  of  a  mind  on  any 
one  thing,  \ve  should  have  done  better  to  keep  apart,  than 
to  come  together  now." 

"  I  haf  come  for  my  poy,  squatter — my  nople  poy,  whom 
you  haf  illegally  arrested,  and  mate  a  prisoner,  in  the  teet' 
of  all  law  and  justice.  Gif  me  pack  Mortaunt  Littlepage, 
and  you'll  soon  be  rit  of  my  company  !  " 

"  And  how  do  you  know  that  I've  ever  seen  your  '  Mor- 
taunt Littlepage  ? '  What  have  I  to  do  with  your  boy,  that 
you  seek  him  of  me  ?  Go  your  ways,  go  your  ways,  old 
Chainbearer,  and  let  me  and  mine  alone.  The  world's  wide 
enough  for  us  both,  I  tell  you  ;  and  why  should  you  be  set 
on  your  own  ondoin',  by  runnin'  ag'in  a  breed  like  that 
which  comes  of  Aaron  and  Prudence  Timberman  ?  " 

"I  care  not  for  you  or  your  preet,"  answered  old  An- 


254  THE  CHA1NBEARER. 

dries  sternly.  "You've  dare't  to  arrest  my  frient,  against 
law  and  right,  and  I  come  to  demant  his  liperty,  or  to  warn 
you  of  t'e  consequences." 

"Don't  press  me  too  far,  Chainbearer,  don't  press  me 
too  far.  There's  desp'rate  crittur's  in  this  cleariri',  and 
them  that  is'nt  to  be  driven  from  their  righteous  'arnin's 
by  any  that  carry  chains  or  p'int  compasses.  Go  your 
way,  I  tell  ye,  and  leave  us  to  gather  the  harvest  that  comes 
of  the  seed  of  our  own  sowin'  and  plantin'." 

"Ye'll  gat'er  it,  ye'll  gat'er  it  all,  T'ousantacres — you 
and  yours.  Ye've  sown  t'e  win't,  and  ye'll  reap  t'e  whirl- 
wints,  as  my  niece  Dus  Malpone  has  reat  to  me  often,  of 
late.  Ye'll  gat'er  in  all  your  harvest,  tares  ant  all,  ye  will  ; 
and  t'at  sooner  t'an  ye  t'ink  for." 

"  I  wish  I'd  never  seen  the  face  of  the  man  !  Go  away, 
I  tell  you,  Chainbearer,  and  leave  me  to  my  hard  'arnin's." 

"  Earnin's  !  Do  you  call  it  earnin's  to  chop  and  pillage 
on  anot'er's  lants,  and  to  cut  his  trees  into  logs,  and  to  saw 
his  logs  into  poarts,  and  to  sell  his  poarts  to  speculators, 
and  gif  no  account  of  your  profits  to  t'e  rightful  owner  of 
it  all  ?  Call  you  such  t'ievin'  righteous  earnin's  ? " 

"  Thief  back  ag'in,  old  measurer  !  Do  not  the  sweat  of 
the  brow,  long  and  hard  days  of  toil,  achin'  bones,  and 
hungry  bellies,  give  a  man  a  claim  to  the  fruit  of  his  la- 
bors ? " 

u  T'at  always  hast  peen  yourfailin',  T'ousantacres  ;  t'at's 
t'e  very  p'int  on  which  you've  proken  town,  man.  You 
pegin  wit'  your  morals,  at  t'e  startin'  place  t'at's  most  con- 
venient to  yourself  and  your  plunterin'  crew,  insteat  of 
goin'  pack  to  t'e  laws  of  your  Lort  and  Master.  Reat 
what  t'e  Almighty  Got  of  Heaven  ant  'art'  sait  unto 
Moses,  ant  you'll  fint  t'at  you've  not  turnet  over  leafs 
enough  of  your  piple.  You  may  chop  ant  you  may  hew, 
you  may  haul  ant  you  may  saw,  from  t'is  day  to  t'e  ent  of 
time,  and  you'll  nefer  pe  any  nearer  to  t'e  right  t'an  you 
are  at  t'is  moment.  T'e  man  t'at  starts  on  his  journey  wit' 
his  face  in  t'e  wrong  direction,  olt  T'ousantacres,  wilt  nefer 
reach  its  ent  ;  t'ough  he  trafel  'till  t'e  sweat  rolls  from  his 
poty  like  water.  You  pegin  wrong,  olt  man,  and  you  must 
ent  wrong." 

I  saw  the  cloud  gathering  in  the  countenance  of  the 
squatter,  and  anticipated  the  outbreaking  of  the  tempest 
that  followed.  Two  fiery  tempers  had  met,  and,  divided  as 
they  were  in  opinions  and  practice,  by  the  vast  chasm  that 
separates  principles  from  expediency,  right  from  wrong, 


THE  CHAINBEARER.  255 

honesty  from  dishonesty,  and  a  generous  sacrifice  of  self  to 
support  the  integrity  of  a  noble  spirit,  from  a  homage  to 
self  that  confounded  and  overshadowed  all  sense  of  right, 
it  was  not  possible  that  they  should  separate  without  a 
collision.  Unable  to  answer  Chainbearer's  reasoning,  the 
squatter  resorted  to  the  argument  of  force.  He  seized  my 
old  friend  by  the  throat  and  made  a  violent  effort  to  hurl 
him  to  the  earth.  I  must  do  this  man  of  violence  and  evil 
the  justice  to  say,  that  I  do  not  think  it  was  his  wish  at  that 
moment  to  have  any  assistance  ;  but  the  instant  the  struggle 
commenced  the  conch  blew,  and  it  was  easy  to  predict 
that  many  minutes  would  not  elapse  before  the  sons  of 
Thousandacres  would  be  pouring  in  to  the  rescue.  I  would 
have  given  a  world  to  be  able  to  throw  down  the  walls  of 
my  prison,  and  rush  to  the  aid  of  my  sterling  old  friend. 
As  for  Susquesus,  he  must  have  felt  a  lively  interest  in 
what  was  going  on,  but  he  remained  as  immovable,  and 
seemingly  as  unmoved  as  a  rock. 

Andries  Coejemans,  old  as  he  was,  and  it  will  be  remem- 
bered he  too  had  seen  his  threescore  years  and  ten,  was  not 
a  man  to  be  taken  by  the  throat  with  impunity.  Thousand- 
acres  met  with  a  similar  assault  and  a  struggle  followed 
that  was  surprisingly  fierce  and  well  contested,  consider- 
ing that  both  the  combatants  had  completed  the  ordinary 
limits  of  the  time  of  man.  The  squatter  gained  a  slight 
advantage  in  the  suddenness  and  vigor  of  his  assault,  but 
Chainbearer  was  still  a  man  of  formidable  physical  power. 
In  his  prime  few  had  been  his  equals  ;  and  Thousandacres 
soon  had  reason  to  know  that  he  had  met  more  than  his 
match.  For  a  single  instant  Chainbearer  gave  ground ; 
then  he  rallied,  made  a  desperate  effort,  and  his  adversary 
was  hurled  to  the  earth  with  a  violence  that  rendered  him 
for  a  short  time  insensible  ;  old  Andries  himself  continu- 
ing erect  as  one  of  the  neighboring  pines,  red  in  the  face, 
frowning,  and  more  severe  in  aspect  than  I  remembered 
ever  to  have  seen  him  before,  even  in  battle. 

Instead  of  pushing  his  advantage,  Chainbearer  did  not 
stir  a  foot  after  he  had  thrown  off  his  assailant.  There  he 
remained,  lofty  in  bearing,  proud  and  stern.  He  had 
reason  to  believe  no  one  was  a  witness  of  his  prowess,  but 
I  could  see  that  the  old  man  had  a  soldier's  feelings  at  hits 
victory.  At  this  instant  I  first  let  him  know  my  close 
proximity  by  speaking. 

"  Fly — for  your  life  take  to  the  woods,  Chainbearer,"  I 
called  to  him,  through  the  clinks.  "  That  conch  will  bring 


256  THE  CJJAIXBEARER. 

all  the  tribe  of  the  squatters  upon  you  in  two  or  three 
minutes  ;  the  young  men  are  close  at  hand,  in  the  stream 
below  the  mill,  at  work  on  the  logs,  and  have  only  the 
banks  to  climb." 

"  Got  be  praiset !  Mortaunt,  my  tear  poy,  you  are  not 
injuret,  t'en  !  I  will  open  t'e  toor  of  your  prison,  and  we 
will  retreat  toget'er." 

My  remonstrances  were  vain.  Andries  came  round  to 
the  door  of  the  storehouse,  and  made  an  effort  to  force  it 
open.  That  was  not  easy,  however ;  for,  opening  outward, 
it  was  barred  with  iron,  and  secured  by  a  stout  lock.  Chain- 
bearer  would  not  listen  to  my  remonstrances,  but  he 
looked  around  him  for  some  instrument  by  means  of  which 
he  could  either  break  the  lock  or  draw  the  staple.  As  the 
mill  was  at  no  great  distance,  away  he  went  in  that  direc- 
tion, in  quest  of  what  he  wanted,  leaving  me  in  despair  at 
his  persevering  friendship.  Remonstrance  was  useless, 
however,  and  I  was  compelled  to  await  the  result  in  silence. 

Chainbearer  was  still  a  very  active  man.  Nature,  early 
training,  sobriety  of  life  in  the  main,  and  a  good  consti- 
tution, had  done  this  much  for  him.  It  was  but  a  moment 
before  I  saw  him  in  the  mill,  looking  for  the  crowbar. 
This  he  soon  found,  and  he  was  on  his  way  to  the  store- 
house, in  order  to  apply  this  powerful  lever,  when  Tobit 
came  in  sight,  followed  by  all  the  brethren,  rushing  up  the 
bank  like  a  pack  of  hounds  in  close  pursuit.  I  shouted  to 
my  friend  again  to  fly,  but  he  came  on  steadily  toward  my 
prison,  bent  on  the  single  object  of  setting  me  free.  All 
this  time,  Thousandacres  was  senseless,  his  head  having 
fallen  against  a  corner  of  the  building.  Chainbearer  was 
so  intent  on  his  purpose  that,  though  he  must  have  seen 
the  crowd  of  young  men,  no  less  than  six  in  number,  in- 
cluding well-grown  lads,  that  was  swiftly  advancing  toward 
him,  he  did  not  bestow  the  least  attention  on  them.  He 
was  actually  busied  with  endeavoring  to  force  the  bar  in 
between  the  hasp  and  the  post,  when  his  arms  were  seized 
behind,  and  he  was  made  a  prisoner. 

Chainbearer  was  no  sooner  apprised  of  the  uselessness 
of  resistance,  than  he  ceased  to  make  any.  As  I  afterward 
learned  from  himself,  he  had  determined  to  become  a  cap- 
tive with  me,  if  he  could  not  succeed  in  setting  me  free. 
Tobit  was  the  first  to  lay  hands  on  the  Chainbearer ;  and 
so  rapidly  were  things  conducted,  for  this  man  had  the 
key,  that  the  door  was  unbarred,  opened,  and  old  Andries 
was  thrust  into  the  cage,  almost  in  the  twinkling  of  an  eye. 


THE  CHAINBEARER.  257 

The  rapidity  of  the  movement  was  doubtless  aided  by  the 
acquiescent  feeling  that  happened  to  be  uppermost  in  the 
mind  of  Chainbearer,  at  that  precise  moment. 

No  sooner  was  this  m  w  prisoner  secured,  than  the  sons 
of  Thousandacres  raised  their  father's  body,  and  bore  it  to 
his  own  residence,  which  was  but  a  few  yards  distant.  OJd 
and  young,  both  sex  ;s  and  all  ages,  collected  in  that  build- 
ing ;  and  there  was  an  hour  during  which  we  appeared  to 
be  forgotten.  The  sentinel,  who  was  a  son  of  Tobit's,  de- 
serted his  post ;  and  even  Lowiny,  who  had  been  hovering 
in  sight  of  the  storehouse  the  whole  morning,  seemed  to 
have  lost  her  interest  in  us.  I  was  too  much  engaged  with 
my  old  friend,  and  had  too  many  questions  to  ask  and  to 
answer,  however,  to  care  much  for  this  desertion  ;  which, 
moreover,  was  natural  enough  for  the  circumstances. 

"  I  rejoice  you  are  not  in  the  hands  of  that  pack  of 
wolves,  my  good  friend  !  "  I  exclaimed,  after  the  first  salu- 
tations had  passed  between  Andries  and  myself,  and 
squeezing  his  hand  again  and  again.  "  They  are  very  ca- 
pable of  any  act  of  violence  ;  and  I  feared  the  sight  of  their 
father,  lying  there  insensible,  might  have  inflamed  them 
to  some  deed  of  immediate  violence.  There  will  now  be 
time  for  reflection,  and  fortunately,  I  am  a  witness  of  all 
that  passed." 

"  No  fear  for  olt  Thousandacres,"  said  Chainbearer, 
heartily.  "  He  is  tough,  and  he  is  only  a  little  stunnet, 
pecause  he  t'ought  himself  a  petter  man  t'an  he  ist.  Half 
an  hour  will  pring  him  rount,  and  make  him  as  good  a 
man  ast  he  ever  wast.  But  Mortaunt,  lat,  how  came  you 
here,  and  why  wast  you  wantering  apout  t'e  woods  at 
night,  wit'  Trackless,  here,  who  ist  a  sensiple  ret-skin,  and 
ought  to  haf  set  you  a  petter  example  ?  " 

"  I  was  hot  and  feverish,  and  could  not  sleep  ;  and  so  I 
took  a  stroll  in  the  forest,  and  got  lost.  Luckily,  Susque- 
sus  had  an  eye  on  me,  and  kept  himself  at  hand  the  whole 
time.  I  was  obliged  to  catch  a  nap  in  the  top  of  a  fallen 
tree,  and  when  I  woke  in  the  morning,  the  Onondago  led 
me  here  in  quest  of  something  to  eat,  for  I  was  hungry  as 
a  famished  wolf." 

"  Tid  Susquesus,  t'en,  know  of  squatters  having  mate 
t'eir  pitch  on  t'is  property  ? "  asked  Andries,  in  some  sur- 
prise, and  as  I  thought,  a  little  sternly. 

"  Not  he.  He  heard  the  saw  of  the  mill  in  the  stillness 
of  night,  and  we  followed  the  direction  of  that  sound,  and 
came  unexpectedly  out  on  this  settlement.  As  soon  as 
17 


258  THE  CHAINBEARER. 

Thousandacres  ascertained  who  I  was,  he  shut  me  up  here  ; 
and  as  for  Susquesus,  Jaap  has  doubtless  told  you  the 
story  he  was  commissioned  to  relate." 

"  All  fery  true,  lat,  all  fery  true  ;  t'ough  I  don't  half  un- 
derstant,  yet,  why  you  shoul't  haf  left  us  in  t'e  manner 
you  tit,  and  t'at,  too,  after  hafin'  a  long  talk  wit  'Dus.  T'e 
gal  is  heart-heafy,  Mortaunt,  as  'tis  plain  to  pe  seen  ;  put 
I  can't  get  a  syllaple  from  her  t'at  hast  t'e  look  of  a  ra- 
tional explanation.  I  shall  haf  to  ask  you  to  tell  t'e  story, 
lat.  I  was  tryin'  to. get  t'e  trut'  out  of  Dus,  half  of  t'e  way 
comin'  here  ;  put  a  gal  is  as  close  as — 

"  Dus  !  "  I  interrupted — "  Half  the  way  coming  here  ? 
You  do  not,  cannot  mean  that  Dus  is  with  you." 

"  Hist,  hist — pe  careful.  You  speak  too  lout.  I  coult 
wish  not  to  let  t'ese  scountrels  of  squatters  know  t'at  t'e 
gal  is  so  exposet,  put  here  she  ist  ;  or,  what  is  much  t'e 
same,  she  is  in  t'e  woots  out  yonter,  a  looker-on,  and  I  fear 
must  pe  in  consarn  at  seein'  t'at  I,  too,  am  a  prisoner." 

"  Chainbearer,  how  could  you  thus  expose  your  niece — 
thus  bring  her  into  the  very  grasp  of  lawless  ruffians  ?  " 

"  No,  Mortaunt,  no — t'ere  is  no  fear  of  her  peing  insultet, 
or  anyt'ing  of  t'at  sort.  One  can  reat  of  such  t'ings  in 
pooks,  put  woman  is  respectet  and  not  insultet  in  America. 
Not  one  of  T'ousantacres'  rascals  woult  wount  t'e  ear  of 
t'e  gal  wit'  an  improper  wort,  hat  he  a  chance,  which  not 
one  of  'em  hast,  seein'  nopody  knows  t'e  gal  is  wit'  me, 
put  ourselves.  Come  she  woult,  and  t'ere  wast  no  use  in 
saying  her  nay.  Dus  is  a  goot  creature,  Mortaunt,  and  a 
tutiful  gal  ;  put  it's  as  easy  to  turn  a  rifer  up  stream,  as  to 
try  to  holt  her  pack  when  she  loves." 

"Is  that  her  character?"  I  thought.  "Then  is  there 
little  chance,  indeed,  of  her  ever  becoming  mine,  since  her 
affections  must  have  gone  with  her  troth."  Nevertheless, 
my  interest  in  the  noble-hearted  girl  was  just  as  strong  as 
if  I  held  her  faith,  and  she  was  to  become  mine  in  a  few 
weeks.  The  idea  that  she  was  at  that  moment  waiting  the 
return  of  her  uncle,  in  the  woods,  was  agony  to  me  ;  but 
I  had  sufficient  self-command  to  question  the  Chainbearer, 
until  I  got  out  of  htm  all  of  the  following  facts  : 

Jaap  had  carried  the  message  of  Susquesus,  with  great 
fidelity,  to  those  to  whom  the  Indian  had  sent  it.  On  hear- 
ing the  news,  and  the  manner  of  my  arrest,  Andries  called 
a  council,  consisting  of  himself,  Dus  and  Frank  Malbone. 
This  occurred  in  the  afternoon  of  the  previous  day  ;  and 
that  same  night,  Malbone  proceeded  to  Ravensnest,  with  a 


THE  C1IAINBEARER.  259 

view  of  obtaining  warrants  for  the  arrest  of  Thousandacres 
and  his  gang,  as  well  as  of  procuring  assistance  to  bring 
them  all  in,  in  expectation  of  having  the  whole  party 
transferred  to  the  gaol  at  Sandy  Hill.  As  the  warrant 
could  be  granted  only  by  Mr.  Newcome,  I  could  easily  see 
that  the  messenger  would  be  detained  a  considerable  time, 
since  the  magistrate  would  require  a  large  portion  of  the 
present  day  to  enable  him  to  reach  his  house.  This  fact, 
however,  I  thought  it  well  enough  to  conceal  from  my 
friend  at  the  moment. 

Early  that  morning,  Chainbearer,  Dus  and  Jaap  had  left 
the  huts,  taking  the  nearest  route  to  the  supposed  position . 
of  the  clearing  of  Thousandacres,  as  it  had  been  described 
by  the  Indian.  Aided  by  a  compass,  as  well  as  by  their 
long  familiarity  with  the  woods,  this  party  had  little  diffi- 
culty in  reaching  the  spot  where  the  Onondago  and  the 
negro  had  met ;  after  which,  the  remainder  of  the  journey 
was  through  a  terra  incognita,  as  respects  the  adventurers. 
With  some  search,  however,  a  glimpse  was  got  of  the  light 
of  the  clearing,  much  as  one  finds  an  island  in  the  ocean, 
when  the  skirts  of  the  wood  were  approached.  A  favor- 
able spot,  one  that  possessed  a  good  cover,  was  selected, 
whence  Chainbearer  reconnoitred  for  near  an  hotnr  before 
he  left  it.  After  a  time  he  determined  on  the  course  he 
adopted  and  carried  out,  leaving  his  niece  to  watch  his 
movements,  with  instructions  to  rejoin  her  brother,  should 
he  himself  be  detained  by  the  squatter.  I  was  a  little  re- 
lieved by  the  knowledge  of  the  presence  of  Jaap,  for  I 
knew  the  fidelity  of  the  fellow  too  well  to  suppose  he 
would  ever  desert  Dus  ;  but  my  prison  became  twice  as 
irksome  to  me  after  I  had  heard  this  account  of  the  Chain- 
bearer's,  as  it  had  been  before. 


7  'HE  C1L  /  l.VBEA  RER. 


CHAPTER    XXI. 

"  Was  she  not  all  my  fondest  wish  could  frame  ? 
Did  ever  mind  so  much  of  heaven  partake  ? 
Did  she  not  love  me  with  the  purest  flame  ? 
And  give  up  friends  and  fortune  for  my  sake  ? 
Though  mild  as  evening  skies, 
With  downcast,  streaming  eyes, 
Stood  the  stern  frown  of  supercilious  brows, 
Deaf  to  their  brutal  threats,  and  faithful  to  her  vows." 

—SHAW. 

Dus  was  then  near  me — in  sight  of  the  storehouse,  yer- 
haps  !  But  affection  for  her  uncle,  and  no  interest  in  me, 
had  brought  her  there.  I  could  respect  her  attachment 
to  her  old  guardian,  however,  and  admire  the  decision  and 
spirit  she  had  manifested  in  his  behalf,  at  the  very  mo- 
ment the  consciousness  that  I  had  no  influence  on  her 
movements  was  the  most  profound. 

"T'e  gal  woult  come,  Mortaunt,"  the  Chainbearer  con- 
tinued, after  having  gone  through  his  narrative;  "ant,  if 
you  know  Dus,  you  know  when  she  loves  she  wilt  not  be 
deniet.  Got  pless  me  !  what  a  wife  she  woult  make  for  a 
man  who  wast  desarfin'  of  her  !  Oh  !  here's  a  pit  of  a 
note  t'e  dear  creature  has  written  to  one  of  T'ousandacres' 
poys,  who  hast  peen  out  among  us  often,  t'ough  I  never  so 
much  as  dreamet  t'at  t'e  squatting  olt  rascal  of  a  fat'erwas 
on  our  lant,  here.  Well,  Zepaniah,  as  t'e  lat  is  callet,  hast 
passet  much  time  at  t'e  Nest,  working  apout  in  t'e  fielts, 
and  sometimes  for  us  ;  and,  to  own  the  trut'  to  you,  Mor- 
taunt, I  do  pelieve  t'e  young  chap  hast  a  hankerin'  a'ter 
Dus,  and  woult  pe  glat  enough  to  get  t'e  gal  for  a  wife." 

"  He  !  Zephaniah  Thousandacres — or  whatever  his  infer- 
nal name  may  be — he  a  hankering  or  an  attachment  for 
Ursula  Malbone — he  think  of  her  for  a  wife — he  presume 
to  love  such  a  perfect  being  ! '' 

"  Hoity,  toity,"  cried  old  Andries,  looking  round  at  me 
in  surprise,  "  why  shouldn't  t'e  poy  haf  his  feelin's  ast  well 
ast  anot'er,  if  he  pe  a  squatter  ?  Squatters  haf  feelin's, 
t'ough  t'ey  hafn't  much  honesty  to  poast  of.  Ant,  ast  for 
honesty,  you  see,  Mortaunt,  it  is  tifferent  petween  T'ou- 
santacres  and  his  poys.  T'e  lats  haf  peen  prought  up  to 
fancy  t'ere  ist  no  great  harm  in  lif'ing  on  anot'er  man's 
lants,  whereast  t'is  olt  rascal,  t'eir  fat'er,  wast  prought  up, 


THE  CHAINBEARER.  261 

or  finks  he  wast  prought  up  in  t'e  very  sanctum  sanctorum 
of  gotliness  among  t'e  Puritans,  and  t'at  t'e  'art'  hast  not 
t'eir  equals  in  religion,  I'll  warrant  you.  Ask  olt  Aaron 
apout  his  soul,  and  he'll  tell  you  t'at  it's  a  petter  soul  t'an 
a  Dutch  soul,  and  t'at  it  won't  purn  at  all,  it's  so  free  from 
eart'.  Yes,  yes — t'at  ist  t'e  itee  wit'  'em  all  in  his  part  of  t'e 
worlt.  T'eir  gotliness  ist  so  pure  even  sin  wilt  do  it  no 
great  harm." 

I  knew  the  provincial  prejudices  of  Chainbearer  too  well 
to  permit  myself  to  fall  into  a  discussion  on  theology  with 
him,  just  at  that  moment  ;  though  I  must  do  the  old  rnan 
the  justice  to  allow  that  his  opinion  of  the  self-righteous- 
ness of  the  children  of  the  Puritans  was  not  absolutely 
without  some  apology.  I  never  had  any  means  of  ascer- 
taining the  fact,  but  it  would  have  occasioned  me  no  sur- 
prise had  I  discovered  that  Thousandacres,  and  all  his 
brood,  looked  down  on  us  New  Yorkers  as  an  especially 
fallen  and  sinful  race,  which  was  on  the  high  road  to  per- 
dition, though  encouraged  and  invited  to  enter  on  a  differ- 
ent road  by  the  spectacle  of  a  chosen  people  so  near  them, 
following  the  straight  and  narrow  path  that  leads  to  heav- 
en. This  mingling  of  God  and  Mammon  is  by  no  means 
an  uncommon  thing  among  us,  though  the  squatters  would 
probably  have  admitted  themselves  that  they  had  fallen  a 
little  away,  and  were  by  no  means  as  good  as  their  fore- 
fathers had  once  been.  There  is  nothing  that  sticks  so 
close  to  an  individual,  or  to  a  community,  as  the  sense  of 
its  own  worth.  As  "coming  events  cast  their  shadows  be- 
fore," this  sentiment  leaves  its  shadows  behind,  long  after 
the  substance  which  may  have  produced  them  has  moved 
onward,  or  been  resolved  into  the  gases.  But  I  must  re- 
turn to  Zephaniah  and  the  note. 

"  And  you  tell  me,  Chainbearer,  that  Ursula  has  actually 
written  a  note,  a  letter,  to  this  young  man  ? "  I  asked,  as 
soon  as  I  could  muster  resolution  enough  to  put  so  revolt- 
ing a  question  ? 

"  Sartain  ;  here  it  ist,  ant  a  very  pretty  lookin'  letter  it 
is,  Mortaunt.  Dus  does  everyt'ing  so  hantily,  ant  so  like 
a  nice  young  woman,  t'at  it  ist  a  pleasure  to  carry  one  of 
her  letters.  Ay — t'ere  t'e  lat  ist  now,  and  I'll  just  call  him, 
and  gif  him  his  own." 

Chainbearer  was  as  good  as  his  word,  and  Zephaniah 
soon  stood  at  the  door  of  the  storehouse. 

"Well,  you  wilt  own,  Zeph,"  continued  the  old  man, 
"  we  didn't  cage  you  like  a  wilt  peast,  or  a  rogue  t'at  hast 


262  THE  CUAINBEARER. 

been  mettlin'  wit'  what  tidn't  pelong  to  him,  when  you 
wast  out  among  us.  T'ere  is  t'at  difference  in  t'e  treat- 
ment— put  no  matter !  Here  ist  a  letter  for  you,  and 
much  goot  may  it  do  you  !  It  comes  from  one  who  vilt 
gif  goot  atvice  ;  and  you'll  be  none  the  worse  if  you  fol- 
low it.  I  don't  know  a  wort  t'at's  in  it,  put  you'll  fint  it 
a  goot  letter,  I'll  answer  for  it.  Dus  writes  peautiful  let- 
ters, and  in  a  hand  almost  as  plain  and  hantsome  as  his 
excellency's,  t'ough  not  quite  so  large.  Put  her  own  hant 
is'nt  as  large  as  his  excellency's,  t'ough  his  excellency's  , 
hant  was'nt  particularly  pig  neit'er." 

I  could  scarcely  believe  my  senses  !  Here  was  Ursula 
Malbone  confessedly  writing  a  letter  to  a  son  of  Thousand- 
acres,  the  squatter,  and  that  son  admitted  to  be  her  ad- 
mirer !  Devoured  by  jealousy,  and  a  thousand  feelings  to 
which  I  had  hitherto  been  a  stranger,  I  gazed  at  the  fort- 
unate being  who  was  so  strangely  honored  by  this  com- 
munication from  Dus,  with  the  bitterest  envy.  Although, 
to  own  the  truth,  the  young  squatter  was  a  well-grown, 
good-looking  fellow,  to  me  he  seemed  to  be  the  very  per- 
sonification of  coarseness  and  vulgarity.  It  will  readily 
be  supposed  that  Zephaniah  was  not  entirely  free  from 
some  very  just  imputations  of  the  latter  character  ;  but  on 
the  whole,  most  girls  of  his  own  class  in  life  would  be  quite 
content  with  him  in  these  respects.  But  Ursula  Malbone 
was  not  at  all  of  his  own  class  in  life.  However  reduced 
in  fortune,  she  was  a  lady,  b^  education  as  well  as  by 
birth  ;  and  what  feelings  could  there  possibly  be  in  com- 
mon between  her  and  her  strange  admirer  ?  I  had  heard 
it  said  that  women  were  as  often  taken  by  externals  as 
men  ;  but  in  this  instance  the  externals  were  coarse,  and 
nothing  extraordinary.  Some  females,  too,  could  not  ex- 
ist without  admiration  ;  and  I  had  known  Dus  but  a  few 
weeks,  after  all,  and  it  was  possible  I  had  not  pene- 
trated the  secret  of  her  true  character.  Then  her  original 
education  had  been  in  the  forest ;  and  we  often  return  to 
our  first  loves,  in  these  particulars,  with  a  zest  and  devo- 
tion for  which  there  is  no  accounting.  It  was  possible 
this  strange  girl  might  have  portrayed  to  her  imagination, 
in  the  vista  of  the  future,  more  of  happiness  and  wild  en- 
joyment among  the  woods  and  ravines  of  stolen  clearings, 
than  by  dwelling  amid  the  haunts  of  men.  In  short,  there 
was  scarce  a  conceit  that  did  not  crowd  on  my  brain,  in 
that  moment  of  intense  jealousy  and  profound  unhappv 
ness.  I  was  as  miserable  as  a  dog. 


THE  CHAINBEARER.  263 

As  for  Zephaniah,  the  favored  youth  of  Ursula  Malbone, 
he  received  his  letter,  as  I  fancied,  with  an  awkward  sur- 
~prise,  and  lounged  round  the  corner  of  the  building,  to 
have  the  pleasure,  as  it  might  be,  of  reading  it  to  himself. 
This  brought  him  nearer  to  my  position  ;  for  I  had  with- 
drawn, in  a  disgust  I  could  not  conquer,  from  being  near 
the  scene  that  had  just  been  enacted. 

Opening  a  letter,  though  it  had  been  folded  by  the  deli- 
cate hands  of  Ursula  Malbone,  and  reading  it,  were  two 
very  different  operations,  as  Zephaniah  now  discovered. 
The  education  of  the  young  man  was  very  limited,  and 
after  an  effort  or  two,  he  found  it  impossible  to  get  on. 
With  the  letter  open  in  his  hand,  he  found  it  as  much  a 
sealed  book  to  hifn  as  ever.  Zephaniah  could  read  writing, 
by  dint  of  a  considerable  deal  of  spelling  ;  but  it  must  not 
be  a  good  hand.  As  some  persons  cannot  comprehend 
pure  English,  so  he  found  far  more  difficulty  in  spelling 
out  the  pretty,  even  characters  before  him,  than  would  have 
been  the  case  had  he  been  set  at  work  on  the  pot-hooks 
and  trammels  of  one  of  his  own  sisters.  Glancing  his  eyes 
around  in  quest  of  aid,  they  happened  to  fall  on  mine, 
which  were  watching  his  movements  with  the  vigilance 
of  a  feline  animal,  through  the  chinks  of  the  logs,  and  at 
the  distance  of  only  three  feet  from  his  own  face.  As  for 
the  Indian,  he,  seemingly,  took  no  more  note  of  what  was 
passing,  than  lovers  take  of  time  in  a  stolen  interview  ; 
though  I  had  subsequently  reason  to  believe  that  nothing 
had  escaped  his  observation.  Andries  was  in  a  distant 
part  of  the  prison,  reconnoitring  the  clearing  and  mills 
with  an  interest  that  absorbed  all  his  attention  for  the  mo- 
ment. Of  these  facts  Zephaniah  assured  himself  by  taking 
a  look  through  the  openings  of  the  logs  ;  then,  sidling 
along  nearer  to  me,  he  said  in  a  low  voice — 

"  I  don't  know  how  it  is,  but  to  tell  you  the  truth,  Major 
Littlepage,  York  larnin'  and  Varmount  larnin'  be  so  differ- 
ent, that  I  don't  find  it  quite  as  easy  to  read  this  letter  as 
I  could  wish." 

On  this  hint  I  seized  the  epistle,  and  began  to  read  it  in 
a  low  tone  ;  for  Zephaniah  asked  this  much  of  me,  with  a 
delicacy  of  feeling  that,  in  so  far,  was  to  his  credit.  As  the 
reader  may  have  some  of  the  curiosity  I  felt  myself,  to 
know  what  Ursula  Malbone  could  possibly  have  to  say  in 
this  form  to  Zephaniah  Thousandacres,  I  shall  give  the 
contents  of  this  strange  epistle  in  full.  It  was  duly  directed 
to  "  Mr.  Zephaniah  Timberman,  Mooseridge,"  and  in  that 


264  THE  CHAINBRARRR. 

respect  would  have  passed  for  any  common  communica- 
tion.    Within,  it  read  as  follows : — 

"  SIR: — 

"  As  you  have  often  professed  a  strong  regard  for  me,  I 
now  put  you  to  the  proof  of  the  sincerity  of  your  protesta- 
tions. My  dear  uncle  goes  to  your  father,  whom  I  only 
know  by  report,  to  demand  the  release  of  Major  Littlepage, 
who,  we  hear,  is  a  prisoner  in  the  hands  of  your  family, 
against  all  law  and  right.  As  it  is  possible  the  business  of 
uncle  Chainbearer  will  be  disagreeable  to  Thousandacres, 
and  that  warm  words  may  pass  between  them,  I  ask  "of 
your  friendship  some  efforts  to  keep  the  peace  ;  and,  partic- 
ularly, should  anything  happen  to  prevent  my  uncle  from 
returning,  that  you  would  come  to  me  in  the  woods— for  I 
shall  accompany  the  Chainbearer  to  the  edge  of  your  clear- 
ing— and  let  me  know  it.  You  will  find  me  there,  attended 
by  one  of  the  blacks,  and  we  can  easily  meet  if  you  cross 
the  fields  in  an  eastern  direction,  as  I  will  send  the  negro 
to  find  you  and  to  bring  you  to  me. 

"  In  addition  to  what  I  have  said  above,  Zephaniah,  let 
me  also  earnestly  ask  your  care  in  behalf  of  Major  Little- 
page.  Should  any  evil  befall  that  gentleman,  it  would 
prove  the  undoing  of  your  whole  family  !  The  law  has  a 
long  arm,  and  it  will  reach  into  the  wilderness,  as  well  as 
into  a  settlement.  The  person  of  a  human  being  is  a  very 
different  thing  from  a  few  acres  of  timber,  and  General 
Littlepage  will  think  far  more  of  his  noble  son  than  he 
will  think  of  all  the  logs  that  have  been  cut  and  floated 
away.  Again  and  again,  therefore,  I  earnestly  entreat  of 
you  to  befriend  this  gentleman,  not  only  as  you  hope  for 
my  respect,  but  as  you  hope  few  your  own  peace  of  mind. 
I  have  had  some  connection  with  the  circumstances  that 
threw  Mr.  Littlepage  into  your  hands,  and  shall  never 
know  a  happy  moment  again  should  anything  serious  be- 
fall him.  Remember  this,  Zephaniah,  and  let  it  influence 
your  own  conduct.  I  owe  it  to  myself  and  to  you  to  add, 
that  the  answer  I  gave  you  at  Ravensnest,  the  evening  of 
the  raising,  must  remain  my  answer,  now  and  forever  ; 
but,  if  you  have  really  the  regard  for  me  that  you  then 
professed,  you  will  do  all  you  can  to  serve  Major  Little- 
page,  who  is  an  old  friend  of  my  uncle's  and  whose  safety, 
owing  to  circumstances  that  you  would  fully  understand 
were  they  told  to  you,  is  absolutely  necessary  to  my  future 
peace  of  mind.  "  Your  friend, 

"URSULA  MALBONE." 


THE  CHAJNBEARER.  265 

What  a  strange  girl  was  this  Dus  !  I  suppose  it  as  un- 
necessary to  say  that  I  felt  profoundly  ashamed  of  my  late 
jealousy,  which  now  seemed  just  as  absurd  and  unreason- 
able as,  a  moment  before,  it  seemed  justified  and  plausible. 
God  protect  the  wretch  who  ts  the  victim  of  that  evil-eyed 
passion  !  He  who  is  jealous  of  circumstances,  in  the  ordi- 
nary transactions  of  life,  usually  makes  a  fool  of  himself,  by 
seeing  a  thousand  facts  that  exist  in  his  own  brain  only ; 
but  he  whose  jealousy  is  goaded  on  by  love,  must  be  some- 
thing more  than  human,  not  to  let  the  devils  get  a  firm 
grasp  of  his  soul.  I  can  give  no  better  illustration  of  the 
weakness  that  this  last  passion  induces,  however,  than  the 
admission  I  have  just  made,  that  I  believed  it  possible  Ur- 
sula Malbone  could  love  Zephaniah  Thousandacres,  or 
whatever  might  be  his  real  name.  I  have  since  pulled  at 
my  own  hair,  in  rage  at  my  own  folly,  as  that  moment  of 
weakness  has  recurred  to  my  mind. 

"  She  writes  a  desp'rate  letter!"  exclaimed  the  young 
squatter,  stretching  his  large  frame,  like  one  who  had  lost 
command  of  his  movements  through  excitement.  "  I  don't 
believe,  major,  the  like  of  that  gal  is  to  be  found  in  York, 
taken  as  State  or  colony!  I've  a  dreadful  likin'  for  her  !  " 

It  was  impossible  not  to  smile  at  this  outpouring  of  at- 
tachment ;  nor,  on  the  whole,  would  1  have  been  surprised 
at  the  ambition  it  inferred,  had  the  youth  been  but  a  very 
little  higher  in  the  social  scale.  Out  of  the  large  towns, 
and  with  here  and  there  an  exception  in  favor  of  an  iso- 
lated family,  there  is  not,  even  to  this  day,  much  distinc- 
tion in  classes  among  our  eastern  brethren.  The  great 
equality  of  condition  and  education  that  prevails,  as  a 
rule,  throughout  all  the  rural  population  of  New  England, 
while  it  has  done  so  much  for  the  great  body  of  their 
people,  has  had  its  inevitable  consequences  in  lowering 
the  standard  of  cultivation  among  the  few,  both  as  it  is 
applied  to  acquirements,  and  to  the  peculiar  notions  of 
castes  ;  and  nothing  is  more  common  in  that  part  of  the 
world,  than  to  hear  of  marriages  that  elsewhere  would 
have  been  thought  incongruous,  for  the  simple  reason  of 
the  difference  in  ordinary  habits  and  sentiments  between 
the  parties.  Thus  it  was,  that  Zephaniah,  without  doing 
as  much  violence  to  his  own,  as  would  be  done  to  our 
notions  of  the  fitness  of  things,  might  aspire  to  the  hand 
of  Ursula  Malbone  ;  unattended,  as  she  certainly  was,  by 
any  of  the  outward  and  more  vulgar  signs  of  her  real 
character.  I  could  not  but  feel  some  respect  for  the  young 


266  THE  CHAINBEARER. 

man's  taste,  therefore,  and  this  so  much  the  more  readily, 
because  I  no  longer  was  haunted  by  the  very  silly  phantom 
of  his  possible  success. 

"  Having  this  regard  for  Dus,"  I  said,  "  I  hope  I  may 
count  on  your  following  her  directions." 

"  What  way  can  I  sarve  you,  major  ?  I  do  vow,  I've 
every  wish  to  do  as  Ursula  asks  of  me,  if  I  only  know'd 
how." 

"  You  can  undo  the  fastenings  of  our  prison,  here,  and 
let  us  go  at  once  into  the  woods,  where  we  shall  be  safe 
enough  against  a  recapture,  depend  on  it.  Do  us  that 
favor,  and  I  will  give  you  fifty  acres  of  land,  on  which  you 
can  settle  down  and  become  an  honest  man.  Remember, 
it  will  be  something  honorable  to  own  fifty  acres  of  good 
land,  in  fee." 

Zephaniah  pondered  on  my  tempting  offer,  and  I  could 
see  that  he  wavered  in  opinion,  but  the  decision  was  ad- 
verse to  my  wishes.  He  shook  his  head,  looked  round 
wistfully  at  the  woods  wrhere  he  supposed  Dus  then  to  be, 
possibly  watching  his  very  movements,  but  he  would  not 
yield. 

"  If  a  father  can't  trust  his  own  son,  who  can  he  trust, 
in  natur'  ?"  demanded  the  young  squatter. 

"  No  one  should  be  aided  in  doing  wrong,  and  your 
father  has  no  just  right  to  shut  up  us  three,  in  this  building, 
as  he  has  done.  The  deed  is  against  t"he  law,  and  to  the  law, 
sooner  or  later,  will  he  be  made  to  give  an  account  of  it." 

"  Oh !  as  for  the  law,  he  cares  little  for  that.  We've 
been  ag'in  law  all  over  lives,  and  the  law  is  ag'in  us. 
When  a  body  comes  to  take  the  chance  of  jurors,  and  wit- 
nesses, and  lawyers,  and  poor  attorney-gin'rals,  and  care- 
less prosecutors,  law's  no  great  matter  to  stand  out  ag'in 
in  this  country.  I  s'pose  there  is  countries  in  which  law 
counts  for  suthin'  ;  but  hereabouts,  and  all  through  Var- 
mount,  we  don't  kear  much  for  the  law,  unless  it's  a  matter 
between  man  and  man,  and  t'other  side  holds  out  for  his 
rights,  bull-dog  fashion.  Then,  I  allow,  its  suthin'  to  have 
the  law  on  your  side  ;  but  it's  no  great  matter  in  a  tres- 
pass case." 

"  This  may  not  end  in  a  trespass  case,  however.  Your 
father — by  the  way,  is  Thousandacres  much  hurt  ?  " 

"  Not  much  to  speak  on,"  coolly  answered  the  son,  still 
gazing  in  the  direction  of  the  woods.  "  A  little  stunned, 
but  he's  gettin'  over  it  fast,  and  he's  used  to  sich  rubs.  Fa- 
ther's desp'rate  solid  about  the  head,  and  can  stand  as  much 


THE  CHAINBEARER.  267 

s-edgehammermg  there,  as  any  man  I  ever  seed.  Tobit's 
tough,  too,  in  that  part  ;  and  he's  need  of  it,  for  he's  for- 
ever getting  licks  around  the  forehead  and  eyes." 

"  And,  as  your  father  comes  to,  what  seems  to  be  his  dis- 
position toward  us?" 

"  Nothin'  to  speak  on,  in  the  way  of  friendship,  I  can 
tell  you  !  The  old  man's  considerable  riled  ;  and  when 
that's  the  case,  he'll  have  his  own  way  for  all  the  govern- 
ors and  judges  in  the  land  ! " 

"  Do  you  suppose  he  meditates  any  serious  harm  to  his 
prisoners  ? " 

"  A  man  doesn't  meditate  a  great  deal,  I  guess,  with  such 
a  rap  on  the  skull.  He  feels  a  plaguy  sight  more  than  he 
thinks ;  and  when  the  feelin's  is  up,  it  doesn't  matter  much 
who's  right  and  who's  wrong.  The  great  difficulty  in  your 
matter  is  how  to  settle  about  the  lumber  that's  in  the  creek. 
The  water's  low  ;  and  the  most  that  can  be  done  with  it, 
afore  November,  will  to  be  float  it  down  to  the  next  rift, 
over  which  it  can  never  go,  with  any  safety,  without  more 
water.  It's  risky  to  keep  one  like  you,  and  to  keep  Chain- 
bearer,  too,  three  or  four  months,  in  jail  like  ;  and  it  wu»t 
do  to  let  you  go  neither,  sin'  you'd  soon  have  the  law  a'ter 
us.  If  we  keep  you,  too,  there'll  be  a  s'arch  made,  and  a 
reward  offered.  Now  a  good  many  of  your  tenants  know  of 
this  clearin',  and  human  natur'  can't  hold  out  ag'in  a  re- 
ward. The  old  man  knows  that  well ;  and  it's  what  he's 
most  afeared  on.  We  can  stand  up  ag'in  almost  anything 
better  than  ag'in  a  good,  smart  reward." 

I  was  amused  as  well  as  edified  with  Zephaniah's  sim- 
plicity and  frankness,  and  would  willingly  have  pursued  the 
discourse,  had  not  Lowiny  come  tripping  toward  us,  sum- 
moning her  brother  away  to  attend  a  meeting  of  the  fam- 
ily ;  the  old  squatter  having  so  far  recovered  as  to  call  a 
council  of  his  sons.  The  brother  left  me  on  the  instant, 
but  the  girl  lingered  at  my  corner  of  the  storehouse,  like 
one  who  was  reluctant  to  depart. 

"  I  hope  the  hasty-puddin'  was  sweet  and  good,"  said 
Lowiny,  casting  a  timid  glance  in  at  the  chink. 

"  It  was  excellent,  my  good  girl,  and  I  thank  you  for  it 
with  all  my  heart.  Are  you  very  busy  now  ? — can  you  re- 
main a  moment  while  I  make  a  request  ?" 

"  Oh  !  there's  nothin'  for  me  to  do  just  now  in  the  house, 
seein'  that  father  has  called  the  b'ys  around  him.  When- 
ever he  does  that,  eve'n  mother  is  apt  to  quit." 

"  I  am  glad  of  it,  as  I  think  you  are  so  kind-hearted  and 


268  THE  CHAINBEARER. 

good  that  I  may  trust  you  in  a  matter  of  some  importance  , 
may  I  not,  my  good  Lowiny  ?" 

"  Squatters'  da'ghters  may  be  good,  then,  a'ter  all,  in  the 
eyes  of  grand  landholders  !  " 

"  Certainly— excellent  even  ;  and  I  am  milch  disposed  to 
believe  that  you  are  one  of  that  class."  Lowiny  looked  de- 
lighted ;  and  I  felt  less  reluctance  at  administering  this 
flattery  than  might  otherwise  have  been  the  case,  from  the 
circumstance  that  so  much  of  what  I  said  was  really  merited. 

"  Indeed,  I  know  you  are,  and  quite  unfitted  for  this  sort 
of  life.  But  I  must  tell  you  my  wishes  at  once,  for  our 
time  may  be  very  short." 

"  Do,"  said  the  girl,  looking  up  anxiously,  a  slight  blush 
suffusing  her  face  ;  the  truth-telling  sign  of  ingenuous 
feelings,  and  the  gage  of  virtue;  "do,  for  I'm  dying  to 
hear  it ;  as  I  know  beforehand  I  shall  do  just  what  you 
ask  me  to  do.  I  don't  know  how  it  is,  but  when  father  or 
mother  ask  me  to  do  a  thing,  I  sometimes  feel  as  if  I 
couldn't ;  but  I  don't  feel  so  now,  at  all." 

"  My  requests  do  not  come  often  enough  to  tire  you. 
Rromise  me,  in  the  first  place,  to  keep  my  secret." 

"  That  I  will  !"  answered  Lowiny,  promptly,  and  with 
emphasis.  "  Not  a  mortal  soul  shall  know  anything  on't, 
and  I  won't  so  much  as  talk  of  it  in  my  sleep,  as  I  some- 
times do,  if  I  can  any  way  help  it." 

"  Chainbearer  has  a  niece  who  is  very  dear  to  him,  and 
who  returns  all  his  affection.  Her  name  is — 

"Dus  Malbone,"  interrupted  the  girl,  with  a  faint  laugh. 
"  Zeph  has  told  me  all  about  her,  for  Zeph  and  I  be  great 
friends — he  tells  me  everything,  and  /  tell  him  everything. 
It's  sich  a  comfort,  you  can't  think,  to  have  somebody  to 
tell  secrets  to  ; — well,  what  of  Dus  ?  " 

"  She  is  here." 

"  Here  !  I  don't  see  anything  on  her  " — looking  round 
hurriedly,  and,  as  I  fancied,  in  a  little  alarm — "  Zeph  says 
she's  dreadful  han'some  !  " 

"  She  is  thought  so,  I  believe  ;  though,  in  that  respect, 
she  is  far  from  being  alone.  There  is  no  want  of  pretty 
girls  in  America.  By  saying  she  was  here  I  did  not  mean 
here  in  the  storehouse,  but  here  in  the  woods.  She  accom- 
panied her  uncle  as  far  as  the  edge  of  the  clearing — look 
round,  more  toward  the  east.  Do  you  see  the  black  stub, 
in  the  cornfield,  behind  your  father's  dwelling  ? " 

"  Sartain — that's  plain  enough  to'  be  seen — I  wish  I 
could  see  Albany  as  plain." 


THE  CHAINBEARER.  269 

"  Now  look  a  little  to  the  left  of  that  stub,  and  you  will 
see  a  large  chestnut,  in  the  edge  of  the  woods  behind  it — 
the  chestnut,  I  mean,  that  thrusts  its  top  out  of  the  forest 
into  the  clearing,  as  it  might  be." 

"  Well,  I  see  the  chestnut,  too,  and  I  know  it  well. 
There's  a  spring  of  water  cluss  to  its  roots." 

"At  the  foot  of  that  chestnut  Chainbearer  left  his  niece, 
and  doubtless  she  is  somewhere  near  it  now.  Could  you 
venture  to  stroll  as  far,  without  going  directly  to  the  spot, 
and  deliver  a  message,  or  a  letter  ?  " 

"  To  be  sure  I  could!  Why,  we  gals  stroll  about  the 
lots  as  much  as  we  please,  and  it's  berry  in'  time  now.  I'll 
run  and  get  a  basket,  and  you  can  write  your  letter  while 
I'm  gone.  La  !  Nobody  will  think  anything  of  my  goin' 
a  berryin' — I  have  a  desp'rate  wish  to  see  this  Dus  !  Do 
you  think  she'll  have  Zeph  ?  " 

"  Young  women's  minds  are  so  uncertain  that  I  should 
not  like  to  venture  an  opinion.  If  it  were  one  of  my  own 
sex,  now,  and  had  declared  his  wishes,  I  think  I  could  tell 
you  with  some  accuracy." 

The  girl  laughed  ;  then  she  seemed  a  little  bewildered, 
and  again  she  colored.  How  the  acquired — nay,  native  feel- 
ing of  the  sex,  will  rise  up  in  tell-tale  ingenuousness  to 
betray  a  woman  ! 

"Well,"  she  cried,  as  she  ran  away  in  quest  of  the  bas- 
ket, "  to  my  notion,  a  gal's  mind  is  as  true  and  as  much  to 
be  depended  on  as  that  of  any  mortal  crittur'  living  ! " 

It  was  now  my  business  to  write  a  note  to  Dus.  The 
materials  for  writing  my  pocket-book  furnished.  I  tore 
out  a  leaf,  and  approached  Chainbearer,  telling  him  what 
I  was  about  to  do,  and  desiring  to  know  if  he  had  any  par- 
ticular message  to  send. 

"  Gif  t'e  tear  gal  my  plessin',  Mortaunt.  Tell  her  olt 
Chainpearer  prays  Got  to  pless  her — t'at  ist  all.  I  leaf  you 
to  say  t'e  rest." 

I  did  say  the  rest.  In  the  first  place  I  sent  the  blessing 
of  the  uncle  to  the  niece.  Then  I  explained,  in  as  few 
words  as  possible,  our  situation,  giving  it  as  promising  an 
aspect  as  my  conscience  wrould  permit.  These  explana- 
tions made,  I  entreated  Ursula  to  return  to  her  brother, 
and  not  again  expose  herself  so  far  from  his  protection.  Of 
the  close  of  this  note  I  shall  not  say  much.  It  was  brief, 
but  it  let  Dus  understand  that  my  feelings  toward  her  were 
as  lively  as  ever  ;  and  I  believe  it  was  expressed  with  the 
power  that  passion  lends.  My  note  was  ended  fust  as  Lo- 


270  THE  CHAJNBEARER. 

winy  appeared  to  receive  it.  She  brought  us  a  pitcher  of 
milk,  as  a  sort  of  excuse  for  returning  to  the  storehouse, 
received  the  note  in  exchange,  and  hurried  away  toward 
the  fields.  As  she  passed  one  of  the  cabins,  I  heard  her 
calling  out  to  a  sister  that  she  was  going  for  blackberries 
to  give  the  prisoners. 

I  watched  the  movements  of  that  active  girl  with  in- 
tense interest.  Chainbearer,  who  had  slept  little  since  my 
disappearance,  was  making  up  for  lost  time  ;  and  as  for 
the  Indian,  eating  and  sleeping  are  very  customary  occu- 
pations of  his  race,  when  not  engaged  in  some  hunt,  or  on 
the  war-path,  or  as  a  runner. 

Lowiny  proceeded  toward  a  lot  of  which  the  bushes  had 
taken  full  possession.  Here  she  soon  disappeared,  pick- 
ing berries  as  she  proceeded,  with  nimble  fingers,  as  if  she 
felt  the  necessity  of  having  some  of  the  fruit  to  show  on 
her  return.  I  kept  my  eye  fastened  on  the  openings  of 
the  forest,  near  the  chestnut,  as  soon  as  the  girl  was  con- 
cealed in  the  bushes,  anxiously  waiting  for  the  moment 
when  I  might  see  her  form  reappearing  at  that  spot.  My 
attention  was  renewed  by  getting  a  glimpse  of  Dus.  It 
was  but  a  glimpse,  the  fluttering  of  a  female  dress  gliding 
among  the  trees  ;  but,  as  it  was  too  soon  for  the  arrival  of 
Lowiny,  I  knew  it  must  be  Dus.  This  was  cheering,  as  it 
left  little  reason  to  doubt  that  my  messenger  would  find 
the  object  of  her  visit.  In  the  course  of  half  an  hour  after 
Lowiny  entered  the  bushes  I  saw  her,  distinctly,  near  the 
foot  of  the  chestnut.  Pausing  a  moment,  as  if  to  recon- 
noitre, the  girl  suddenly  moved  into  the  forest,  when  I 
made  no  doubt  she  and  Dus  had  a  meeting.  An  entire 
hour  passed,  and  I  saw  no  more  of  Lowiny. 

In  the  meanwhile  Zephaniah  made  his  appearance  again 
at  the  side  of  the  storehouse.  This  time  he  came  accom- 
panied by  two  of  his  brethren,  holding  the  key  in  his 
hand.  At  first  I  supposed  the  intention  was  to  arraign 
me  before  the  high  court  of  Thousandacres,  but  in  this  I 
was  in  error.  No  sooner  did  the  young  men  reach  the 
door  of  our  prison  than  Zephaniah  called  out  to  the  On- 
ondago  to  approach  it,  as  he  had  something  to  say  to  him. 

"  It  must  be  dull  work  to  a  red-skin  to  be  shut  up  like 
a  hog  afore  it's  wrung,"  said  the  youth,  drawing  his  im- 
ages from  familiar  objects  ;  "  and  I  s'pose  you'd  be  right 
glad  to  come  out  here  and  walk  about,  something  like  a 
free  and  rational  crittur.'  What. do  you  say,  Injin — is  sich 
your  desire  ? " 


THE  CHAINBEARER.  271 

"  Sartain,"  qitietly  answered  Sureflint.  "  Great  deal 
radder  be  out  dan  be  in  here." 

"  So  I  nat'rally  s'posed.  Well,  the  old  man  says  you 
can  come  out  on  promises,  if  you're  disposed  to  make  'em, 
So  you're  master  of  your  own  movements,  you  see." 

"What  he  want  me  do?    What  he  want  me  to  say,  eh  ?" 

"  No  great  matter,  a'ter  all,  if  a  body  has  only  a  mind 
to  try  to  do  it.  In  the  first  place,  you're  to  give  your  pa- 
role not  to  go  off  ;  but  to  stay  about  the  clearin',  and  to 
come  in  and  give  yourself  up  when  the  conch  blows  three 
short  blasts.  Will  you  agree  to  that,  Sus  ? " 

"  Sartain — no  go  'way  ;  come  back  when  he  call — dat 
mean  stay  where  he  can  hear  conch." 

"  Well,  that's  agreed  on,  and  it's  a  bargain.  Next,  you're 
to  agree  not  to  go  pryin'  round  the  mill  and  barn,  to  see 
what  you  can  find,  but  keep  away  from  all  the  buildin's 
but  the  store'us'  and  the  dwellings,  and  not  to  quit  the 
clearin'.  Do  you  agree  ?  " 

"  Good  ;  no  hard  to  do  dat." 

"  Well,  you're  to  bring  no  weepons  into  the  settlement, 
and  to  pass  nothing  but  words  and  food  in  to  the  other 
prisoners.  Will  you  stand  to  that  ?  " 

"  Sartain  ;  willin'  'nough  to  do  dat,  too." 

"  Then  you're  in  no  manner  or  way  to  make  war  on  any 
on  us  'till  your  parole  is  up,  and  you're  your  own  man 
ag'in.  What  do  you  say  to  that,  Trackless  ? " 

"All  good  ;  'gree  to  do  him  all." 

"Wa-a-1,  that's  pretty  much  all  the  old  man  stands  out 
for  ;  but  mother  has  a  condition  or  two  that  she  insists 
on't  I  shall  ask.  Should  the  worst  come  to  the  worst,  and 
the  folks  of  this  settlement  get  to  blows  with  the  folks  out 
of  it,  you're  to  bargain  to  take  no  scalps  of  women  or 
children,  and  none  from  any  man  that  you  don't  overcome 
in  open  battle.  The  old  woman  will  grant  you  the  scalps 
of  men  killed  in  battle,  but  thinks  it  ag'in  reason  to  take 
'em  from  sich  as  be  not  so  overcome." 

"  Good  ;  don't  want  to  take  scalp  at  all,"  answered  the 
Indian,  with  an  emotion  he  could  not  altogether  suppress. 
"Got  no  tribe — got  no  young  men;  what  good  scalp  do? 
Nobody  care  how  many  scalp  Susquesus  take  away — how 
many  he  leave  behind.  All  dat  forgot  long  time." 

"  Wa-a-1,  that's  your  affair,  not  mine.  But,  as  all  the 
articles  is  agreed  to,  you  can  come  out,  and  go  about  your 
business.  Mind,  three  short,  sharp  blasts  on  the  conch  is 
the  signai  to  come  in  and  give  yourself  up." 


272  THE  CHA2NBEAREK. 

On  this  singular  cartel  Susquesus  was  set  at  liberty.  I 
heard  the  whole  arrangement  with  astonishment  ;  though, 
by  the  manner  of  the  high  contracting  parties,  it  was  easy 
to  see  there  was  nothing  novel  in  the  arrangement,  so  far 
as  they  were  concerned.  I  had  heard  that  the  faith  of  an 
Indian  of  any  character,  in  all  such  cases,  was  considered 
sacred,  and  could  not  but  ask  myself,  as  Susquesus  walked 
quietly  out  of  prison,  how  many  potentates  and  powers 
there  were  in  Christendom  who,  under  circumstances  sim- 
ilarly involving  their  most  important  interests,  could  be 
found  to  place  a  similar  confidence  in  their  fellows  ! 
Curious  to  know  how  my  present  masters  felt  on  this 
subject,  the  opportunity  was  improved  to  question 
them. 

•*  You  give  the  Indian  his  liberty  on  parole,"  I  said  to 
Zephaniah — "will  you  refuse  the  same  privilege  to  us 
white  men  ? " 

"  An  Injin  is  an  Injin.  He  has  his  natur',  and  we've 
our'n.  Suthin'  was  said  about  lettin'  you  out,  too,  major  ; 
but  the  old  man  wouldn't  hear  to  it.  *  He  know'd  man- 
kind,' he  said,  'and  he  know'd  t'would  never  do.'  If  you 
let  a  white  man  loose,  he  sets  his  wits  at  work  to  find  a  hole 
to  creep  out  on  the  bargain — goin'  back  to  the  creation  of 
the  ?arth  but  he'll  find  one.  The  major  will  say  '  I  was  put 
in  ag'in'  law,  and  now  I'm  out,  I'll  stay  out  ag'in  promises,' 
or  some  sich  reasoning  and  now  we  have  him  safe,  'twill  be 
best  to  keep  him  safe  !  That's  the  substance  of  the  old 
man's  idees,  and  you  can  see,  major,  just  as  well  as  any  on 
us,  how  likely  he'll  be  to  change  'em." 

There  was  no  contending  with  this  logic,  which  in  secret 
I  well  knew  to  be  founded  in  fact,  and  I  made  no  further 
application  for  my  own  release.  It  appeared,  however, 
that  Thousandacres  himself  was  half-disposed  to  make  a 
concession  in  favor  of  Chainbearer,  similar  to  that  he  had 
granted  to  the  Indian.  This  struck  me  as  singular,  after 
the  rude  collision  that  had  already  occurred  between  the 
two  men — but  there  are  points  of  honor  that  are  peculiar 
to  each  condition  of  life,  and  which  the  men  of  each  feel  a 
pride  not  only  in  causing  to  be  respected,  but  in  respect- 
ing themselves. 

"Father  had  some  thoughts  of  taking  your  parole,  too, 
Chainbearer,"  added  Zephaniah,   "and   he    concluded  he 
would,  hadn't  it  been  that  you'd  been  living  out  in  the  set 
tlements  so  much  of  late  years,  that  he's  not  quite  easy  in 
trusting  you.     A  man  that  passes  so  much  of  his  time  in 


THE  CHAINBEARER.  273 

running  boundaries,  may  think  himself  privileged  to  step 
over  them." 

"Your  fat'er  is  welcome  to  his  opinion,"  answered  An- 
dries,  coolly.  "  He'll  get  no  parole  of  me,  nor  do  I  want 
any  favors  of  him.  We  are  at  swords'  p'ints,  young  man, 
and  let  him  look  out  for  himself  and  his  lumper  as  pest  he 
can." 

"  Nay,"  answered  Zephaniah,  stretching  himself,  and 
answering  with  spirit,  though  he  well  knew  he  was  speak- 
ing to  the  uncle  of  Dus,  and  thereby  endangering  his  in- 
terests with  his  mistress — "nay,  Chainbearer,  if  it  comes  to 
that,  'twill  be  '  hardes  fend  off.'  We  are  a  strong  party  of 
stout  men,  and  arn't  to  be  frightened  by  the  crier  of  a 
court,  or  to  be  druv'  off  the  land  by  sheep-skin.  Cata- 
mounts must  come  ag'in  us  in  droves,  afore  we'll  give  an 
inch." 

"  Go  away,  go  away — foolish  young  fellow — you're  your 
fat'er's  son,  and  t'at's  as  much  as  neet  pe  said  of  you.  I 
want  no  favors  from  squatters,  which  ist  a  preed  I  tetest 
and  tespise." 

I  was  a  little  surprised  at  hearing  this  answer,  and  at 
witnessing  this  manifestation  of  feeling  in  Chainbearer, 
who,  ordinarily,  was  a  cool,  and  uniformly  a  courteous 
man.  On  reflection,  however,  I  saw  he  was  not  so  wrong. 
An  exchange  of  anything  like  civilities  between  us  and 
our  captors,  might  seem  to  give  them  some  claim  on  us  ; 
whereas,  by  standing  on  the  naked  right,  we  had  every  ad- 
vantage of  them,  in  a  moral  sense,  at  least.  Zephaniah 
and  his  brethren  left  us,  on  receiving  this  repulse  of  An- 
dries  ;  but  Susquesus  kept  loitering  around  the  storehouse, 
apparently  little  better  off  now  he  was  on  its  outside  than 
he  had  been  when  in  it.  He  had  nothing  to  do,  and  his 
idleness  was  that  of  an  Indian — one  of  a  race  of  such  ter- 
rible energies,  when  energy  is  required,  and  so  frequently 
listless,  when  not  pressed  upon  by  necessity,  pleasure,  war 
or'interest. 

Things  were  in  this  state,  when,  some  time  after  the 
interview  just  related,  we  had  another  visit  from  a  party 
headed  by  Tobit.  This  man  came  to  escort  Chainbearei 
and  myself  to  the  cabin  of  Thousandacres,  where  all  the 
men  of  the  family  were  assembled  ;  and  where,  as  it  now 
appeared,  we  were  to  have  something  like  a  hearing  that 
might  seriously  affect  our  fates,  for  good  or  for  evil.  I 
consulted  Chainbearer  on  the  propriety  of  our  lending 
ourselves  to  such  a  measure  ;  but  I  found  Andries  disposed 

18 


274  THE  CHAIXBEARER. 

to  meet  the  brood  of  squatters,  face  to  face,  and  to  tell 
them  his  mind,  let  it  be  when  and  where  it  might.  Find- 
ing my  friend  in  this  temper,  I  made  no  further  objections 
myself,  but  left  the  storehouse  in  his  company,  well  guarded 
by  four  of  the  young  men,  all  of  whom  were  armed,  hold- 
ing our  way  to  the  seat  of  justice,  in  that  wild  and  patri- 
archal government. 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

"When  Adam  delv'd,  and  Eve  span, 
Where  was  then  the  gentleman?" — Old  Saw. 

THOUSANDACRES  had  not  altogether  neglected  forms, 
though  so  much  set  against  the  spirit  of  the  law.  We 
found  a  sort  of  court  collected  before  the  door  of  his  dwell- 
ing, with  himself  in  the  centre,  while  the  principal  room 
contained  no  one  but  Prudence  and  one  or  two  of  her 
daughters.  Among  the  latter  was  Lowiny,  to  my  surprise  ; 
for  I  had  not  seen  the  girl  return  from  the  woods,  though 
my  eyes  had  not  been  long  turned  from  the  direction  in 
which  I  had  hopes  of  catching  a  glimpse  of  Dus. 

Tobit  led  us  prisoners  into  the  house,  placing  us  near 
the  door,  and  facing  his  father  ;  an  arrangement  that  super- 
seded the  necessity  of  much  watchfulness,  as  our  only 
means  of  escape  would  necessarily  be  by  rushing  through 
the  throng  without — a  thing  virtually  impracticable.  But 
Chainbearer  appeared  to  have  no  thought  of  flight.  He 
entered  that  circle  of  athletic  young  men  with  perfect  in- 
difference ;  and  I  remember  that  it  struck  jne  his  air  re- 
sembled that  which  I  had  often  seen  him  assume  when 
our  regiment  was  on  the  eve  of  serious  service.  At  such 
moments  old  Andries  could,  and  often  did,  appear  grand — 
dignity,  authority  and  coldness  being  blended  with  sterling 
courage. 

When  in  the  room,  Chainbearer  and  I  seated  ourselves 
near  the  door,  while  Thousandacres  had  a  chair  on  the  turf 
without,  surrounded  by  his  sons,  all  of  whom  were  stand- 
ing. As  this  arrangement  was  made  amid  a  grave  silence, 
the  effect  was  not  altogether  without  impressiveness,  and 
partook  of  some  of  the  ordinary  aspects  of  justice.  I  was 
struck  with  the  anxious  curiosity  betrayed  in  the  coun- 
tenances of  the  females  in  particular ;  for  the  decision  to 


THE  CHAINBEARER.  275 

which  Thousandacres  was  about  to  come,  would  with  them 
have  the  authority  of  a  judgment  of  Solomon.  Accustomed 
to  reason  altogether  in  their  own  interests,  I  make  no 
doubt  that,  in  the  main,  all  of  that  semi-barbarous  breed 
fancied  themselves  invested,  in  their  lawless  occupation, 
by  some  sort  of  secret  natural  right  ;  ignorant  of  the  fact 
that,  the  moment  they  reduced  their  claim  to  this  standard, 
they  put  it  on  the  level  with  that  of  all  the  rest  of  mankind. 
Nature  gives  nothing  exclusively  to  an  individual,  beyond 
his  individuality,  and  that  which  appertains  to  his  person 
and  personal  qualities  ;  all  beyond  he  is  compelled  to 
share,  under  the  law  of  nature,  with  the  rest  of  his  race. 
A  title  dependent  on  original  possession  forms  no  excep- 
tion to  this  rule  ;  for  it  is  merely  human  convention  that 
gives  it  force  and  authority,  without  which  it  would  form 
no  title  at  all.  But  into  mysteries  like  these,  none  of  the 
family  of  Thousandacres  ever  entered  ;  though  the  still, 
small  voice  of  conscience,  the  glimmerings  of  right,  were 
to  be  traced  occasionally,  even  amid  the  confused  jumble 
of  social  maxims  in  which  their  selfishness  had  taken 
refuge. 

We  live  in  an  age  of  what  is  called  progress,  and  fancy 
that  man  is  steadily  advancing  on  the  great  path  of  his 
destiny,  to  something  that  we  are  apt  to  imagine  is  to 
form  perfection.  Certainly,  I  shall  not  presume  to  say 
what  is,  or  what  is  not,  the  divine  intention  as  to  the 
future  destination  of  our  species  on  earth  ;  but  years  and 
experience  must  have  taught  me,  or  I  should  have  lived  in 
vain,  how  little  there  is  among  our  boasted  improvements 
that  is  really  new  ;  and  if  we  do  possess  anything  in  the 
way  of  principles  that  bear  on  them  the  impress  of  invio- 
lability, they  are  those  that  have  become  the  most  vener- 
able, by  having  stood  the  severest  tests  of  time. 

I  know  not  whether  the  long,  silent  pause  that  suc- 
ceeded our  arrival  was  the  result  of  an  intention  to  height- 
en the  effect  of  that  scene,  or  whether  Thousandacres 
really  wished  time  to  collect  his  thoughts  and  to  mature 
his  plans.  One  thing  struck  me  ;  notwithstanding  the 
violence  that  had  so  recently  occurred  between  Chain- 
bearer  and  himself,  there  were  no  traces  of  resentment  in 
the  hardened  and  wrinkled  countenance  of  that  old  ten- 
ant of  the  forest ;  for  he  was  too  much  accustomed  to 
those  sudden  outbreakings  of  anger,  to  suffer  them  long 
to  linger  in  his  recollection.  In  all  that  was  said,  and  in 
all  that  passed,  in  the  course  of  that  (to  me)  memorable 


276  THK  CffAINBEARER. 

day,  I  could  trace  no  manifestation  of  any  feeling  in  the 
squatter,  in  consequence  of  the  rude  personal  rencontre 
that  he  had  so  lately  had  with  my  friend.  They  had 
clenched  and  he  had  been  overthrown  ;  and  that  ended 
the  matter. 

The  silence  which  occurred  after  we  took  our  seats  must 
.have  lasted  several  minutes.  For  myself,  I  saw  I  was  only 
a  secondary  person  in  this  interview  ;  old  Andries  having 
completely  supplanted  me  in  importance,  not  only  in 
acts,  but  in  the  estimation  of  the  squatters.  To  him  they 
were  accustomed,  and  accustomed,  moreover,  to  regard  as 
a  sort  of  hostile  power;  his  very  pursuit  being  opposed 
to  the  great  moving  principle  of  their  every-day  lives. 
The  man  who  measured  land,  and  he  who  took  it  to  him- 
self without  measurement,  were  exactly  antagonist  forces, 
in  morals  as  well  as  in  physics  ;  and  might  be  supposed 
not  to  regard  each  other  with  the  most  friendly  eyes. 
Thus  it  was  that  the  Chainbearer  actually  became  an  ob- 
ject of  greater  interest  to  these  squatters,  than  the  son  of 
one  of  the  owners  of  the  soil,  and  the  attorney  in  fact  of 
both.  As  for  the  old  man  himself,  I  could  see  that  he 
looked  very  Dutch,  which  implied  a  stubborn  resolution 
bordering  on  obstinacy  ;  unmoved  adherence  to  what  he 
conceived  to  be  right ;  and  a  strong  dislike  to  his  present 
neighbors,  in  addition  to  other  reasons,  on  account  of 
their  having  come  from  the  eastward  ;  a  race  that  he  both 
distrusted  and  respected  ;  disliked,  yet  covertly  honored, 
for  many  a  quality  that  was  both  useful  and  good. 

To  the  next  generation  the  feeling  that  was  once  so 
active  between  the  descendants  of  Holland  among  our- 
selves, and  the  people  of  English  birth  who  came  from 
the  Eastern  States,  will  be  almost  purely  a  matter  of  his- 
tory. I  perceive  that  my  father,  in  the  manuscript  he  has 
transmitted  to  me,  as  well  as  I  myself,  have  made  various 
allusions  to  the  subject.  It  is  my  wish  to  be  understood 
in  this  matter.  I  have  introduced  it  solely  as  &fact  that  is 
beyond  controversy  ;  but,  I  trust,  without  any  undue  big- 
otry of  opinion.  It  is  possible  that  both  Mr.  Cornelius 
Littlepage  and  his  son,  unconsciously  to  ourselves,  may 
have  been  influenced  by  the  ancient  prejudices  of  the  col- 
onies, though  I  have  endeavored  scrupulously  to  avoid 
them.  At  any  rate,  if  either  of  us  has  appeared  to  be  a 
little  too  severe,  I  trust  the  reader  will  remember  how 
much  has  been  uttered  to  the  world  in  reference  to  this 
dislike,  by  the  Yankee,  and  how  little  by  the  Dutchman 


THE  CHAIXBEARER.  277 

during  the  last  century  and  a  half,  and  grant  to  one  who 
is  proud  of  the  little  blood  from  Holland  that  he  happens 
to  possess,  the  privilege  of  showing  at  least  one  of  the 
phases  of  his  own  side  of  the  story.  But  it  is  time  to  re- 
turn to  our  scene  in  the  hut. 

"Chainbearer,"  commenced  Thousandacres,  after  the 
pause  already  mentioned  had  lasted  several  minutes,  and 
speaking  with  a  dignity  that  could  only  have  proceeded 
from  the  intensity  of  his  feelings  ;  "  Chainbearer,  you've 
been  an  inimy  to  me  and  mine  sin'  the  day  we  first  met. 
You're  an  inimy  by  your  cruel  callin' ;  yet  you've  the  bold- 
ness to  thrust  yourself  into  my  very  hands  ! " 

"  I'm  an  enemy  to  all  knaves,  T'ousantacres,  and  I  ton't 
care  who  knows  it,"  answered  old  Andries,  sternly  ;  "  t'at 
ist  my  trate,  ast  well  ast  carryin'  chain  ;  ant  I  wish  it  to  pe 
known  far  and  near.  Ast  for  pein'  your  enemy  by  callin', 
I  may  say  as  much  of  yourself ;  since  there  coult  pe  no 
surveyin',  or  carryin'  of  chain,  tit  all  t'e  people  help  t'em- 
selves  to  lant,  as  you  haf  tone  your  whole  life,  wit'out  as 
much  as  sayin'  to  t'e  owners  'py  your  leaf.'  " 

"Things  have  now  got  to  a  head  atween  us,  Chain- 
bearer,"  returned  the  squatter  ;  "  but  seein'  that  you're  in 
my  hands,  I'm  ready  and  willin'  to  reason  the  p'int  with 
you,  in  hopes  that  we  may  yet  part  fri'nds,  and  that  trTis 
may  be  the  last  of  all  our  troubles.  You  and  I  be  getting 
to  be  oldish  men,  Chainbearer ;  and  it's  fittin'  that  them 
that  be  gettin'  near  their  eends,  should  sometimes  think  on 
'em.  I  come  from  no  Dutch  colony,  but  from  a  part  of 
the  world  where  mankind  fears  God,  and  has  some  thoughts 
of  a  futur'  state." 

"  T!at's  neit'er  here  nor  t'ere,  T'ousantacres,"  cried  An- 
dries, impatiently.  "  Not  put  what  religion  is  a  goot 
t'ing,  and  a  t'ing  to  be  venerated,  ant  honoret,  ant  wor- 
shippet ;  put  t'at  it's  out  of  place  in  a  squatter  country,  and 
most  of  all  in  a  squatter's  mout'.  Can  you  telt  me  one 
t'ing,  T'ousantacres,  and  t'at  ist,  why  you  Yankees  pray  so 
much,  ant  call  on  Got  to  pless  you  every  o'ter  wort,  ant 
turn  up  your  eyes,  ant  look  so  temure  of  Suntays,  ant  ten 
go  ant  squat  yourselfs  town  on  a  Tutchman's  lant  on  a 
Montay  ?  I'm  an  olt  man,  ant  haf  lifed  long  ant  seen 
much,  ant  hope  I  unterstant  some  of  t'at  which  I  haf  seen 
ant  lifed  amongst,  put  I  do  not  comprehent  t'at  !  Yankee 
religion  ant  Tutch  religion  cannot  come  out  of  t'e  same 
piple." 

"  I  should  think  not,  I  should  think  not,  Chainbearer 


278  THE  CHAIN-BEARER. 

and  I  hope  not,  in  the  bargain.     I  do  not  wish  to  be  just! 
fied  by  ways  like  your'n,  or  a  religion  like  your'n.     Tha: 
which  is  foreordained  will  come  to  pass,  let  what  will  hap- 
pen, and  that's  my  trust.     But,  leaving  religion 'but  of  this 
matter  atween  us  altogether " 

"Ay,  you'll  do  well  to  do  t'at,"  growled  Chainbearer, 
"for  religion  hast  inteet  very  little  to  do  wit'  it." 

"  I  say,"  answered  Thousandacres,  on  a  higher  key,  as  if 
resolute  to  make  himself  heard,  "  leaving  religion  for  Sab- 
ba'  days  and  proper  occasions,  I'm  ready  to  talk  this  matter 
over  on  the  footin'  of  reason,  and  not  only  to  tell  you  my 
say,  but  to  hear  your'n,  as  is  right  atween  man  and  man." 

"  I  confess  a  strong  desire  to  listen  to  what  Thousand- 
acres  has  to  say  in  defence  of  his  conduct,  Chainbearer," 
I  now  thought  it  best  to  put  in ;  "  and  I  hope  you  will  so 
far  oblige  me  as  to  be  a  patient  listener.  I  am  very  willing 
that  you  should  answer,  for  I  know  of  no  person  to  whom 
I  would  sooner  trust  a  religious  cause  than  yourself.  Pro- 
ceed, Thousandacres  ;  my  old  friend  will  comply." 

Andries  did  conform  to  my  wishes,  thus  distinctly  ex- 
pressed, but  it  was  not  without  sundry  signs  of  disquiet, 
as  expressed  in  his  honest  countenance,  and  a  good  deal 
of  subdued  muttering  about  "Yankee  cunnin'  and  holy 
gotliness,  t'at  is  dresset  up  in  wolf's  clot'in'  ; "  Chainbearer 
meaning  to  express  the  native  garment  of  the  sheep  by 
the  latter  expression,  but  falling  into  a  confusion  of  im- 
ages that  is  by  no  means  rare  among  the  men  of  his  caste 
and  people.  After  a  pause  the  squatter  proceeded. 

"  In  talkin'  this  matter  over,  young  man,  I  propose  to 
begin  at  the  beginnin'  of  things,"  he  said  ;  "  for  I  allow,  if 
you  grant  any  value  to  titles,  and  king's  grants,  and  sich 
sort  of  things,  that  my  rights  here  be  no  great  matter. 
But,  beginnin'  at  the  beginnin',  the  case  is  very  different. 
You'll  admit,  I  s'pose,  that  the  Lord  created  the  heavens 
and  the  'arth,  and  that  He  created  man  to  be  master  over 
the  last." 

"What  of  t'at?"  eagerly  cried  Chainbearer.  "What 
of  t'at,  olt  T'ousantacres  ?  So  t'e  Lbrt  createt  yonter 
eagle  t'at  is  flyin'  so  far  apove  your  heat,  put  it's  no  sign 
you  are  to  kill  him,  or  he  ist  to  kill  you." 

"  Hear  to  reason,  Chainbearer,  and  let  me  have  my  say ; 
a'ter  which  I'm  willing  to  hear  you.  I  begin  at  the  be- 
ginning when  man  was  first  put  in  possession  of  the  'arth, 
to  till,  and  to  dig,  and  to  cut  saw-logs,  and  to  make  lum- 
ber, jist  as  it  suited  his  wants  and  inclinations.  Now 


THE  CHAINBEARER.  279 

Adam  was  the  father  of  all,  and  to  him  and  his  posterity 
was  the  possession  of  the  'arth  given,  by  Him  whose  title's 
worth  that  of  all  the  kings,  and  governors,  and  assemblies 
in  the  known  world.  Adam  lived  his  time,  and  left  all 
things  to  his  posterity,  and  so  has  it  been  from  father  to 
son,  down  to  our  own  day  and  giniration,  accordin'  to  the 
law  of  God,  though  not  accordin'  to  the  laws  of  man." 

"Well,  admittin'  all  you  say,  squatter,  how  does  t'at 
make  your  right  here  petter  t'an  t'at  of  any  ot'er  man  ?" 
demanded  Andries,  disdainfully. 

"Why,  reason  tells  us  where  a  man's  rights  begin,  you'll 
see,  Chainbearer.  Here  is  the  'arth,  as  I  told  you,  given 
to  man,  to  be  used  for  his  wants.  When  you  and  I  are 
born,  some  parts  of  the  world  is  in  use,  and  some  parts 
isn't.  We  want  land,  when  we  are  old  enough  to  turn  our 
hands  to  labor,  and  I  make  my  pitch  out  here  in  the 
woods,  say  where  no  man  has  pitched  afore  me.  Now 
in  my  judgment  that  makes  the  best  of  title,  the  Lord's 
title."* 

"  Well,  t'en,  you've  got  your  title  from  t'e  Lord,"  an- 
swered Chainbearer,  "  and  you've  got  your  lant.  I  s'pose 
you'll  not  take  all  t'e  'art'  t'at  is  not  yet  peoplet,  and  I 
shoult  like  to  know  how  you  wilt  run  your  lines  petween 
you  ant  your  next  neighpor.  Atmittin'  you're  here  in  t'e 
woots,  how  much  of  t'e  lant  woult  you  take  for  your  own 
religious  uses,  and  how  much  woult  you  leaf  for  t'e  next 
comer  ?" 

"  Each  man  would  take  as  much  as  was  necessary  for 
his  wants,  Chainbearer,  and  hold  as  much  as  he  possessed." 

"  Put  what  ist  wants,  ant  what  ist  possession  ?  Look 
arount  you  T'ousantacres,  and  tell  me  how  much  of  t'is 
fery  spot  you'd  haf  a  mint  to  claim,  under  your  Lort's  ti- 
tle ? " 

"  How  much  ?    As  much  as  I  have  need  on — enough  to 

*  Lest  the  reader  should  suppose  Mr.  Mordaunt  Littlepage  is  here  re- 
cording uselessly  the  silly  sayings  of  a  selfish,  ignorant,  and  vulgar  robber, 
it  may  be  well  to  add,  that  doctrines  of  a  calibre,  considered  in  respect  of 
morals  and  logic,  similar  to  this,  though  varying  according  to  circum- 
stances and  the  points  it  is  desired  to  establish,  are  constantly  published  in 
journals  devoted  to  anti-rentism  in  the  State  of  New  York,  and  men  have 
acted  on  these  principles  even  to  the  shedding  of  blood.  We  purpose, 
when  we  come  to  our  third  manuscript,  which  relates  to  movements  of  our 
immediate  time,  to  distinctly  lay  before  the  reader  some  of  these  strange 
doctrines  ;  entertaining  little  doubt  that  those  who  originally  promulgated 
them  will  scarcely  admire  their  own  theories,  when  they  see  them  intro- 
duced into  a  work  that  will  contain  the  old-fashioned  notions  of  honesty 
and  right. — EDITOR. 


2So  THE  CHAINBEARER. 

feed  me  and  mine — and  enough  for  lumber,  and  to  keep 
the  b'ys  busy.  It  would  somewhat  depend  on  sarcum- 
stances  :  I  might  want  more  at  one  time  than  at  another, 
as  b'ys  grew  up,  and  the  family  increased  in  numbers." 

"  Enough  for  lumper  how  long  ?  and  to  keep  t'e  poys 
pusy  how  long  ?  For  a  tay,  or  a  week,  or  a  life,  or  a  great 
numper  of  lifes  ?  You  must  tell  me  t'at,  Tousantacres, 
pefore  I  gif  cretit  to  your  title." 

"  Don't  be  onreasonable — don't  be  onreasonable  in  your 
questions,  Chainbearer ;  and  I'll  answer  every  one  on  'em, 
and  in  a  way  to  satisfy  you,  or  any  judgmatical  man.  How 
long  do  I  want  the  lumber?  As  long  as  I've  use  for  it. 
How  long  do  I  want  to  keep  the  b'ys  busy  ?  Till  they're 
tired  of  the  place,  and  want  to  change  works.  When  a 
man's  aweary  of  his  pitch,  let  him  give  it  up  for  another, 
selling  his  betterments,  of  course,  to  the  best  chap  he  can 
light  on." 

"  Oh  !  you't  sell  you  petterments,  woult  you  !  What ! 
sell  t'e  Lort's  title,  olt  T'ousantacres  ?  Part  wit'  Heaven's 
gift  for  t'e  value  of  poor  miseraple  silver  and  golt  ? " 

"You  don't  comprehend  Aaron,"  put  in  Prudence,  who 
saw  that  Chainbearer  was  likely  to  get  the  best  of  the  ar- 
gument, and  who  was  always  ready  to  come  to  the  rescue 
of  any  of  her  tribe,  whether  it  might  be  necessary  with 
words,  or  tooth  and  nail,  or  the  rifle.  "  You  don't,  by  no 
manner  of  means,  comprehend  Aaron,  Chainbearer.  His 
idee  is,  that  the  Lord  has  made  the  'arth  for  his  crittur's  ; 
that  any  one  that  wants  land,  has  a  right  to  take  as  much 
as  he  wants,  and  to  use  it  as  long  as  he  likes  ;  and  when 
he  has  done,  to  part  with  his  betterments  for  sich  price  as 
may  be  agreed  on." 

"  I  stick  to  that,"  joined  in  the  squatter,  with  a  loud  hem, 
like  a  man  who  was  sensible  of  relief ;  "  that's  my  idee,  and 
I'm  determined  to  live  and  die  by  it." 

"  You've  lifed  py  it,  I  know  very  well,  T'ousantacres : 
ant,  now  you're  olt,  it's  quite  likely  you'll  tie  py  it.  As 
for  comprehentin',  you  don't  comprehent  yourself.  I'll 
just  ask  you,  in  the  first  place,  how  much  lant  do  you  holt 
on  t'is  very  spot?  You're  here  squattet  so  completely  ant 
finally  as  to  haf  puilt  a  mill.  Now  tell  me  how  much  lant 
you  holt,  t'at  when  I  come  to  squat  alongsite  of  you,  our 
fences  may  not  lap  on  one  anot'er.  I  ask  a  simple  ques< 
tion,  ant  I  hope  for  a  plain  ant  straight  answer.  Show  rne 
t'e  pountaries  of  your  tomain,  ant  how  much  of  t'e  worlt 
you  claim,  ant  how  much  you  ton't  claim." 


/'//A   CHAINBEARER.  2& 

"  I've  pretty  much  answered  that  question  already, 
Chainbearer.  My  creed  is,  that  a  man  has  a  right  to  hold 
all  he  wants,  and  to  want  all  he  holds." 

"  Got  help  t'e  men,  t'en,  t'at  haf  to  carry  chain  petween 
you  and  your  neighpors,  T'ousandacres  ;  a  man's  wants  to- 
tay  may  tiffer  from  his  wants  to-morrow,  and  to-morrow 
from  t'e  next  tay,  ant  so  on  to  t'e  ent  of  time  !  On  your 
toctrine,  not'in'  woult  pe  settlet,  ant  all  woult  pe  at  sixes 
ant  sevens." 

"I  don't  think  I'm  fully  understood,  a'ter  all  that's  been 
said,"  returned  the  squatter.  "  Here's  two  men  start  in 
life  at  the  same  time,  and  both  want  farms.  Wa-a-1  ;  there's 
the  wilderness,  or  maybe  it  isn't  all  wilderness,  though  it 
once  was.  One  chooses  to  buy  out  betterments,  and  he 
does  so  ;  t'other  plunges  in,  out  o'  sight  of  humanity,  and 
makes  his  pitch.  Both  them  men's  in  the  right,  and  can 
hold  on  to  their  possessions,  I  say,  to  the  eend  of  time.  That 
is,  on  the  supposition  that  right  is  stronger  than  might." 

"Well,  well,"  answered  Chainbearer,  a  little  dryly  ;  "ant 
s'pose  one  of  your  men  torit  want  to  puy  petterments,  put 
follows  t'ot'er,  and  makes  his  pitch  in  t'e  wilterness, 
also  ?" 

"  Let  him  do't,  I  say  ;  t'is  his  right,  and  the  law  of  the 
Lord." 

"  Put,  s'pose  bot'  your  young  men  want  t'e  same  pit  of 
wilt  lant  ? " 

"  First  come,  first  sarv'd  ;  that's  my  maxim.  Let  th^ 
spryest  chap  have  the  land.  Possession's  everything  in 
settling  land  titles." 

"  Well,  t'en,  to  please  you,  T'ousandacres,  we'll  let  one 
get  aheatof  t'other,  and  haf  his  possession  first ;  how  much 
shalt  he  occupy?" 

"As  much  as  he  wants,  I've  told  you  already." 

"  Ay,  put  when  his  slower  frient  comes  along,  ant  hast 
his  wants  too,  and  wishes  to  make  his  pitch  alongsite  of 
his  olt  neighpor,  where  is  t'e  pountary  petween  'em  to  be 
fount?" 

"  Let  'em  agree  on't !  They  must  be  dreadful  poor 
neighbors,  if  they  can't  agree  on  so  small  a  matter  as 
that,"  said  Tobit,  who  was  getting  weary  of  the  argument. 

"Tobit  is  right,"  added  the  father  ;  "let  'em  agree  on 
their  line,  and  run  it  by  the  eye.  Curse  on  all  chains  and 
compasses,  say  I  !  They're  an  invention  of  the  devil,  to 
make  ill  blood  in  a  neighborhood,  and  to  keep  strife  awake, 
when  our  Bibles  tell  us  to  live  in  peace  with  all  mankind.' 


282  THE-  CHA  TNBEA  KRK. 

"  Yes,  yes,  I  understant  all  t'at,"  returned  Chainbearer,  a 
little  disdainfully.  "  A  Yankee  piple  ist  a  fery  convenient 
pook.  T'ere's  aut'ority  in  it  for  all  sort  of  toctriries  ant 
worshiping  ant  prayin',  ant  preachin',  ant  so  forth.  It's 
what  I  call  a  so-forth  piple,  Mortaunt,  and  wilt  reat  pack- 
warts  as  well  ast  forwarts  ;  put  all  t'e  chapters  into  one,  if 
necessary,  or  all  t'e  verses  into  chapters.  Sometimes  St. 
Luke  is  St.  Paul,  and  St.  John  ist  St.  Matt'ew.  I've  he'rt 
your  tominies  expount,  and  no  two  expount  alike.  Novel- 
ties ist  t'e  religion  of  New  Englant,  ant  novelties,  in  t'e 
shape  of  ot'er  men's  lants,  is  t'e  creet  of  her  lofely  chiltren  ! 
Oh  !  yes,  I've  seen  a  Yankee  piple  !  Put,  this  toesn't  set- 
tle out  two  squatters  ;  bot'  of  whom  wants  a  sartain  hill 
for  its  lumper  ;  now.  which  is  to  haf  it  ?  " 

"  The  man  that  got  there  first,  I've  told  you,  old  Chain- 
bearer,  and  once  tellin'  is  as  good  as  a  thousand.  If  the 
first  comer  looked  on  that  hill,  and  said  to  himself,  '  that 
hill's  mine,'  't  is  his'n." 

"  Well,  t'at  ist  making  property  fast  ;  Wast  t'at  t'e  way, 
T'ousantacres,  t'at  you  took  up  your  estate  on  t'e  Moose- 
ridge  property  ? " 

"  Sartain — I  want  no  better  title.  I  got  here  first,  and 
tuck  up  the  land,  and  shall  continue  to  tuck  it  up,  as  I 
want  it.  There's  no  use  in  being  mealy-mouthed,  for  I 
like  to  speak  out,  though  the  landlord's  son  be  by  !" 

"  Oh  !  you  speak  out  lout  enouf,  ant  plain  ejiouf,  and  I 
shoultn't  wonter  if  you  got  tucket  up  yourself,  one  tay, 
for  your  pains.  Here  ist  a  tifficulty,  however,  t'at  I'll  just 
mention,  T'ousantacres,  for  your  consiteration.  You  take 
possession  of  timper-lant,  by  lookin'  at  it,  you  say — 

"  Even  lookin'  at  isn't  necessary,"  returned  the  squatter, 
eager  to  widen  the  grasp  of  his  rights.  "  It's  enough  that 
a  man  wants  the  land,  and  he  comes,  or  sends  to  secure  it. 
Possession  is  everything,  and  I  call  it  possession,  to  crave 
a  spot,  and  to  make  some  sort  of  calkerlation,  or  works, 
reasonably  near  it.  That  gives  a  right  to  cut  and  clear, 
and  when  a  clearin's  begun,  it's  betterments,  and  every- 
body allows  that  betterments  may  be  both  bought  and 
sold." 

"  Well,  now  we  understant  each  o'ter.  Put  here  ist  t'e 
small  tifficulty  I  woult  mention.  One  General  Littlepage 
and  one  Colonel  Follock  took  a  fancy  to  t'is  spot  long  pe- 
fore  t'e  olt  French  war  ;  ant  pesites  fancyin'  t'e  place,  and 
sentin'  messengers  to  look  at  it,  t'ey  pought  out  t'e  Injin 
right  in  t'e  first  place  ;  t'en  t'ey  pought  of  t'e  king,  who 


THE  CHAINBEARER.  283 

hat  all  t'e  lant  in  t'e  country,  at  t'at  time,  ast  hatn't  ot'er 
owners.  T'en  t'ey  sent  surfeyors  to  run  t'e  lines,  ant  t'em 
very  surfeyors  passet  along  py  t'is  river,  ast  I  know  py  t'eir 
fielt-pooks  (field-books)  :  t'en  more  surfeyors  wast  sent  out 
to  tivite  it  into  great  lots,  ant  now  more  still  haf  come  to 
tivite  it  into  small  lots  :  ant  t'ey've  paid  quit-rents  for  many 
years,  ant  tone  ot'er  t'ings  to  prove  t'ey  want  t'is  place  as 
much  as  you  want  it  yourself.  T'ey  haf  hat  it  more  ast  a 
quarter  of  a  century,  ant  exerciset  ownership  over  it  all 
t'at  time  ;  ant  wantet  it  very  much  t'e  whole  of  t'at  quarter 
of  a  century,  ant,  if  t'e  truit'  was  sait,  want  it  still." 

A  long  pause  followed  this  statement,  during  which  the 
different  members  of  the  family  looked  at  each  other,  as  if 
in  quest  of  support.  The  idea  of  there  being  any  other 
side  to  the  question  than  that  they  had  been  long  accus- 
tomed to  consider  so  intently,  was  novel  to  them,  and  they 
were  a  little  bewildered  by  the  extraordinary  circumstance. 
This  is  one  of  the  great  difficulties  under  which  the  inhab- 
itant of  a  narrow  district  labors,  in  all  that  pertains  to  his 
personal  notions  and  tastes,  and  a  good  deal  in  what  re- 
lates to  his  principles.  This  it  is  that  makes  the  true  pro- 
vincial, with  his  narrow  views,  set  notions,  conceit,  and 
unhesitating  likes  and  dislikes.  When  one  looks  around 
him  and  sees  how  very  few  are  qualified,  by  experience 
and  knowledge  of  the  world,  to  utter  opinions  at  all,  he  is 
apt  to  be  astonished  at  finding  how  many  there  are  that  do 
it.  I  make  no  doubt  that  the  family  of  Thousandacres 
were  just  as  well  satisfied  with  their  land-ethics,  as  Paley 
ever  could  have  been  with  his  moral  philosophy,  or  New- 
ton with  his  mathematical  demonstrations. 

"  I  don't  wonter  you're  callet  T'ousantacres,  Aaron  Tim- 
perman,"  continued  Chainbearer,  pushing  his  advantage, 
"for  wit'  such  a  title  to  your  estate,  you  might  as  well  pe 
tarmet  Ten  T'ousantacres  at  once,  ant  more,  too  !  Nay,  I 
wonter,  while  your  eyes  was  trawin'  up  title  teets,  t'at  you 
shoult  haf  peen  so  moferate,  for  it  was  just  as  easy  to  possess 
a  patent  on  t'at  sort  of  right,  as  to  possess  a  single  farm." 

But  Thousandacres  had  made  up  his  mind  to  pursue  the 
subject  no  further  ;  and  while  it  was  easy  to  see  what  fiery 
passions  were  burning  within  him,  he  seemed  now  bent  on 
bringing  a  conference,  from  which  he  doubtless  expected 
different  results,  to  a  sudden  close.  It  was  with  difficulty 
that  he  suppressed  the  volcano  that  was  raging  within,  but 
he  so  far  succeeded  as  to  command  Tobit  to  shut  up  his 
prisoner  again, 


284  THE  CHAINBEARER. 

"  Take  him  away,  b'ys,  take  him  back  to  the  store'us'," 
said  the  old  squatter,  rising  and  moving  a  little  on  one  side 
to  permit  Andries  to  pass,  as  if  afraid  to  trust  himself  too 
near  ;  "  he  was  born  the  sarvent  of  the  rich,  and  will  die 
their  sarvent.  Chains  be  good  enough  for  him,  and  I 
wish  him  no  greater  harm  than  to  carry  chains  the  rest  of 
his  days." 

"  Oh !  you're  a  true  son  of  liperty  ! "  called  out  the 
Chainbearer,  as  he  quietly  returned  to  his  prison  ;  "  a  true 
son  of  liperty,  accordin'  to  your  own  conceit !  You  want 
eferyt'ing  in  your  own  way,  and  eferyt'ing  in  your  own 
pocket.  T'e  Lort's  law  is  a  law  for  T'ousantacres,  put  not 
a  law  to  care  for  Cornelius  Littlepage  or  Tirck  Pollock  !  " 

Although  my  old  friend  was  escorted  to  his  prison,  no 
attempt  was  made  to  remove  me.  On  the  contrary,  Pru- 
dence joined  her  husband  without, followed  byall  her  young 
fry,  and  for  a  moment  I  fancied  myself  forgotten  and  de- 
serted. A  movement  in  one  corner  of  the  room,  however, 
drew  my  attention  there,  and  I  saw  Lowiny  standing  on 
tiptoe,  with  a  finger  on  her  lips,  the  sign  of  silence,  while 
she  made  eager  gestures  with  the  other  hand  for  me  to  en- 
ter a  small  passage  that  communicated,  by -means  of  a  lad- 
der, with  the  loft  of  the  hut.  My  moccasons  were  now  of 
great  advantage  to  me.  Without  pausing  to  reflect  on 
consequences,  or  to  look  around,  I  did  as  directed,  drawing- 
to  the  door  after  me.  There  was  a  small  window  in  the 
sort  of  passage  in  which  I  now  found  myself  alone  with 
the  girl,  and  my  first  impulse  was  to  force  my  body  through 
it,  for  it  had  neither  glass  nor  sash,  but  Lowiny  caught  my 
arms. 

"  Lord  ha'  massy  on  us  !  "  whispered  the  girl — "  you'd 
be  seen  and  taken,  or  shot !  For  your  life  don't  go  out 
there  now.  Here's  a  hole  for  a  cellar,  and  there's  the 
trap — go  down  there,  and  wait  'till  you  hear  news  from 
me." 

There  was  no  time  for  deliberation,  and  the  sight  of 
Chainbearer's  escort,  as  they  proceeded  toward  the  store- 
house, satisfied  me  that  the  girl  was  right.  She  held  up 
the  trap,  and  I  descended  into  the  hole  that  answered  the 
purposes  of  a  cellar.  I  heard  Lowiny  draw  a  chest  over 
the  trap,  and  then  I  fancied  I  could  distinguish  the  creak- 
ing of  the  rounds  of  the  ladder,  as  she  went  up  into  the 
loft,  which  was  the  place  where  she  usually  slept. 

All  this  occurred  literally  in  about  one  minute  of  time. 
Another  minute  may  have  passed,  when  I  heard  the  heav} 


THE  CHAINBEARER.  285 

tread  of  Thotisandacres'  foot  on  the  floor  above  me,  and  the 
clamor  of  many  voices,  all  speaking  at  once.  It  was  evi- 
dent that  I  was  missed,  and  a  search  had  already  been 
commenced.  For  half  a  minute  nothing  was  very  intelli- 
gible to  me  ;  then  I  heard  the  shrill  voice  of  Prudence  call- 
ing for  Lowiny. 

"  Lowiny — you  Lowiny  !  "  she  cried — "  where  has  the  gal 
got  to?" 

"I'm  here,"  mother" — answered  my  friend,  from  her 
loft — "  you  told  me  to  come  up,  and  look  for  your  new 
Bible." 

I  presume  this  was  true  ;  for  Prudence  had  really  des- 
patched the  girl  on  that  errand,  and  it  must  have  sufficed  to 
lull  any  suspicions  of  her  daughter's  being  connected  with 
my  disappearance,  if  any  such  had  been  awakened.  The 
movement  of  footsteps  was  now  quick  over  my  head,  those 
of  several  men  being  among  them  ;  and  in  the  confusion  of 
voices,  I  heard  that  of  Lowiny,  who  must  have  descended 
the  ladder  and  joined  in  the  search. 

"  He  mustn't  be  allowed  to  get  off,  on  no  account,"  said 
Thousandacres  aloud,  "  or  we're  all  ondone.  ,  Everything 
we  have  will  fall  into  their  hands,  and  mill,  logs,  and  all, 
will  be  utterly  lost.  We  shan't  even  have  time  to  get  off 
the  gear  and  the  household  stuff." 

"  He's  up-stairs  " — cried  one — "  he  must  be  down  cellar," 
said  another.  Steps  went  up  the  ladder,  and  I  heard  the 
chest  drawn  from  the  trap  ;  and  a  stream  of  light  entering 
the  place,  notified  me  that  the  trap  was  raised.  The  place 
I  was  in  was  a  hole  t\venty  feet  square,  roughly  walled  with 
stones,  and  nearly  empty,  though  it.  did  contain  a  meat- 
barrel  or  two,  and  a  few  old  tubs.  In  the  winter,  it  would 
have  been  filled  with  vegetables.  There  wras  no  place  to 
hide  in,  and  an  attempt  at  concealment  would  have  led  to 
a  discovery.  I  withdrew  to  a  corner,  in  a  part  of  the  cel- 
lar that  was  quite  dark,  but  thought  myself  lost  when  I 
saw  a  pair  of  legs  descending  the  ladder.  Almost  at  the 
same  moment,  three  of  the  men  and  two  of  the  women 
came  into  the  hole,  a  fourth  female,  whom  I  afterward  as- 
certained to  be  Lowiny  herself,  standing  in  the  trap  in 
such  a  way  as  to  double  the  darkness  below.  The  first  man 
who  got  down  began  to  tumble  the  tubs  about,  and  to  look 
into  the  corners  ;  and  the  lucky  thought  occurred  to  me  to 
do  the  same  thing.  By  keeping  as  busy  as  the  rest  of 
them,  I  actually  escaped  detection  in  the  dark  ;  and  Tobit 
soon  rushed  to  the  ladder,  calling  out?  "the  window — the. 


286  THE  CHAINBEARER. 

window — he's  not  here — the  window  !  "  In  half  a  minute 
the  cellar  was  empty  again  ;  or  no  one  remained  but  my- 
self. 

At  first  I  had  great  difficulty  in  believing  in  my  good 
luck  ;  but  the  trap  fell,  and  the  profound  stillness  of  the 
place  satisfied  me  that  I  had  avoided  that  danger,  at  least. 
This  escape  was  so  singular  and  unexpected,  that  I  could 
hardly  believe  in  its  reality  ;  though  real  it  was,  to  all  in- 
tents and  purposes.  The  absurd  often  strikes  the  imagi- 
nation in  an  absurd  way  ;  and  so  it  proved  with  me  on  this 
occasion.  I  sat  down  on  a  tub  and  laughed  heartily,  when 
I  felt  absolutely  certain  all  was  right,  holding  my  sides  lest 
the  sound  of  my  voice  might  yet  betray  me.  Lowiny  was 
similarly  infected,  for  I  heard  peals  of  girlish  laughter  from 
her,  as  her  brothers  tumbled  about  barrels,  and  tubs,  and 
bedsteads,  in  the  upper  part  of  the  building,  in  their  fruit- 
less and  hurried  search.  This  merriment  did  not  pass  un- 
rebuked,  however  ;  Prudence  lending  her  daughter  a  box 
on  the  side  of  the  head,  that,  in  one  sense,  reached  even 
my  ears  ;  though  it  probably  aided  in  saving  the  girl  from 
the  suspicion  of  being  in  my  secret,  by  the  very  natural 
character  of  her  girlish  indulgence.  Two  or  three  minutes 
after  the  trap  closed  on  me  for  the  second  time,  the  sounds 
of  footsteps  and  voices  overhead  ceased,  and  the  hut  seemed 
deserted. 

My  situation  now  was  far  from  comfortable.  Confined 
in  a  dark  cellar,  with  no  means  of  escaping  but  by  the  trap, 
and  the  almost  certainty  of  falling  into  the  hands  of  my 
captors,  should  I  attempt  such  a  thing,  I  now  began  to  re- 
gret having  entered  so  readily  into  Lowiny's  scheme. 
There  would  be  a  certain  loss  of  dignity  in  a  recapture, 
that  was  not  pleasant  in  itself  ;  and  I  will  own,  I  began  to 
have  some  doubts  of  my  eventual  safety,  should  I  again 
come  under  the  control  of  such  spirits  as  those  of  Thou- 
sandacres  and  his  eldest  son.  Buried  in  that  cellar,  I  was 
in  a  manner  placed  immediately  beneath  those  whose  aim 
it  was  to  secure  me,  rendering  escape  impossible,  and  de- 
tection nearly  unavoidable. 

Such  were  my  meditations  when  light  again  streamed 
into  the  cellar.  The  trap  was  raised,  and  presently  I  heard 
my  name  uttered  in  a  whisper.  Advancing  to  the  ladder, 
I  saw  Lowiny  holding  the  door,  and  beckoning  for  me  to 
ascend.  I  followed  her  directions  blindly,  and  was  soon  at 
her  side.  The  girl  was  nearly  convulsed  between  dread  of 
detection  and  a  desire  to  laugh  ;  my  emerging  from  the 


THE  C  HA  I  DREARER.  287 

/  cellar  recalling  to  her  imagination  all  the  ludicrous  circum- 
stances of  the  late  search. 

"  Warn't  it  queer  that  none  on  'em  know'd  you  !  "  she 
whispered ;  then  commanding  silence  by  a  hasty  gesture. 
"  Don't  speak  ;  for  they're  s'archin'  still,  cluss  by,  and 
some  on  'em  may  follow  me  here.  I  wanted  to  get  you  out 
of  the  cellar,  as  some  of  the  young-uns  will  be  rummagin' 
there  soon  for  pork  for  supper  ;  and  their  eyes  are  as  sharp 
as  needles.  Don't  you  think  you  could  crawl  into  the  mill  ? 
It's  stopped  now,  and  wun't  be  goin'  ag'in  till  this  stir's 
over." 

"  I  should  be  seen,  my  good  girl,  if  any  of  your  people 
are  looking  for  me  near  at  hand." 

"  I  don't  know  that.  Come  to  the  door,  and  you'll  see 
there  is  a  way.  Everybody's  lookin'  on  the  right  side  of 
this  house ;  and  by  creepin'  as  far  as  them  logs,  you'd  be 
pretty  safe.  If  you  reach  the  mill  safely,  climb  up  into 
the  loft." 

I  took  a  moment  to  survey  the  chances.  At  the  distance 
of  a  hundred  feet  from  the  house  there  commenced  a  large 
bed  of  saw-logs,  which  were  lying  alongside  of  each  other  ; 
and  the  timber  being  from  two  to  four  feet  in  diameter,  it 
would  be  very  possible  to  creep  among  it,  up  to  the  mill 
itself,  into  which  even  several  of  the  logs  had  been  rolled. 
The  great  difficulty  would  be  in  reaching  the  logs  through 
a  perfectly  open  space.  The  house  would  be  a  cover,  as 
against  most  of  the  family,  who  were  busy  examining 
everything  like  a  cover  on  its  opposite  side  ;  no  one  sup- 
posing for  a  moment  I  could  be  near  the  mill,  inasmuch 
as  it  stood"  directly  in  front  of  the  spot  where  the  crowd 
was  collected  at  the  moment  of  my  sudden  disappearance. 
But  the  boys  and  girls  were  flying  around  in  all  directions  ; 
rendering  it  uncertain  how  long  they  would  remain  in  a 
place,  or  how  long  their  eyes  would  be  turned  away  from 
my  path. 

It  was  necessary  to  do  something,  and  I  determined  to 
make  an  effort.  Throwing  myself  on  the  ground,  I  crawled, 
rather  slowly  than  fast,  across  that  terrible  space,  and  got 
safely  among  the  logs.  As  there  was  no  outcry,  I  knew  I 
had  not  been  seen.  It  was  now  comparatively  easy  to 
reach  the  mill.  Another  dangerous  experiment,  however, 
was  to  expose  my  person  by  climbing  up  to  the  loft.  I 
could  not  do  this  without  running  the  risk  of  being  seen  ; 
and  I  felt  the  necessity  of  using  great  caution.  I  first 
raised  my  head  high  enough  to  survey  the  state  of  things 


288  T#J5  CHAINBEARKR. 

without  Luckily  the  house  was  still  between  me  and 
most  of  my  enemies  ;  though  the  small  fry  constantly  came 
into  view  and  vanished.  I  looked  around  for  a  spot  to 
ascend,  and  took  a  final  survey  of  the  scene.  There  stoo$ 
Lowiny  in  the  door  of  the  hut,  her  hands  clasped,  and  her 
whole  air  expressive  of  concern.  She  saw  my  head,  I 
knew,  and  I  made  a  gesture  of  encouragement,  which 
caused  her  to  start.  At  the  next  instant  my  foot  was  on  a 
brace,  and  my  body  was  rising  to  the  beams  above.  I  do 
not  think  my  person  was  uncovered  ten  seconds  ;  and  no 
clamor  succeeded.  I  now  felt  there  were  really  some 
chances  of  my  finally  effecting  an  escape,  and  glad  enough 
was  I  to  think  so. 


CHAPTER    XXIII. 

"Alone,  amid  the  shades, 
Still  in  harmonious  intercourse  they  liv'd 
The  rural  day,  and  talked  the  flowing  heart, 
Or  sigh'd,  and  looked  unutterable  things." 

— THOMSON. 

THAT  was  a  somewhat  breathless  moment.  The  intensity 
with  which  I  had  listened  for  any  sound  that  might  an- 
nounce my  discovery,  was  really  painful.  I  almost  fancied 
I  heard  a  shout,  but  none  came.  Then  I  gave  myself  up, 
actually  believing  that  footsteps  were  rushing  toward  the 
mill,  with  a  view  to  seize  me.  It  was  imagination  ;  the 
rushing  of  the  waters  below  being  the  only  real  sound  that 
disturbed  the  silence  of  the  place.  I  had  time  to  breathe 
and  to  look  about  me. 

As  might  be  supposed,  the  mill  was  very  rudely  con- 
structed. 1  have  spoken  of  a  loft,  but  there  was  nothing 
that  really  deserved  the  term.  Some  refuse  boards  were 
laid  about,  here  and  there,  on  the  beams,  making  fragments 
of  rough  flooring  ;  and  my  first  care  was  to  draw  several 
of  these  boards  close  together,  placing  them  two  or  three 
in  thickness,  so  as  to  make  a  place  where,  by  lying  down, 
I  could  not  be  seen  by  any  one  who  should  happen  to 
enter  the  mill.  There  lay  what  the  millers  call  a  bunch  of 
cherry-wood  boards  at  no  great  distance  from  the  spot 
where  the  roof  joined  the  plate  of  the  building,  and  with- 
in this  bunch  I  arranged  my  hiding-place.  No  ostensible 
change  war;  necessary  to  complete  it,  else  the  experiment 
might  have  been  hazardous  among  those  who  were  so  much 


THE  CHAINBEARER.  289 

accustomed  to  note  circumstances  of  that  nature.  The 
manner  in  which  the  lumber  was  arranged  when  I  reached 
the  spot  was  so  little  different  from  what  it  was  when  I  had 
done  with  it,  as  scarcely  to  attract  attention. 

No.sooner  was  my  hiding-place  completed  to  my  mind, 
than  I  looked  round  to  see  if  there  were  any  means  of 
making  observations  without.  The  building  was  not 
shingled,  but  the  rain  was  kept  out  by  placing  slabs  up 
and  down,  as  is  often  seen  in  the  ruder  rustic  frontier 
architecture  of  America.  With  the  aid  of  my  knife  I  soon 
had  a  small  hole  between  two  of  these  slabs,  at  a  place 
favorable  to  such  an  object ;  and  though  it  was  no  larger 
than  the  eye  itself,  it  answered  every  purpose.  Eagerly 
enough  did  I  now  commence  my  survey. 

The  search  was  still  going  on  actively.  Those  experi- 
enced bordermen  well  knew  it  was  not  possible  for  me  to 
cross  the  open  ground  and  to  reach  the  woods  in  the  short 
interval  of  time  between  my  disappearance  and  their  dis- 
covery of  the  fact,  and  they  consequently  felt  certain  that 
I  was  secreted  somewhere  near  the  building.  Every  house 
had  been  searched,  though  no  one  thought  of  entering  the 
mill,  because  my  movement,  as  all  supposed,  was  neces- 
sarily in  an  opposite  direction.  The  fences  were  exam- 
ined, and  everything  like  a  cover  on  the  proper  side  of  the 
house  was  looked  into  with  care  and  activity.  It  would 
seem  that,  just  as  I  took  my  first  look  through  the  hole, 
my  pursuers  were  at  fault.  The  search  had  been  made, 
and  of  course  without  effect.  Nothing  likely  to  conceal 
me  remained  to  be  examined.  It  was  necessary  to  come 
to  a  stand,  and  to  concert  measures  for  a  further  search. 

The  family  of  squatters  were  too  much  accustomed  to 
their  situation  and  its  hazards,  not  to  be  familiar  with  all 
the  expedients  necessary  to  their  circumstances.  They 
placed  the  younger  children  on  the  look-out,  at  the  points 
most  favorable  to  my  retreat,  should  I  be  in  a  situation  to 
attempt  going  off  in  that  quarter  of  the  clearing  ;  and  then 
the  father  collected  his  older  sons  around  him,  and  the  whole 
cluster  of  them,  seven  in  number,  came  slowly  walking  to- 
ward the  mill.  The  excitement  of  the  first  pursuit  had 
sensibly  abated,  and  these  practised  woodsmen  were  in 
serious  consultation  on  the  measures  next  to  be  taken.  In 
this  condition  the  whole  party  entered  the  mill,  taking 
their  seats,  or  standing  directly  beneath  my  post,  and  with- 
in six  feet  of  me.  As  a  matter  of  course,  I  heard  all  that 
was  said,  though  completely  hid  from  view. 

19 


290  THE  CHAINBEARER* 

u  Here  we  shall  be  safe  from  the  long  ears  of  little  folks, ' 
said  the  father,  as  he  placed  his  own  large  frame  on  the  log 
that  was  next  to  be  sawed.  "  This  has  been  a  most  onao 
countable  thing,  Tobit,  and  I'd  no  idee  at  all  them  'ere 
city-bred  gentry  was  so  expart  with  their  legs.  I  some- 
times think  he  can't  be  a  Littlepage,  but  that  he's  one  of 
our  hill  folks,  tossed  out  and  mannered  a'ter  the  towns' 
folks,  to  take  a  body  in.  It  seems  an  onpossibility  that 
the  man  should  get  off,  out  of  the  midst  on  us,  and  we  not 
see  or  hear  anything  on  him." 

"  We  may  as  well  give  up  the  lumber  and  the  better- 
ments, at  once,"  growled  Tobit,  "as  let  him  get  clear. 
Should  he  reach  Ravensnest,  the  first  thing  he'd  do  would 
be  to  swear  out  warrants  ag'n  us  all,  and  Newcome  is  not 
the  man  to  stand  by  squatters  in  trouble.  He'd  no  more 
dare  deny  his  landlord,  than  deny  his  meetin'." 

This  expression  of  Tobit's  is  worthy  of  notice.  In  the 
estimation  of  a  certain  class  of  religionists  among  us,  the 
"meetin',"  as  the  young  squatter  called  his  church,  had 
the  highest  place  in  his  estimate  of  potentates  and  powers ; 
it  is  to  be  feared,  often  even  higher  than  the  dread  Being 
for  whose  worship  that  "  meetin'  "  existed. 

"  I  don't  think  as  hard  of  the  'squire  as  all  that,"  an- 
swered Thousandacres.  "  He'll  never  send  out  a  warrant 
ag'in  us,  without  sendin'  out  a  messenger  to  let  us  hear  of 
it,  and  that  in  time  to  get  us  all  out  of  the  way." 

"  And  who's  to  get  the  boards  in  the  creek  out  of  the  way 
afore  the  water  rises  ?  And  who's  to  hide  or  carry  off  all 
them  logs  ?  There's  more  than  a  ton  weight  of  my  blood 
and  bones  in  them  very  logs,  in  the  shape  of  hard  labor, 
and  I'll  fight  like  a  she-bear  for  her  cubs  afore  I'll  be 
driven  from  them  without  pay." 

It  is  very  surprising  that  one  who  set  this  desperate 
value  on  the  property  he  deemed  his,  should  have  so  little 
regard  for  that  which  belonged  to  other  persons.  In  this 
respect,  however,  Tobit's  feeling  was  no  more  than  sub- 
mission to  the  general  law  of  our  nature,  which  reverses 
the  images  before  our  moral  vision,  precisely  as  we  change 
our  own  relations  to  them. 

"  It  would  go  hard  with  me  afore  I  should  give  up  the  lum- 
ber or  the  clearin',"  returned  Thousandacres,  with  emphasis. 
"We've  fit  King  George  for  liberty,  and  why  shouldn't  we 
fight  for  our  property  ?  Of  what  use  is  liberty  at  all,  if  it 
won't  bear  a  man  harmless  out  of  a  job  of  this  sort  ?  I  de- 
spise sich  liberty,  b'ys,  and  want  none  on  it." 


THE  CHA1NBEARER.  291 

All  the  young  men  muttered  their  approbation  of  such 
j  sentiment,  and  it  was  easy  enough  to  understand  that 
the  elevated  notion  of  personal  rights  entertained  by 
Thousandacres  found  an  answering  echo  in  the  bosom 
of  each  of  his  heroic  sons.  I  dare  say  the  same  sym- 
pathy would  have  existed  between  them,  had  they  been 
a  gang  of  pickpockets  collected  in  council  in  a  room 
of  the  Black  Horse,  St.  Catharine's  Lane,  Wapping, 
London. 

"  But  what  can  we  do  with  the  young  chap,  father, 
should  we  take  him  ag'in  ?  "  asked  Zephaniah  ;  a  ques- 
tion, as  all  will  see,  of  some  interest  to  myself.  "  He 
can't  be  kept  a  great  while  without  having  a  stir  made 
a'ter  him,  and  that  would  break  us  up,  sooner  or  later. 
We  may  have  a  clear  right  to  the  work  of  our  hand ; 
but,  on  the  whull,  I  rather  conclude  the  country  is  ag'in 
squatters." 

"  Who  cares  for  the  country  ? "  answered  Thousandacres 
fiercely.  "  If  it  wants  young  Littlepage,  let  it  come  and 
s'arch  for  him,  as  we've  been  doin'.  If  that  chap  falls  into 
my  hands  once  more,  he  never  quits  'em  alive,  unless  he 
gives  me  a  good  and  sufficient  deed  to  two  hundred  acres, 
includin'  the  mill,  and  a  receipt  in  full,  on  his  father's  be- 
half, for  all  back  claims.  On  them  two  principles  my  mind 
is  set,  and  not  to  be  altered." 

A  long  pause  succeeded  this  bold  announcement,  and  I 
began  to  be  afraid  that  my  suppressed  breathing  might  be 
overheard  in  the  profound  stillness  that  followed.  But 
Zephaniah  spoke  in  time  to  relieve  me  from  this  appre- 
hension, and  in  a  way  to  satisfy  me  that  the  party  below, 
all  of  whom  were  concealed  from  my  sight,  had  been  pon- 
dering on  what  had  been  said  by  their  leader,  and  not  listen- 
ing to  detect  any  tell-tale  sounds  from  me. 

"  I've  heern  say,"  Zephaniah  remarked,  "  that  deeds  gi'n 
in  that  way  won't  stand  good  in  law.  'Squire  Newcome 
was  talkin'  of  sich  transactions  the  very  last  time  I  was  out 
at  the  Nest." 

"  I  wish  a  body  could  find  out  what  would  stand  good  in 
law  !  "  growled  Thousandacres.  "  They  make  their  laws, 
and  lay  great  account  in  havin'  em  obsarved  ;  and  then, 
when  a  man  comes  into  court  with  everything  done  accord- 
in'  to  their  own  rules,  five  or  six  attorneys  start  up  and 
bawl  out,  '  This  is  ag'in  law  ! '  If  a  deed  is  to  set  forth  so 
and  so,  and  is  to  have  what  they  call  '  hand  and  seal  and 
date '  beside  ;  and  sich  bein'  the  law,  I  want  to  know  why 


292  THE  CHA1NBEARER. 

an  instrument  so  made  won't  hold  good  by  their  con- 
founded laws  ?  Law  is  law,  all  over  the  world,  I  s'pose  ; 
and  though  it's  an  accursed  thing,  if  men  agree  to  have  it 
they  ought  to  stand  by  their  own  rules.  I've  thought  a 
good  deal  of  squeezin'  writin's  out  of  this  young  Little- 
page  ;  and  just  as  my  mind's  made  up  to  do't,  if  I  can  lay 
hands  on  him  ag'in,  you  come  out  and  tell  me  sich  writin's 
be  good  for  nothin'.  Zeph,  Zeph — you  go  too  often  out 
into  them  settlements,  and  get  your  mind  perverted  by 
their  wickedness  and  talk." 

"  I  hope  not,  father,  though  I  own  I  do  like  to  go  there. 
I've  come  to  a  time  of  life  when  a  man  thinks  of  marryin', 
and  there  bein'  no  gal  here,  unless  it  be  one  of  my  own 
sisters,  it's  nat'ral  to  look  into  the  next  settlement.  I'll 
own  sich  has  been  my  object  in  going  to  the  Nest." 

"  And  you've  found  the  gal  you  set  store  by  ?  Out  with 
the  whull  truth,  like  a  man.  You  know  I've  always  been 
set  ag'in  lyin',  and  have  ever  endeavored  to  make  the 
whull  of  you  speak  truth.  How  is  it,  Zephaniah  ?  have 
you  found  a  gal  to  your  mind,  and  who  is't  ?  Ourn  is  a 
family  into  which  anybody  can  come  by  askin',  you  will 
remember." 

"  Lord,  father  !  Dus  Malbone  would  no  more  think  of 
askin'  me  to  have  her,  than  she'd  think  of  marryin'  you  ! 
I've  offered  three  times,  and  she's  told  me,  as  plain  as  a 
woman  could  speak,  that  she  couldn't  nohow  consent,  and 
that  I  hadn't  ought  to  think  of  her  any  longer." 

"  Who  is  the  gal,  in  this  part  of  the  country,  that  holds 
her  head  so  much  higher  than  one  of  Thousandacres' 
sons?"  demanded  the  old  squatter,  with  some  such  sur- 
prise, real  or  affected,  as  a  Bourbon  might  be  supposed  to 
feel  at  having  his  alliance  spurned  on  the  score  of  blood. 
"  I'd  like  to  see  her,  and  to  convarse  with  this  young 
woman.  What  did  you  call  her  name,  Zeph  ? " 

"  Dus  Malbone,  father,  and  the  young  woman  that  lives 
with  Chainbearer.  She's  his  niece,  I  b'lieve,  or  something 
of  that  sort." 

"  Ha  !  Chainbearer's  niece,  d'ye  say  ?  His  taken  da'gh- 
ter.  Isn't  there  some  mistake?" 

"  Dus  Malbone  calls  old  Andries  *  Uncle  Chainbearer/ 
and  I  s'pose  from  that  she's  his  niece." 

"  And  you've  offered  to  marry  the  gal  three  times,  d'ye 
tell  me,  Zephaniah  ?  " 

"Three  times,  father  ;  and  every  time  she  has  given  '  no1 
for  her  answer." 


THE .  CHA INBEA  RER.  293 

"The  fourth  time,  maybe,  she'll  change  her  mind.  I 
wonder  if  we  couldn't  lay  hands  on  this  gal,  and  bring  her 
into  our  settlement  ?  Does  she  live  with  Chainbearer,  in 
his  hut  out  here  in  the  woods  ? " 

"She  doos,  father." 

"  And  doos  she  set  store  by  her  uncle  ?  or  is  she  one  of 
the  flaunty  sort  that  thinks  more  of  herself  and  gownd 
than  she  does  of  her  own  flesh  and  blood  ?  Can  you  tell 
me  that,  Zeph  ?  " 

"In  my  judgment,  father,  Dus  Malbone  loves  Chain- 
bearer  as  much  as  she  would  was  he  her  own  father." 

"  Ay,  some  gals  haven't  half  the  riverence  and  love  for 
their  own  fathers  that  they  should  have.  What's  to  prevint 
your  goin',  Zephaniah,  to  Chainbearer's  pitch,  and  tell  the 
gal  that  her  uncle's  in  distress,  and  that  you  don't  know 
what  may  happen  to  him,  and  that  she  had  better  come 
over  and  see  a'ter  him  ?  When  we  get  her  here,  and  she 
understands  the  natur'  of  the  case,  and  you  put  on  your 
Sabba'-day  clothes,  and  we  send  for  'Squire  Newcome,  you 
may  find  yourself  a  married  man  sooner  than  you  thought 
for,  my  son,  and  settle  down  in  life.  A'ter  that,  there'll 
not  be  much  danger  of  Chainbearer's  tellin'  on  us,  or  of 
his  great  fri'nd  here,  this  Major  Littlepage's*  troublin'  the 
lumber  afore  the  water  rises." 

A  murmur  of  applause  followed  this  notable  proposal, 
and  I  fancied  I  could  hear  a  snigger  from  the  young  man, 
as  if  he  found  the  project  to  his  mind,  and  thought  it  might 
be  feasible. 

"  Father,"  said  Zephaniah,  "  I  wish  you'd  call  Lowiny 
here,  and  talk  to  her  a  little  about  Dus  Malbone.  There 
she  is,  with  Tobit's  wife  and  mother,  looking  round 
anifcng  the  cabbages,  as  if  a  man  could  be  hid  in  such 
a  place." 

Thousandacres  called  to  his  daughter  in  an  authoritative 
way  ;  and  I  soon  heard  the  girl's  step,  as  she  came,  a  little 
hesitatingly,  as  I  fancied,  into  the  mill.  As  it  would  be 
very  natural  to  one  in  Lowiny's  situation  to  suppose  that 
her  connection  with  my  escape  occasioned  this  summons, 
I  could  not  but  feel  for  what  I  presumed  was  the  poor 
girl's  distress  at  receiving  it. 

"Come  here,  Lowiny,"  commenced  Thousandacres,  in 
the  stern  manner  with  which  it  was  his  wont  to  speak  to 
his  children  ;  "come  nearer,  gal.  Do  you  know  anything 
of  one  Dus  Malbone,  Chainbearer's  niece?" 

"  Lord  ha'  massy!    Father,  how  you  did  frighten  me  !    I 


294  THE  CHAINBEARER. 

thought  you  might  have  found  the  gentleman,  and  s'posed 
I'd  a  hand  in  helpin'  to  hide  him  !"" 

Singular  as  it  may  seem,  this  burst  of  conscience  awak- 
ened no  suspicion  in  any  of  the  listeners.  When  the  girl 
thus  betrayed  herself,  I  very  naturally  expected  that  such 
an  examination  would  follow  as  would  extort  the  whole 
details  from  her.  Not  at  all,  however  ;  neither  the  father 
nor  any  of  the  sons  understood  the  indiscreet  remarks  of 
the  girl,  but  imputed  them  to  the  excitement  that  had  just 
existed,  and  the  circumstance  that  her  mind  had,  natural- 
ly enough,  been  dwelling  on  its  cause.  It  is  probable  that 
the  very  accidental  manner  of  my  evasion,  which  precluded 
the  attaching  of  suspicious  facts  to  what  had  really  oc- 
curred, favored  Lowiny  on  this  occasion  ;  it  being  impos- 
sible that  she  should  be  suspected  of  anything  of  that 
character. 

"Who's  talkin'  or  thinkin'  now  of  young  Littlepage,  at 
all  ?  "  returned  Thousandacres,  a  little  angrily.-  "  I  ask  if 
you  know  anything  of  Chainbearer's  niece — one  Dus  Mai- 
bone,  or  Malcome?" 

"  I  do  know  suthin'  of  her,  father,"  answered  Lowiny, 
willing  enough  to  betray  one — the  lesser — of  her  secrets, 
in  order  to  conceal  the  other,  which,  on  all  accounts,  was 
much  the  most  important  ;  "  though  I  never  laid  eyes  on 
her  'till  to-day.  Zeph  has  often  talked  to  me  of  the  gal  that 
carried  chain  with  her  uncle  for  a  whull  month  ;  and  he 
has  a  notion  to  marry  her  if  he  can  get  her." 

"  Never  laid  eyes  on  her  'till  to-day  !  Whereabouts  have 
you  laid  eyes  on  her  to-day,  gal  ?  Is  all  creation  comin'  in 
upon  my  clearin'  at  once  ?  Whereabouts  have  you  seen 
this  gal  to-day  ?  " 

"  She  come  to  the  edge  of  the  clearin'  with  her  uftcle, 
and " 

"  Well,  what  next  ?     Why  don't  you  go  on,  Lowiny  ? " 

I  could  have  told  Thousandacres  why  his  daughter  hesi- 
tated ;  but  the  girl  got  out  of  the  scrape  by  her  own  pres- 
ence of  mind  and  ingenuity,  a  little  aided,  perhaps,  by 
some  practice  in  sins  of  the  sort. 

"  Why,  I  went  a  berryin'  this  forenoon,  and  up  ag'in  the 
berry  lot,  just  in  the  edge  of  the  woods,  I  saw  a  young 
woman,  and  that  was  the  Malbone  gal.  So  wre  talked  to- 
gether, and  she  told  me  all  about  it.  She's  waitin'  for  her 
uncle  to  come  back."  . 

"  So,  so  ;  this  is  news  indeed,  b'ys  !  Do  you  know  where 
the  gal  is  now,  Lowiny  ? " 


THE  CHA2NBEARER.  295 

"  Not  just  now,  for  she  told  me  she  should  go  deeper  into 
the  woods,  lest  she  should  be  seen  ;  but  an  hour  afore  sun- 
down she's  to  come  to  the  foot  of  the  great  chestnut,  just 
ag'in  the  berry  lot  ;  and  I  promised  to  meet  her,  or  to  carry 
her  out  suthin'  for  supper,  and  to  make  a  bed  on." 

This  was  said  frankly,  and  with  the  feeling  and  sympathy 
that  females  are  apt  to  manifest  in  behalf  of  each  other. 
It  was  evident  Lowiny's  audience  believed  every  word  she 
had  said  ;  and  the  old  man,  in  particular,  determined  at 
once  to  act.  I  heard  him  move  from  his  seat,  and  his 
voice  sounded  like  one  who  was  retiring,  as  he  said  : 

"  Tobit — b'ys — come  with  me,  and  we'll  have  one  more 
look  for  this  young  chap  through  the  lumber  and  the 
housen.  It  may  be  that  he's  stolen  in  there  while  our  eyes 
have  been  turned  another  way.  Lowiny,  you  needn't  come 
with  us,  for  the  flutterin'  way  of  you  gals  don't  do  no  good 
in  sich  a  s'arch." 

I  waited  until  the  last  heavy  footstep  was  inaudible,  and 
then  ventured  to  move  far  enough,  on  my  hands,  to  find  a 
crack  that  I  had  purposely  left,  with  a  view  to  take  through 
it  an  occasional  look  below.  On  the  log  which  her  father 
had  just  left,  Lowiny  had  seated  herself.  Her  eye  was 
roaming  over  the  upper  part  of  the  mill,  as  if  in  quest  of 
me.  At  length  she  said,  in  a  suppressed  voice — 

"  Be  you  nere  still  ?  Father  and  the  b'ys  can't  hear  us 
now,  if  you  speak  low." 

"  I  am  here,  good  Lowiny,  thanks  to  your  friendly  kind- 
ness, and  have  overheard  all  that  passed.  You  saw  Ursula 
Malbone,  and  gave  her  my  note  ?" 

"  As  true  as  you  are  there,  I  did  ;  and  she  read  it  over 
so  often,  I  guess  she  must  know  it  by  heart." 

"  But  what  did  she  say  ?  Had  she  no  message  for  her 
uncle — no  answer  to  what  I  had  written  ?" 

"  Oh  !  she'd  enough  to  say — gals  love  to  talk,  you  know, 
when  they  get  with  one  another,  and  Dus  and  I  talked  to- 
gether half  an  hour,  or  longer.  She'd  plenty  to  say,  though 
it  wunt  do  for  me  to  sit  here  and  tell  it  to  you,  lest  some- 
body wonder  I  stay  so  long  in  the  mill." 

"  You  can  tell  me  if  she  sent  any  message  or  answer  to 
my  note  ?" 

"  She  never  breathed  a  syllable  about  what 'you'd  writ 
I  warrant  you  she's  close-mouthed  enough,  when  she  gets 
a  line  from  a  young  man.  Do  you  think  her  so  desp'rate 
handsome  as  Zeph  says  she  is  ? " 

This  boded  ill,  but  it  was  a  question  that  it  was  politic 


*96  THE  CHAINBEARER. 

to  answer,  and  to  answer  with  some  little  discretion.     If  1 
lost  the  services  of  Lowiny,  my  main  stay  was  gone. 

"  She  is  well  enough  to  look  at,  but  I've  seen  quite  as 
handsome  young  women,  lately.  But,  handsome  or  not, 
she  is  one  of  your  own  sex,  and  is  not  to  be  deserted  in  her 
trouble." 

"  Yes,  indeed,"  answered  Lowiny,  with  an  expression  of 
countenance  that  told  me  at  once,  the  better  feelings  of 
her  sex  had  all  returned  again,  "  and  I'll  not  desart  her, 
though  father  drive  me  out  of  the  settlement.  I  am  tired 
of  all  this  squatting,  and  think  folks  ought  to  live  as  much 
in  one  spot  as  they  can.  What's  best  to  be  done  about 
Dus  Malbone — perhaps  she'd  like  well  enough  to  marry 
Zeph  ? " 

"  Did  you  see  or  hear  anything  while  with  her,  to  make 
you  think  so?  I  am  anxious  to  know7  what  she  said." 

"  La  !  She  said  sights  of  things  ;  but  most  of  her  talk 
was  about  old  Chainbearer.  She  never  named  your  name 
so  much  as  once  !  " 

"  Did  she  name  Zephaniah's  ?  I  make  no  doubt  that 
anxiety  on  account  of  her  uncle  was  her  chief  care.  What 
are  her  intentions,  and  will  she  remain  near  that  tree  until 
you  come  ? " 

"  She  stays  under  a  rock  not  a  great  way  from  the  tree, 
and  there  she'll  stay  till  I  go  to  meet  her,  at  the  chestnut. 
We  had  our  talk  under  that  rock,  and  it's  easy  enough  to 
find  her  there." 

"  How  do  things  look  around  us  ?  Might  I  descend,  slip 
down  into  the  bed  of  the  river,  and  go  round  to  Dus  Mal- 
bone, so  as  to  give  her  notice  of  the  danger  she  is  in  ?" 

Lowiny  did  not  answer  me  for  near  a  minute,  and  I  be- 
gan to  fear  that  I  had  put  another  indiscreet  question. 
The  girl  seemed  thoughtful,  but  when  she  raised  her  face 
so  high  as  to  allow  me  to  see  it,  all  the  expression  of  the 
more  generous  feminine  sympathy  was  visible. 

"  'Twould  be  hard  to  make  Dus  have  Zeph,  if  she  don't 
like  him,  wouldn't  it !  "  she  said  with  emphasis.  "  I  don't 
knowT  but  t'would  be  better  to  let  her  know  what's  com- 
ing so  that  she  can  choose  for  herself." 

"  She  told  me,"  I  answered,  with  perfect  truth,  "  that  she 
is  engaged  to  another,  and  it  would  be  worse  than  cruel- 
it  would  be  wicked,  to  make  her  marry  one  man,  while  she 
loves  another." 

"  She  shan't  do't !  "  cried  the  girl,  with  an  animation  that 
I  thought  dangerous.  But  she  gave  me  no  opportunity 


THE  CHAINBEARER.  297 

for  remonstrance,  as,  all  her  energies  being  roused,  she 
went  to  work  in  earnest  to  put  me  in  the  way  of  doing 
what  I  most  desired  to  achieve. 

"  D'ye  see  the  lower  corner  of  the  mill  ?"  she  continued, 
hurriedly.  "That  post  goes  down  to  the  rock  over  which 
the  water  falls.  You  can  walk  to  that  corner  without  any 
danger  of  being  seen,  as  the  ruff  hides  you,  and  when  you 
get  there,  you  can  wait  till  I  tell  you  to  get  on  the  post. 
'T  will  be  easy  to  slide  down  that  post  to  the  rock,  and 
there'll  be  not  much  of  a  chance  of  being  seen,  as  the  post 
will  nearly  hide  you.  When  you're  on  the  rock,  you'll  find 
a  path  that  leads  along  the  creek  till  you  come  to  a  foot- 
bridge. If  you  cross  that  log,  and  take  the  left-hand  path, 
'twill  bring  you  out  near  the  edge  of  the  clearin',  up  on 
the  hill  again,  and  then  you'll  have  only  to  follow  the  edge 
of  the  woods  a  little  way,  afore  you  come  to  the  chestnut. 
The  rock  is  right  off,  ag'in  the  chestnut,  only  about  fifty 
rods." 

I  took  in  these  directions  eagerly,  and  was  at  the  post 
almost  as  soon  as  the  girl  ceased  speaking.  In  order  to  do 
this  I  had  only  to  walk  on  the  boards  that  lay  scattered 
about  on  the  girts  of  the  mill,  the  roof  completely  conceal- 
ing the  movement  from  any  on  its  outside.  I  made  my 
arrangements,  and  only  waited  for  a  signal,  or  the  direc- 
tion from  Lowiny,  to  proceed. 

"  Not  yet,"  said  the  girl,  looking  down  and  affecting  to 
be  occupied  with  something  near  her  feet.  "Father  and 
Tobit  are  walkin'  this  way,  and  lookin'  right  at  the  mill. 
Now — get  ready — they've  turned  their  heads,  and  seem  as 
if  they'd  turn  round  themselves  next.  They've  turned 
ag'in,  wait  one  moment — now's  a  good  time — don't  go 
away  altogether  without  my  seein'  you  once  more." 

I  heard  these  last  words,  but  it  was  while  sliding  down 
the  post.  Just  as  my  head  came  so  low  as  to  be  in  a  line 
with  the  -objects  scattered  about  the  floor  of  the  mill,  I 
clung  to  the  post  to  catch  one  glimpse  of  what  was  going 
on  without.  Thousandacres  and  Tobit  were  about  a  hundred 
yards  distant,  walking  apart  from  the  group  of  young  men, 
and  apparently  in  deep  consultation  together.  It  was  quite 
evident  no  alarm  was  taken,  and  down  I  slid  to  the  rock. 
At  the  next  moment,  I  was  in  the  path,  descending  to  the 
foot-bridge,  a  tree  that  had  been  felled  across  the  stream. 
Until  that  tree  was  crossed,  and  a  slight  distance  of  the  as- 
cent on  the  other  side  of  the  stream,  along  the  left-hand  path 
\yas  overcome,  I  was  completely  exposed  to  the  observation 


298  THE  CHAIiVBEARER. 

of  any  one  who  might  be  in  a  situation  to  look  down  into 
the  glen  of  the  river.  At  almost  any  other  moment  at  that 
particular  season,  my  discovery  would  have  been  nearly 
certain,  as  some  of  the  men  or  boys  were  always  at  work 
in  the  water  ;  but  the  events  of  that  morning  called  them 
elsewhere,  and  I  made  the  critical  passage,  a  distance  of 
two  hundred  yards  or  more,  in  safety.  As  soon  as  I  en- 
tered behind  a  cover,  my  speed  abated,  and  having  risen 
again  to  the  level  of  the  dwellings,  or  even  a  little  above 
them,  I  profited  by  openings  among  the  small  pine-bushes 
that  fringed  the  path,  to  take  a  survey  of  the  state  of 
things  among  the  squatters. 

There  the  cluster  of  heavy,  lounging  young  men  was, 
Thousandacres  and  Tobit  walking  apart,  as  when  last  seen. 
Prudence  was  at  the  door  of  a  distant  cabin,  surrounded, 
as  usual,  by  a  collection  of  the  young  fry,  and  conversing 
herself  eagerly,  with  the  wives  of  two  or  three  of  her  mar- 
ried sons.  Lowiny  had  left  the  mill,  and  was  strolling 
along  the  opposite  side  of  the  glen,  so  near  the  verge  of 
the  rocks  as  to  have  enabled  her  to  see  the  whole  of  my 
passage  across  the  open  space.  Perceiving  that  she  was 
quite  alone,  I  ventured  to  hem  just  loud  enough  to  reach 
her  ear.  A  hurried,  frightened  gesture  assured  me  that  I 
had  been  heard,  and  first  making  a  gesture  for  me  to  go 
forward,  the  girl  turned  away,  and  went  skipping  off  to- 
ward the  cluster  of  females  who  surrounded  her  mother. 

As  for  myself,  I  now  thought  only  of  Dus.  What  cared 
I  if  she  did  love  another  ?  A  girl  of  her  education,  man- 
ners, sentiments,  birth  and  character,  was  not  to  be  sacri- 
ficed to  one  like  Zephaniah,  let  what  might  happen  ;  and 
could  I  reach  her  place  of  concealment  in  time,  she  might 
still  be  saved.  These  thoughts  fairly  winged  my  flight, 
and  I  soon  came  in  sight  of  the  chestnut.  Three  minutes 
later  I  laid  a  hand  on  the  trunk  of  the  tree  itself.  As  I 
had  been  a  quarter  of  an  hour  at  least,  in  making  the  cir- 
cuit of  that  side  of  the  clearing,  some  material  change 
might  have  occurred  among  the  squatters,  and  I  deter- 
mined to  advance  to  the  edge  of  the  bushes,  in  Lowiny's 
"  berry  lot,"  which  completely  screened  the  spot,  and  as- 
certain the  facts,  before  I  sought  Dus  at  her  rock. 

The  result  showed  that  some  measures  had  been  decided 
on  between  Thousandacres  and  Tobit.  Not  one  of  the 
males,  a  lad  that  stood  sentinel  at  the  storehouse,  and  a 
few  of  the  smaller  boys  excepted,  was  to  be  seen.  I  ex- 
amined all  the  visible  points  with  care,  but  no  one  was 


TH£  CHAINBEAKRK.  299 

visible.  Even  Susquesus,  who  had  been  lounging  about 
the  whole  day,  or  since  his  liberation,  had  vanished.  Pru- 
dence and  her  daughters,  too,  were  in  a  great  commotion, 
hurrying  from  cabin  to  cabin,  and  manifesting  all  that 
restlessness  which  usually  denotes  excitement  among  fe- 
males. I  stopped  but  a  moment  to  ascertain  these  leading 
circumstances,  and  turned  to  seek  the  rock.  While  retir- 
ing from  among  the  bushes,  I  heard  the  fallen  branch  of 
a  tree  snap  under  a  heavy  footstep,  and  looking  cautiously 
around,  saw  Jaaf,  or  Jaap  as  we  commonly  called  him,  ad- 
vancing toward  me,  carrying  a  rifle  on  each  shoulder. 

"  Heaven's  blessings  on  you,  my  faithful  Jaap  !  "  I  cried, 
holding  out  an  arm  to  receive  one  of  the  weapons.  "You 
come  at  a  most  happy  moment,  and  can  lead  me  to  Miss 
Malbone." 

"  Yes,  sah,  and  glad  to  do  it,  too.  Miss  Dus  up  here,  a 
bit,  in  'e  wood,  and  can  werry  soon  see  her.  She  keep  me 
down  here  to  look  out,  and  I  carry  bot'  rifle,  Massar 
Chainbearer's  and  my  own,  'cause  Miss  Dus  no  great  hand 
wid  gunpowder.  But,  where  you  come  from,  Masser  Mor- 
daunt  ? — and  why  you  run  away  so,  in  night-time  ?  " 

"Never  mind  just  now,  Jaap — in  proper  time  you  shall 
know  all  about  it.  Now  we  must  take  care  of  Miss  Ursula. 
Is  she  uneasy  ?  has  she  shown  any  fear  on  her  uncle's  ac- 
count ?" 

"  She  cry  half  'e  time,  sah — den  she  look  up  bold,  and 
resolute,  just  like  ole  Massar,  sah,  when  he  tell  he  rijje- 
ment  *  charge  baggonet,' and  seem  as  if  she  want  to  go 
right  into  T'ousandacres'  huts.  Lor'  bless  me,  sah,  Masser 
Mordaunt — if  she  ask  me  one  question  about  you  to-day, 
she  ask  me  a  hundred!" 

"About  me,  Jaap!"  But  I  arrested  the  impulsive  feel- 
ing in  good  time,  so  as  not  to  be  guilty  of  pumping  my 
own  servant  concerning  what  others  had  said  of  me  ; 
a  meanness  I  could  not  easily  have  pardoned  in  myself. 
But  I  increased  my  speed,  and  having  Jaap  for  my  guide, 
was  soon  at  the  side  of  Dus.  The  negro  had  no  sooner 
pointed  out  to  me  the  object  of  my  search,  than  he  had 
the  discretion  to  return  to  the  edge  of  the  clearing,  carry- 
ing with  him  both  rifles  ;  for  I  returned  to  him  the  one 
I  had  taken,  in  my  eagerness  to  hurry  forward,  the  instant 
I  beheld  Dus. 

I  can  never  forget  the  look  with  which  that  frank,  noble- 
hearted  girl  received  me  !  It  almost  led  rne  to  hope  that 
my  ears  had  deceived  me,  and  that  after  all,  I  was  an  ob- 


300  THE  CtfAIXBEARER. 

ject  of  the  highest  interest  with  her.  A  few  tears,  half- 
suppressed,  but  suppressed  with  difficulty,  accompanied 
that  look  ;  and  I  had  the  happiness  of  holding  for  some 
time  and  of  pressing  to  my  heart,  that  little  hand  that  was 
freely — nay,  warmly  extended  to  me. 

"  Let  us  quit  this  spot  at  once,  dearest  Ursula,"  I  cried, 
the  moment  I  could  speak.  "  It  is  not  safe  to  remain  near 
that  family  of  wretches,  who  live  by  depredation  and  vio- 
lence." 

"And  leave  uncle  Chainbearer  in  their  hands?"  answered 
Dus,  reproachfully.  "You,  surely,  would  not  advise  me  to 
do  that  ? " 

"  If  your  own  safety  demands  it,  yes — a  thousand  times 
yes.  We  must  fly,  and  there  is  not  a  moment  to  lose.  A 
design  exists  among  those  wretches  to  seize  you,  and  to 
make  use  of  your  fears  to  secure  the  aid  of  your  uncle  in 
extricating  them  from  the  consequences  of  this  discovery 
of  their  robberies.  It  is  not  safe,  I  repeat,  for  you  to  re- 
main a  minute  longer  here." 

The  smile  that  Dus  now  bestowed  on  me  was  very 
sweet,  though  I  found  it  inexplicable ;  for  it  had  as  much 
of  pain  and  suffering  in  it,  as  it  had  of  that  which  was  win- 
ning. 

"  Mordaunt  Littlepage,  have  you  forgotten  the  words 
spoken  by  me  when  we  last  parted  ? "  she  asked,  seriously. 

**  Forgotten!  I  can  never  forget  them  !  They  drove  me 
nearly  to  despair,  and  were  the  cause  of  bringing  us  all 
into  this  difficulty." 

"  I  told  you  that  my  faith  was  already  plighted — that  I 
could  not  accept  your  noble,  frank,  generous,  manly  offer, 
because  another  had  my  troth." 

"  You  did — you  did.     Why  renew  my  misery — " 

"  It  is  with  a  different  object  that  I  am  now  more  ex- 
plicit. That  man  to  whom  I  am  pledged  is  in  those  huts, 
and  I  cannot  desert  him." 

"  Can  I  believe  my  senses  !  Do  you — can  you — is  it  pos- 
sible that  one  like  Ursula  Malbone  can  love  Zephaniah 
Thousandacres — a  squatter  himself,  and  the  son  of  a  squat- 
ter?" 

The  look  with  which  Dus  regarded  me,  said  at  once  that 
her  astonishment  was  quite  as  great  as  my  own.  I  could 
have  bitten  off  my  hasty  and  indiscreet  tongue,  the  instant 
it  had  spoken  ;  and  I  am  sure  the  rush  of  tell-tale  blood  in 
my  face  must  have  proclaimed  to  my  companion  that  I  felt 
most  thoroughly  ashamed  of  myself.  This  feeling  was 


THE  CHAINBEARER.  301 

deepened  nearly  to  despair,  when  I  saw  the  expression  ot 
abased  mortification  that  came  over  the  sweet  and  usually 
happy  countenance  of  Dus,  and  the  difficulty  she  had  in 
suppressing  her  tears. 

Neither  spoke  for  a  minute,  when  my  companion  broke 
silence  by  saying  steadily — I  might  almost  add  solemnly — 

"  This,  indeed,  shows  how  low  my  fortune  has  become  ! 
But  I  pardon  you,  Mordaunt  ;  for,  humble  as  that  fortune 
is,  you  have  spoken  nobly  and  frankly  in  my  behalf,  and  I 
exonerate  you  from  any  feeling  that  is  not  perfectly  natural 
for  the  circumstances.  Perhaps  " — and  a  bright  blush  suf- 
fused the  countenance  of  Dus  as  she  said  it — "  Perhaps  I 
may  attribute  the  great  mistake  into  which  you  have 
fallen  to  a  passion  that  is  most  apt  to  accompany  strong 
love,  and  insomuch  prize  it,  instead  of  throwing  it  away 
with  contempt.  But,  between  you  and  me,  whatever 
comes  of  it,  there  must  be  no  more  mistakes.  The  man  to 
whom  my  faith  is  plighted,  and  to  whom  my  time  and  ser- 
vices are  devoted,  so  long  as  one  or  both  of  us  live,  is  uncle 
Chainbearer,  and  no  other.  Had  you  not  rushed  from  me 
in  the  manner  you  did,  I  might  have  told  you  this,  Mor- 
daunt, the  evening  you  were  showing  so  much  noble  frank- 
ness yourself." 

"  Dus  ! — Ursula  ! — beloved  Miss  Malbone,  have  I  then 
no  preferred  rival  ? " 

"No  man  has  ever  spoken  to  me  of  love,  but  this  un- 
couth and  rude  young  squatter,  and  yourself." 

"  Is  your  heart  then  untouched  ?  Are  you  still  mistress 
of  your  own  affections  ?  " 

The  look  I  now  received  from  Dus  was  a  little  saucy ; 
but  that  expression  soon  changed  to  one  that  had  more  of 
the  deep  feeling  and  generous  sympathy  of  her  precious 
sex  in  it. 

"Were  I  to  answer  'yes,'  many  women  would  think  I 
was  being  no  more  than  true  to  the  rights  of  a  girl  who 
has  been  so  unceremoniously  treated  ;  but — 

"  But  what,  charming,  most  beloved  Ursula?  But 
what  ? " 

"  I  prefer  truth  to  coquetry,  and  shall  not  attempt  to 
deny  what  it  would  almost  be  treason  against  nature  to 
suppose.  How  could  a  girl,  educated  as  I  have  been,  with- 
out any  preference  to  tie  her  to  another,  be  shut  up  in  this 
forest  with  a  man  who  has  treated  her  with  so  much  kind- 
ness and  devotion  and  manly  tenderness,  and  insensible  to 
his  merits  ?  Were  we  in  the  world,  Mordaunt,  I  think  I 


302  THE  CHA2NBEARER. 

should  prefer  you  to  all  others  ;  being,  as  we  are,  in  this 
forest,  I  know  I  do." 

The  reader  shall  not  be  let  into  the  sacred  confidence 
that  followed  ;  any  further,  at  least,  than  to  know  the  main 
result.  A  quarter  of  an  hour  passed  so  swiftly,  and  sc 
sweetly,  indeed,  that  I  could  hardly  take  it  on  myself  to 
record  one-half  that  was  said.  Dus  made  no  longer  any 
hesitation  in  declaring  her  attachment  for  me  ;  and  though 
she  urged  her  own  poverty  as  a  just  obstacle  to  my  washes, 
it  was  faintly,  as  most  Americans  of  either  sex  would  do. 
In  this  particular,  at  least,  we  may  fairly  boast  of  a  just 
superiority  over  all  the  countries  of  the  old  world.  While 
it  is  scarcely  possible  that  either  man  or  woman  should 
not  see  how  grave  a  barrier  to  wedded  happiness  is  inter- 
posed by  the  opinions  and  habits  of  social  castes,  it  is  sel- 
dom that  anyone,  in  his  or  her  own  proper  sphere,  feels  that 
the  want  of  money  is  an  insurmountable  obstacle  to  a  union 
— more  especially  when  one  of  the  parties  is  provided  with 
the  means  of  maintaining  the  household  gods.  The  seniors 
may,  and  do  often  have  scruples  on  this  score  ;  but  the 
young  people  rarely.  Dus  and  myself  were  in  the  com- 
plete enjoyment  of  this  happy  simplicity,  with  my  arms 
around  her  waist,  and  her  head  leaning  on  my  shoulder, 
when  I  was  aroused  from  a  state  that  I  fancied  Elysium,  by 
the  hoarse,  raven-throated  cry  of — 

"  Here  she  is  !  Here  she  is,  father  !  Here  they  are 
both  !  " 

On  springing  forward  to  face  the  intruders,  I  saw  Tobit 
and  Zephaniah  directly  before  me,  with  Lowiny  standing 
at  no  great  distance  behind  them.  The  first  looked  fero- 
cious, the  second  jealous  and  angry,  the  third  abashed  and 
mortified.  In  another  minute  we  were  surrounded  by 
Thousandacres  and  all  the  males  of  his  brood. 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

"  My  love  is  young — but  other  loves  are  young ; 

And  other  loves  are  fair,  and  so  is  mine  ; 
An  air  divine  discloses  whence  he  sprung  ; 

He  is  my  love  that  boasts  that  air  divine." — SHENSTONE. 

A  MORE  rude  and  violent  interruption  of  a  scene  in  which 
the  more  gentle  qualities  love  to  show  themselves,  never 
occurred.  I,  who  knew  the  whole  of  the  past,  saw  at  once 


THE  CHAINBRARER.  303 

that  we  had  very  serious  prospects  before  us  ;  but  Dus  at 
first  felt  only  the  consciousness  and  embarrassment  of  a 
woman  who  has  betrayed  her  most  sacred  secret  to  vulgar 
eyes.  That  very  passion,  which  a  month  later,  and  after 
the  exchange  of  the  marriage  vows,  it  would  have  been 
her  glory  to  exhibit  in  face  of  the  whole  community,  on 
the  occurrence  of  any  event  of  moment  to  myself,  she  now 
shrunk  from  revealing  ;  and  I  do  believe  that  maiden  bash- 
fulness  gave  her  more  pain,  when  thus  arrested,  than  any 
other  cause.  As  for  the  squatters,  she  probably  had  no 
very  clear  conceptions  of  their  true  characters  ;  and  it  was 
one  of  her  liveliest  wishes  to  be  able  to  join  her  uncle. 
But,  Thousandacres  soon  gave  us  both  cause  to  compre- 
hend how  much  he  was  now  in  earnest. 

"  So,  my  young  major,  you're  catched  in  the  same  nest, 
be  you  !  You've  your  ch'ise  to  walk  peaceably  back  where 
you  belong,  or  to  be  tied  and  carried  there  like  a  buck  that 
has  been  killed  a  little  out  in  the  woods.  You  never 
know'd  Thousandacres  and  his  race,  if  you  really  thought 
to  slip  away  from  him,  and  that  with  twenty  miles  of 
woods  around  you  !  " 

I  intimated  a  wish  not  to  be  tied,  and  professed  a  perfect 
willingness  to  accompany  my  captors  back  to  their  dwell- 
ings, for  nothing  would  have  tempted  me  to  desert  Dus, 
under  the  circumstances.  The  squatters  might  have  de- 
clared the  road  open  to  me,  but  the  needle  does  not  point 
more  unerringly  to  the  pole  than  I  should  have  followed 
my  magnet,  though  at  liberty. 

Little  more  was  said  until  we  had  quitted  the  woods, 
and  had  reached  the  open  fields  of  the  clearing.  I  was 
permitted  to  assist  my  companion  through  the  bushes,  and 
in  climbing  a  fence  or  two  ;  the  squatters,  who  were  armed 
to  a  man,  forming  a  circle  around  us,  at  a  distance  that 
enabled  me  to  whisper  a  few  words  to  Dus,  in  the  way  of 
encouragement.  She  had  great  natural  intrepidity  for  a 
woman,  and  I  believe  I  ought  to  escape  the  imputation  of 
vanity,  if  I  add  that  we  both  felt  so  happy  at  the  explana- 
tions which  had  so  lately  been  had,  that  this  new  calamity 
could  not  entirely  depress  us,  so  long  as  we  were  not 
separated. 

"  Be  not  downhearted,  dearest  Dus,"  I  whispered,  as  we 
approached  the  storehouse  ;  "  after  all,  these  wretches  will 
not  dare  to  transgress  against  the  law,  very  far." 

"  I  have  few  fears,  with  you  and  uncle  Chainbearer 
so  near  me,  Mordaunt,"  was  her  smiling  answer,  "It 


304  THE  CHAINBEARER. 

cannot  be  long  before  we  hear  from  Frank,  who  is  gone, 
as  you  must  have  been  told,  to  Ravensnest,  for  authority 
and  assistance.  He  left  our  huts  at  the  same  time  we  left 
them  to  come  here,  and  must  be  on  his  return  long  before 
this." 

I  squeezed  the  hand  of  the  dear  girl,  receiving  a  gentle 
pressure  in  return,  and  prepared  myself  to  be  separated 
from  her,  as  I  took  it  for  granted  that  Prudence  and  her 
daughters  would  hold  watch  and  ward  over  the  female 
prisoner.  I  had  hesitated,  ever  since  quitting  the  woods, 
about  giving  her  notice  of  the  trial  that  probably  awaited 
her ;  but,  as  no  attempt  to  coerce  a  marriage  could  be 
made  until  the  magistrate  arrived,  I  thought  it  would  be 
rendering  her  unnecessarily  unhappy.  The  trial,  if  it  did 
come  at  all,  would  come  soon  enough  of  itself  ;  and  I  had 
no  apprehension  that  one  of  Dus's  spirit  and  character, 
and  who  had  so  recently  and  frankly  admitted  that  her 
whole  heart  was  mine,  could  be  frightened  into  a  conces- 
sion that  would  give  Zephaniah  any  claim  to  her.  To  own 
the  truth,  a  mountain  had  been  removed  from  my  own 
breast,  and  I  was  too  happy  on  this  particular  account,  to 
be  rendered  very  miserable  on  any  other,  just  at  that  time. 
I  do  believe  Dus  was  a  little  sustained  by  some  similar 
sentiment. 

Dus  and  I  parted  at  the  door  of  the  first  house,  she  being 
transferred  to  the  keeping  of  Tobit's  wife,  a  woman  who 
was  well  bestowed  on  her  brutal  and  selfish  husband.  No 
violence  was  used,  however,  toward  the  prisoner,  who  was 
permitted  to  go  at  large  ;  though  I  observed  that  one  or 
two  of  the  females  attached  themselves  to  her  person  im- 
mediately, no  doubt  as  her  keepers. 

In  consequence  of  our  having  approached  the  dwelling 
of  the  squatters  by  a  new  path,  Chainbearer  knew  nothing 
of  the  arrest  of  his  niece,  until  the  fact  was  communicated 
by  me.  He  was  not  even  aware  of  my  being  retaken,  until 
he  saw  me  about  Lo  enter  the  prison  again  ;  though  he 
probably  anticipated  that  such  might  be  my  fate.  As  for 
Susquesus,  he  seldom  manifested  surprise  or  emotion  of 
any  sort,  let  what  would  occur. 

"Well,  Mortaunt,  my  lat,  I  knowet  you  had  vanishet  py 
hook  or  py  crook,  ant  nopoty  knowet  how  ;  put  I  t'ought 
you  would  find  it  hart  to  t'row  t'ese  rascally  squatters  off 
your  trail,"  cried  Andries,  giving  me  a  hearty  shake  of  the 
hand  as  I  entered  the  prison.  "  Here  we  are,  all  t'ree  of 
us,  ag'in  ;  and  it's  lucky  we're  such  goot  frients,  as  our 


THE  CHAINBEARER.  305 

quarters  are  none  of  t'e  largest  or  pest.  The  Injin  fount 
I  was  alone,  so  he  took  pack  his  parole,  and  1st  a  close 
prisoner  like  t'e  rest  of  us,  put  in  one  sense  a  free  man. 
You  can  tig  up  t'e  hatchet  ag'in  t'ese  squatters  whenever 
you  please  now  ;  is  it  not  so,  Sureflint  ? " 

"Sartin — truce  done — Susquesus  prisoner  like  every- 
body. Give  T'ousandacres  p'role  back  ag'in — Injin  free 
man,  now." 

I  understood  the  Onondago's  meaning  well  enough, 
though  his  freedom  was  of  a  somewhat  questionable  char- 
acter. He  merely  wished  to  say  that,  having  given  him- 
self up  to  the  squatters,  he  was  released  from  the  conditions 
of  his  parole,  and  was  at  liberty  to  make  his  escape,  or  to 
wage  war  on  his  captors  in  any  manner  he  saw  fit.  Luckily 
Jaap  had  escaped,  for  I  could  see  no  signs  of  even  his  pres- 
ence being  known  to  Thousandacres  or  to  his  sons.  It 
was  something  to  have  so  practised  a  woodsman  and  so 
true  a  friend  still  at  large,  and  near  us ;  and  the  informa- 
tion he  could  impart,  should  he  fall  in  with  Frank  Malbone, 
with  the  constable  and  the  posse,  might  be  of  the  utmost 
service  to  us.  All  these  points  Chainbearer  and  I  dis- 
cussed at  large,  the  Indian  sitting  by,  an  attentive  but  a 
silent  listener.  It  was  our  joint  opinion  that  Malbone 
could  not  now  be  very  far  distant  with  succor.  What 
would  be  the  effect  of  an  attack  on  the  squatters  it  was  not 
easy  to  predict,  since  the  last  might  make  battle  ;  and, 
small  as  was  their  force,  it  would  be  likely  to  prove  very 
available  in  a  struggle  of  that  nature.  The  females  of 
such  a  family  were  little  less  efficient  than  the  males,  when 
posted  behind  logs  ;  and  there  were  a  hundred  things  in 
which  their  habits,  experience,  and  boldness  might  be  made 
to  tell,  should  matters  be  pushed  to  extremities. 

"Got  knows — Got  only  knows,  Mortaunt,  what  will 
come  of  it  all,"  rejoined  Chainbearer  to  one  of  my  re- 
marks, puffing  coolly  at  his  pipe  at  intervals,  in  order  to 
secure  the  fire  he  had  just  applied  to  it.  "  Nut'in  is  more 
unsartain  t'an  war,  as  Sus,  here,  fery  well  knows  py  long 
exper'ence,  ant  as  you  ought  to  know  yourself,  my  poy, 
hafin  seen  sarfice,  ant  warm  sarfice,  too.  Shoult  Frank 
Malbone  make  a  charge  on  t'is  settlement,  as  pein'  an  olt 
soltier,  he  will  pe  fery  likely  to  do,  we  must  make  efery 
effort  to  fall  in  on  one  of  his  flanks,  in  orter  to  cover  t'e 
atvance  or  t'e  retreat,  as  may  happen  to  pe  t'e  movement 
at  t'e  time." 

"  I   trust  it  will  be  the  advance,  as   Malbone  does  not 


306  THE  CHAINBEARER. 

strike  me  as  a  man  likely  to  retreat  very  easily.  But,  are 
we  certain  'Squire  Newcome  will  grant  the  warrant  he  will 
ask  for,  being  in  such  close  communion  himself  with  these 
squatters  ? " 

"  I  haf  t'ought  of  all  t'at,  too,  Mortaunt,  ant  t'ere  is  goot 
sense  in  it.  I  t'ink  he  will  at  least  sent  wort  to  T'ousant- 
acres,  to  let  him  know  what  is  comin',  ant  make  as  many 
telays  as  possiple.  T'e  law  is  a  lazy  sarfant  when  it  wishes 
to  pe  slowr,  ant  many  is  t'e  rogue  t'at  hast  outrun  it,  when 
t'e  race  has  peen  to  safe  a  pack  or  a  fine.  Nefert'eless, 
Mortaunt,  t'e  man  who  is  right  fights  wit'  great  otts  in  his 
fafor,  ant  is  fery  apt  to  come  out  pest  in  t'e  long  run.  It 
is  a  great  advantage  to  pe  always  right  ;  a  trut'  I've  known 
ant  felt  from  poyhoot,  put  which  hast  peen  mate  more  ant 
more  clear  to  me  since  t'e  peace,  ant  I  haf  come  pack  to 
lif  wit'  Dus.  T'at  gal  has  teachet  me  much  on  all  such 
matters  ;  ant  it  woult  do  your  heart  goot  to  see  her  alone 
wit'  an  olt  ignorant  man  in  t'e  woots,  of  a  Sunday,  a  tryin' 
to  teach  him  his  piple,  and  how  he  ought  to  lofe  ant  fear 
Got ! " 

"  Does  Dus  do  this  for  you,  my  old  friend  ? — Does  that 
admirable  creature  really  take  on  herself  the  solemn  office 
of  duty  and  love  !  Much  as  I  admired  and  esteemed  her 
before,  for  her  reverence  and  affection  for  you,  Chain- 
bearer,  I  now  admire  and  esteem  her  the  more,  for  this 
proof  of  her  most  true  and  deep-seated  interest  in  your 
welfare." 

"  I'll  tell  you  what,  poy — Dus  is  petter  ast  twenty  tom- 
mies to  call  a  stupporn  olt  fellow,  t'at  has  got  a  con- 
science toughenet  ant  hartenetby  lifin'  t'reescore  years  ant 
ten  in  t'e  worlt,  pack  from  his  wicketness  into  t'e  ways  of 
gotliness  and  peace.  You're  young,  Mortaunt,  and  haf  not 
yet  got  out  of  t'e  gristle  of  sin  into  t'e  pone,  ant  can  hartly 
know  how  strong  ist  t'e  holt  t'at  hapit  and  t'e  worlt  gets  of 
an  olt  man  ;  put  I  hope  you  may  lif  long  enough  to  see  it 
all,  ant  to  feel  it  all."  I  did  not  even  smile,  for  the  child- 
like earnestness,  and  the  sincere  simplicity  with  which  An- 
dries  delivered  himself  of  this  wish,  concealed  its  absurdity 
behind  a  veil  of  truth  and  feeling  too  respectable  to  admit 
of  a  single  disrespectful  impulse.  "Ant  t'at  is  t'e  worst 
wish  I  can  wish  you,  my  tear  poy.  You  know  how  it  hast 
peen  wit'  me,  Mortaunt ;  a  chainpearer's  callin'  is  none  of 
t'e  pest  to  teach  religion  ;  which  toes  not  seem  to  flourish 
in  t'e  woots  ;  t'ough  why  I  cannot  tell  ;  since,  as  Dus  has 
ag'in  ant  ag'in  shown  to  me.  Got  is  in  t'e  trees,  ant  on  t'e 


THE  CHAINBEARER.  307 

mountains,  ant  along  t'e  valleys,  ant  is  to  pe  hearet  in  t'e 
prooks  ant  t'e  rifers,  as  much  if  not  more  t'an  he  ist  to  pe 
liearet  ant  seen  in  t'e  clearin's  ant  t'e  towns.  Put  my  life 
was  not  a  religious  life  afore  t'e  war,  ant  war  is  not  a  pusi- 
ness  to  make  a  man  t'ink  of  deat'  as  he  ought  ;  t'ough  he 
hast  it  tay  and  night,  as  it  might  pe,  afore  his  eyes." 

"  And  Dus,  the  excellent,  frank,  buoyant,  sincere,  wo- 
manly and  charming  Dus,  adds  these  admirable  qualities 
to  other  merits,  does  she  !  I  knew  she  had  a  profound 
sentiment  on  the  subject  of  religion,  Chainbearer,  though 
I  did  not  know  she  took  so  very  lively  an  interest  in  the 
welfare  of  those  she  loves,  in  connection  with  that  all-im- 
portant interest." 

"  You  may  well  call  t'e  gal  py  all  t'em  fine  worts,  Mor- 
taunt,  for  she  desarfs  efery  one  of  t'em,  ant  more  too. 
No — no — Dus  isn't  known  in  a  tay.  A  poty  may  lif  in  t'e 
same  house  wit'  her,  and  see  her  smilin'  face,  and  hear  her 
merry  song,  mont's  ant  moot's,  ant  not  1'arn  all  t'at  t'ere 
ist  of  gotliness,  ant  meekness,  ant  virtue,  ant  love,  and 
piety,  in  t'e  pottom  of  her  soul.  One  tay  you'll  tink  well 
of  Dus,  Mortaunt  Littlepage." 

"  I ! — Tell  me  that  I  shall  think  well  of  Ursula  Malbone, 
the  girl  that  I  almost  worship  !  Think  well  of  her  whom 
I  now  love  with  an  intensity  that  I  did  not  imagine  was 
possible,  three  months  since  !  Think  well  of  her  who  fills 
all  my  waking,  and  not  a  few  of  my  sleeping  thoughts — of 
whom  I  dream — to  whom  I  am  betrothed — who  has  heard 
my  vows  with  favor,  and  has  cheerfully  promised,  all  par- 
ties that  are  interested  consenting,  to  become  at  some 
early  day  my  wife  !  " 

Old  Andries  heard  my  energetic  exclamation  with  as- 
tonishment ;  and  even  the  Indian  turned  his  head  to  look 
on  me  with  a  gratified  attention.  Perceiving  that  I  had 
gone  so  far,  under  an  impulse  I  had  found  irresistible,  I 
felt  the  necessity  of  being  still  more  explicit,  and  of  com- 
municating all  I  had  to  say  on  the  subject. 

"  Yes,"  I  added,  grasping  old  Andries  by  the  hand — 
"Yes,  Chainbearer,  I  shall  comply  with  your  often-ex- 
pressed wishes.  Again  and  again  have  you  recommended 
your  lovely  niece  to  me  as  a  wife,  and  I  come  now  to  take 
you  at  your  word,  and  to  say  that  nothing  will  make  me 
so  happy  as  to  be  able  to  call  you  uncle." 

To  my  surprise,  Chainbearer  expressed  no  delight  at 
this  announcement.  I  remarked  that  he  had  said  nothing 
to  me  on  his  favorite  old  subject  of  my  marrying  his 


3o8  THE  CHAINBEARER. 

niece,  since  my  arrival  at  the  Nest  ;  and  now,  when  I  was 
not  only  so  ready,  but  so  anxious  to  meet  his  wishes,  I 
could  plainly  see  that  he  drew  back  from  my  proposals, 
and  wished  they  had  not  been  made.  Amazed,  I  waited 
for  him  to  speak  with  a  disappointment  and  uneasiness  I 
cannot  express. 

"  Mortaunt  !  Mortaunt ! "  at  length  broke  out  of  the 
old  man's  very  heart — "  I  wish  to  Heafen  you  hat  nefer 
sait  t'is  !  I  lofe  you,  poy,  almost  as  much  as  I  lofe  Dus, 
herself  ;  put  it  griefs  me — it  griefs  me  to  hear  you  talk  of 
marryin'  t'e  gal  !  " 

"  You  grieve,  as  much  as  you  astonish  me,  Chainbearer, 
by  making  such  a  remark  !  How  often  have  you,  your- 
self, expressed  to  me  the  wish  that  I  might  become  ac- 
quainted with  your  niece,  and  love  her,  and  marry  her  ! 
Now,  when  I  have  seen  her — when  I  have  become  ac- 
quainted with  her — when  I  love  her  to  my  heart's  core,  and 
wish  to  make  her  my  wife,  you  meet  my  proposals  as  if 
they  were  unworthy  of  you  and  yours  !  " 

"  Not  so,  lat — not  so.  Nut'in'  would  make  me  so  happy 
as  to  see  you  t'e  huspant  of  Dus,  supposin'  it  coult  come 
to  pass,  ant  wrong  pe  tone  to  no  one  ;  put  it  cannot  pe  so. 
I  tid  talk  as  you  say,  ant  a  foolish,  selfish,  conceitet  olt 
man  I  was  for  my  pains.  I  wast  t'en  in  t'e  army,  and  we 
wast  captains  alike  ;  ant  I  wast  t'e  senior  captain,  and 
might  orter  you  apout,  ant  //Sorter  you  apout ;  ant  I  wore  an 
epaulette,  like  any  ot'er  captain,  and  hat  my  grandfat'er's 
swort  at  my  site,  ant  t'ought  we  wast  equals,  ant  t'at  it  wrast 
an  honor  to  marry  my  niece  ;  put  all  t'is  was  changet,  lat, 
when  I  came  into  t'e  woots  ag'in,  ant  took  up  my  chain, 
ant  pegan  to  lif,  ant  to  work,  ant  "to  feel  poor,  ant  to  see 
myself  as  I  am.  No — no — Mortaunt  Littlepage,  t'e  owner 
of  Ravensnest,  ant  t'e  heir  of  Mooseritge,  ant  of  Satanstoe, 
ant  of  Lilacsbush,  ant  of  all  t'e  fine  houses,  ant  stores,  ant 
farms  t'at  are  in  York  ant  up  ant  town  t'e  country,  is  not  a 
suitaple  match  for  Dus  Malbone  !  " 

"This  is  so  extraordinary  a  notion  for  you  to  take  up, 
Chainbearer,  and  so  totally  opposed  to  all  I  have  ever  be- 
fore heard  from  you  on  the  subject,  that  I  must  be  per- 
mitted to  ask  where  you  got  it  ?  " 

"  From  Dus  Malbone,  herself — yes,  from  her  own  mout', 
ant  in  her  own  pretty  manner  of  speech." 

"  Has,  then,  the  probability  of  my  ever  offering  to  your 
niece  been  a  subject  of  conversation  between  you  ? " 

"T'at  hast  it — t'at  hast  it,  ant  time  ant  ag'in,  too.     Sit 


THE  CHA1NBEARER.  309 

town  on  t'at  log  of  woot,  ant  listen  to  what  I  haf  to  say, 
ant  I  will  tell  you  t'e  whole  story.  Susquesus,  you  neetn't 
go  off  into  t'at  corner,  like  a  gentleman  as  you  pe  ;  t'ough 
it  is  only  an  Injin  gentleman  ;  for  I  haf  no  secrets  from 
such  a  frient  as  yourself.  Come  pack,  t'en,  Injin,  ant  take 
your  olt  place,  close  at  my  site,  where  you  haf  so  often 
peen  when  t'e  inemy  wast  chargin'  us  poltly  in  front." 
Sureflint  quietly  did  as  desired,  while  Chainbearer  turned 
toward  me  and  continued  the  discourse.  "  You  wilt  see, 
Mortaunt,  poy,  t'ese  here  are  t'e  fery  facts  ant  trut'  of  t'e 
case.  When  I  came  first  from  camp,  ant  I  wast  full  of  t'e 
prite,  ant  aut'ority,  ant  feelin's  of  a  soltier,  I  pegan  to  talk 
to  Dus  apout  you,  as  I  hat  peen  accustomed  to  talk  to  you 
apout  Dus.  Ant  I  tolt  her  what  a  fine,  bolt,  hantsome, 
generous,  well-principlet  young  fellow  you  wast" — the 
reader  will  overlook  my  repeating  that  to  which  the  par- 
tiality of  the  Chainbearer  so  readily  gave  utterance — "ant 
I  tolt  her  of  your  sarfice  in* t'e  wars,  ant  of  your  wit,  ant 
how  you  mate  us  all  laugh,  t'ough  we  might  pe  marchin' 
into  pattle,  ant  what  a  fat'er  you  hat,  ant  what  a  grantfat'er, 
ant  all  t'at  a  goot  ant  a  warm  frient  ought  to  say  of  anot'er, 
when  it  wast  true,  ant  when  it  wast  tolt  to  a  hantsome  ant 
heart-whole  young  woman  t'at  he  wishet  to  fall  in  love  wit' 
t'at  fery  same  frient.  Well,  I  tolt  t'is  to  Dus,  not  once, 
Mortaunt  ;  nor  twice  ;  put  twenty  times,  you  may  depent 
on  it." 

''Which  makes  me  the  more  curious  to  hear  what  Dus 
could  or  did  say  in  reply." 

"  It's  t'at  reply,  lat,  t'at  makes  all  t'e  present  tifficulty  pe- 
tween  us.  For  a  long  time  Dus  sait  little  or  not'in'.  Some- 
times she  woult  look  saucy  ant  laugh — ant  you  know,  lat, 
t'e  gal  can  do  bot'  of  t'em  t'ings  as  well  as  most  young 
women.  Sometimes  she  woult  pegin  to  sing  a  song,  all 
about  fait'less  young  men,  perhaps,  and  proken-hearted 
virgins.  Sometimes  she  woult  look  sorrowful,  ant  I  coult 
fint  tears  startin'  in  her  eyes  ;  ant  t'en  I  pecome  as  soft  ant 
feeple-hearted  as  a  gal,  myself,  to  see  one  who  smiles  so 
easily  mate  to  shet  tears." 

"  But  how  did  all  this  end  ?  What  can  possibly  have 
occurred,  to  cause  this  great  change  in  your  own  wishes  ?" 

"  Tis  not  so  much  my  wishes  t'at  be  changet,  Mortaunt, 
ast  my  opinion.  If  a  poty  coult  haf  t'ings  just  as  he  wishet, 
lat,  Dus  ant  you  shoult  pe  man  ant  wife,  so  far  as  it  te- 
pentet  on  me,  pefore  t'e  week  ist  out.  Put,  we  are  not  our 
own  masters,  nor  t'e  masters  of  what  ist  to  happen  to  our 


310  THE  CttAlN&EARER. 

nephews  and  nieces,  any  more  t'an  we  are  masters  of  what 
1st  to  happen  to  ourselves.  Put,  I  wilt  tell  you  just  how  it 
happenet.  One  tay,  as  I  wast  talking  to  t'e  gal  in  t'e  olt 
way,  she  listenet  to  all  I  hat  to  say  more  seriously  t'an  ast 
common,  ant  when  she  answeret,  it  wast  much  in  t'is  man- 
ner :  'I  t'ank  you  from  t'e  pottom  of  my  heart,  uncle 
Chainpearer,'  she  sait,  '  not  only  for  all  t'at  you  haf  tone 
for  me,  t'e  orphan  da'ghter  of  your  sister,  put  for  all  you 
wish  in  my  pehalf.  I  perceive  t'at  t'is  itee  of  my  marryin' 
your  young  frient,  Mr.  Mortaunt  Littlepage,  hast  a  strong 
holt  on  your  feelin's,  ant  it  ist  time  to  talk  seriously  on  t'at 
supject.  When  you  associatet  with  t'at  young  gentleman, 
uncle  Chainpearer,  you  wast  Captain  Coejemans,  of  t'e 
New  York  State  line,  ant  his  senior  officer,  ant  it  was 
nat'ral  to  s'pose  your  niece  fit  to  pecome  his  wife.  Put  it 
ist  our  tuty  to  look  at  what  we  now  are,  ant  are  likely  to 
remain.  Major  Littlepage  hast  a  fat'er  ant  a  mot'er,  I  haf 
he'rt  you  say,  uncle  Chainpearer,  ant  sisters,  too  ;  now 
marriage  ist  a  most  serious  t'ing.  It  ist  to  last  for  life,  ant 
no  one  shoult  form  sich  a  connection  wit'out  reflectin'  on 
all  its  pearin's.  It  ist  hartly  possiple  t'at  people  in  t'e  pros- 
perity ant  happiness  of  t'ese  Littlepages  woult  wish  to  see 
an  only  son,*  ant  t'e  heir  of  t'eir  name  ant  estates,  takin'  for 
a  wife  a  gal  out  of  t'e  woots  ;  one  t'at  is  not  only  a  chain- 
pearer's  niece,  put  who  hast  peen  a  chainpearer  herself,  ant 
who  can  pring  into  t'eir  family  no  one  t'ing  to  compensate 
'em  for  t'e  sacrifice.'  " 

"  And  you  had  the  heart  to  be  quiet,  Andries,  and  let 
Ursula  say  all  this  ?  " 

"  Ah  !  lat,  how  coult  I  help  it  ?  You  woult  have  tone  it 
yourself,  Mortaunt,  coult  you  haf  he'rt  how  prettily  she 
turnet  her  periots,  as  I  hef  he'rt  you  call  it,  and  how  efery 
syllaple  she  sait  come  from  t'e  heart.  T'en  t'e  face  of  t'e 
gal  wast  enough  to  convince  me  t'at  she  wast  right  ;  she 
looket  so  'arnest,  ant  sat,  ant  peautiful,  Mortaunt  !  No, 
no  ;  when  an  itee  comes  into  t'e  mint,  wit'  t'e  ait  of  sich 
worts  and  looks,  my  poy,  'tis  not  an  easy  matter  to  get  rit 
of  it." 

"  You  do  not  seriously  mean  to  say,  Chainbearer,  that 
you  will  refuse  me  Dus  ? " 

"  Dus  will  do  t'at  herself,  lat  ;  for  she  ist  still  a  chain- 
pearer's  niece,  ant  you  are  still  General  Littlepage's  son 
ant  heir.  Try  her,  ant  see  what  she  wilt  say." 

"  But  I  have  tried  her,  as  you  call  it  ;  have  told  her  of  my 
iove  ;  have  offered  her  my  hand,  and " 


THE  CHAINBRARRR.  311 

"Ant  what  ?" 

"  Why,  she  does  not  answer  me  as  you  say  she  answered 
you" 

"  Hast  t'e  gal  salt  she  woult  haf  you,  Mortaunt  ?  Hast 
she  said  yes  ?  " 

"  Conditionally  she  has.  If  my  grandmother  cheerfully 
consent,  and  my  parents  do  the  same  ;  and  my  sister  Ket- 
tletas  and  her  husband,  and  my  laughing,  merry  Kate,  then 
Dus  will  accept  me." 

"  T'is  ist  strange  !  Ah  !  I  see  how  it  is  ;  t'e  gal  has  seen 
you,  and  peen  much  wit'  you,  ant  talket  wit'  you,  ant 
sung  wit'  you,  ant  laughet  wit'  you  ;  ant  I  s'pose,  a'ter  all, 
fat  will  make  a  tifference  in  her  judgment  of  you.  I'm  a 
patchelor,  Mortaunt,  ant  haf  no  wife,  nor  any  sweetheart, 
put  it  ist  easy  enough  to  comprehent  how  all  t'ese  matters 
must  make  a  fery  great  tifference.  I'm  glat,  howsefer,  t'at 
t'e  tifference  is  not  so  great  as  to  make  t'e  gal  forget  all 
your  frients  ;  for  if  efery  poty  consents,  ant  is  cheerful, 
why  t'en  my  pern'  a  chainbearer,  and  Dus  pein'  so  poor 
ant  forsaken  like,  will  not  pe  so  likely  to  be  rememperet 
hereafter,  and  bring  you  pitter  t'oughts." 

"  Andries  Coejemans,  I  swear  to  you,  I  would  rather  be- 
come your  nephew  at  this  moment,  than  become  the  son- 
in-law  of  Washington  himself,  had  he  a  daughter." 

"  T'at  means  you'd  rat'er  haf  Dus,  t'an  any  ot'er  gal  of 
your  acquaintance.  T'at's  nat'ral  enough,  and  may  make 
me  look  like  his  excellency,  for  a  time,  in  your  eyes  ;  put 
when  you  come  to  t'ink  and  feel  more  coolly,  my  tear  poy, 
t'ere  ist  t'e  tangert'at  you  wilt  see  some  tifference  petween 
t'e  captain-general  and  commanter-in-chief  of  all  t'e  Amer- 
ican armies,  and  a  poor  chainpearer,  who  in  his  pest  tays 
was  nut'in'  more  t'an  a  captain  in  t'e  New  York  line.  I 
know  you  lofe  me,  Mortaunt  ;  put  t'ere  ist  tanger  t'at  it 
might  not  pe  exactly  an  uncle  and  nephew's  love  in  t'e 
long  run.  I  am  only  a  poor  Tutchman,  when  all  is  sait, 
wit'out  much  etication,  ant  wit'  no  money,  ant  not  much 
more  manners  ;  while  you've  peen  to  college,  and  pe  col- 
lege 1'arn't,  ant  pe  as  gay  ant  gallant  a  spark  as  can  pe 
fount  in  t'e  States,  as  we  call  t'e  olt  colonies  now.  Wast 
you  a  Yankee,  Mortaunt,  I'd  see  you  marriet,  and  unmar- 
riet  twenty  times,  pefore  I'd  own  as  much'  as  t'is  ;  put  a 
man  may  pe  sensible  of  his  ignorance,  ant  pat  etication, 
and  weaknesses,  wit'out  wishin'  to  pe  tolt  of  it  to  his  face, 
and  laughed  at  apout  it,  py  efery  ABC  scholar  t'at  comes 
out  of  New  Englant.  No,  no — I'm  a  poor  Tutchman,  I 


312  THE  CHAINBEARER. 

know  ;  ant  a  poty  may  say  as  much  to  a  frient,  when  he 
woult  tie  pefore  he  woult  own  t'ere  wast  any  t'ing  poor 
apout  it  to  an  inimy." 

"  I  would  gladly  pursue  this  discourse,  Andries,  and 
bring  it  to  a  happy  termination,"  I  answered  ;  "  but  here 
come  the  squatters  in  a  body,  and  I  suppose  some  move- 
ment or  proposal  is  in  the  wind.  We  will  defer  our  mat- 
ter, then  ;  you  remembering  that  I  agree  to  none  of  your 
opinions  or  decisions.  Dus  is  to  be  mine,  if  indeed  we  can 
protect  her  against  the  grasp  of  these  wretches.  I  have 
something  to  say  on  that  subject,  too  ;  but  this  is  not  the 
moment  to  utter  it." 

Chainbearer  seized  my  hand,  and  gave  it  a  friendly 
pressure,  which  terminated  the  discourse.  On  the  subject 
of  the  intentions  of  Thousandacres  toward  Dus,  I  was  now 
not  altogether  free  from  uneasiness  ;  though  the  tumult 
of  rapturous  feeling  through  which  I  had  just  passed 
drove  it  temporarily  from  my  mind.  I  had  no  apprehen- 
sions that  Ursula  Malbone  would  ever  be  induced,  by 
ordinary  means,  to  become  the  wife  of  Zephaniah  ;  but  I 
trembled  as  to  what  might  be  the  influence  of  menaces 
against  her  uncle  and  myself.  Nor  was  I  altogether  easy 
on  the  score  of  the  carrying  out  of  those  menaces.  It 
often  happens  with  crime,  as  in  the  commission  of  ordi- 
nary sins,  that  men  are  impelled  by  circumstances,  which 
drive  them  to  deeds  from  which  they  would  have  recoiled 
in  horror,  had  the  consummation  been  directly  presented 
to  their  minds,  without  the  intervention  of  any  mediate 
causes.  But  the  crisis  was  evidently  approaching,  and  I 
waited  with  as  much  calmness  as  I  could  assume  for  its 
development  As  for  Chainbearer,  being  still  ignorant  of 
the  conversation  I  had  overheard  in  the  mill,  he  had  no 
apprehensions  of  evil  from  the  source  of  my  greatest 
dread. 

The  day  had  advanced,  all  this  time,  and  the  sun  had 
set,  and  night  was  close  upon  us,  as  Tobit  and  his  brethren 
came  to  frhe  door  of  our  prison,  and  called  upon  Chain- 
bearer  and  myself  to  come  forth,  leaving  Susquesus  be- 
hind. We  obeyed  with  alacrity  ;  for  there  was  a  species 
of  liberty  in  being  outside  of  those  logs,  with  my  limbs 
unfettered,  though  a  vigilant  watch  was  kept  over  us  both. 
On  each  side  of  me  walked  an  armed  man,  and  Chain- 
bearer  was  honored  with  a  similar  guard.  For  all  this,  old 
Andries  cared  but  little.  He  knew  and  I  knew  that  the- 
time  could  not  be  very  distant  when  we  might  expect  tQ 


THE  CHAINBEARER.  313 

hear  from  Frank  Malbone ;  and  every  minute  that  went 
by  added  to  our  confidence  in  this  respect. 

We  were  about  half-way  between  the  storehouse  and 
the  dwelling  of  Thousandacres,  toward  which  our  steps 
were  directed,  when  Andries  suddenly  stopped,  and  asked 
leave  to  say  a  word  to  me  in  private.  Tobit  was  at  a  loss 
how  to  take  this  request  ;  but,  there  being  an  evident  de- 
sire to  keep  on  reasonably  good  terms  with  Chainbearer, 
after  a  short  pause  he  consented  to  form  an  extended  ring 
with  his  brothers,  leaving  me  and  my  old  friend  in  its 
centre. 

"  I'll  tell  you  what  I  t'ink  atvisaple  in  t'is  matter,"  com- 
menced Andries,  in  a  sort  of  whisper.  "  It  cannot  pe  long 
afore  Malpone  will  be  pack  wit'  t'e  posse  ant  constaples, 
ant  so  fort'  ;  now,  if  we  tell  t'ese  rapscallions  t'at  we  want 
taylight  to  meet  our  inimies  in,  ant  t'at  we  haf  no  stomach 
for  nightwork,  perhaps  t'ey'll  carry  us  pack  to  jail,  ant 
so  gif  more  time  to  Frank  to  get  here." 

"  It  will  be  much  better,  Chainbearer,  to  prolong  our 
interview  with  these  squatters,  so  that  you  and  I  may  be 
at  large,  or  at  least  not  shut  up  in  the  storehouse,  when 
Maibone  makes  his  appearance.  In  the  confusion  we  may 
even  escape  and  join  our  friends,  which  will  be  a  thousand 
times  better  than  to  be  found  within  four  walls." 

Andries  nodded  his  head,  in  sign  of  acquiescence,  and 
thenceforth  he  seemed  to  aim  at  drawing  things  out,  in 
order  to  gain  time,  instead  of  bringing  them  to  a  speedy 
conclusion.  As  soon  as  our  discourse  was  ended,  the 
young  men  closed  round  us  again,  and  we  moved  on  in  a 
body. 

Darkness  being  so  close  upon  us,  Thousandacres  had 
determined  to  hold  his  court,  this  time,  within  the  house, 
having  a  care  to  a  sufficient  watchfulness  about  the  door. 
There  is  little  variation  in  the  internal  distribution  of  the 
room  of  what  may  be  called  an  American  cottage.  About 
two-thirds  of  the  space  is  given  to  the  principal  apartment, 
which  contains  the  fireplace,*  and  is  used  for  all  the  pur- 
poses of  kitchen  and  sitting-room,  while  the  rest  of  the 
building  is  partitioned  into  three  several  subdivisions. 
One  of  these  subdivisions  is  commonly  a  small  bedroom  ; 
another  is  the  buttery,  and  the  third  holds  the  stairs,  or 
ladders,  by  which  to  ascend  to  the  loft,  or  to  descend  to 
the  cellar.  Such  was  the  arrangement  of  the  dwelling  of 

*  At  the  present  day,  the  cooking-stove  has  nearly  superseded  the  open 
fireplace. 


314  THE  CHAINBEARER. 

Thousandacres,  and  such  is  the  arrangement  in  thousands 
of  other  similar  buildings  throughout  the  land.  The  thriv- 
ing husbandman  is  seldom  long  contented,  however,  with 
such  narrow  and  humble  accommodations ;  but  the  frameo 
house,  of  two  stories  in  height,  and  \vith  five  windows  in 
front,  usually  soon  succeeds  this  cottage,  in  his  case.  It 
is  rare,  indeed,  that  any  American  private  edifice  has  more 
than  five  windows  in  front,  the  few  exceptions  which  do 
exist  to  the  rule  being  residences  of  mark,  and  the  super- 
numerary windows  are  generally  to  be  found  in  wings. 
Some  of  our  old,  solid,  substantial,  stone  country  houses 
occasionally  stretch  themselves  out  to  eight  or  nine  aper- 
tures of  this  sort,  but  they  are  rare.  I  cannot  gossip  here, 
however,  about  country  houses  and  windows,  when  I  have 
matters  so  grave  before  me  to  relate. 

In  the  forest,  and  especially  in  the  newer  portions  of 
New  York,  the  evenings  are  apt  to  be  cool,  even  in  the 
warm  months.  That  memorable  night,  I  well  remember, 
had  a  sharpness  about  it  that  threatened  even  a  frost,  and 
Prudence  had  lighted  a  fire  on  the  yawning  hearth  of  her 
rude  chimney.  By  the  cheerful  blaze  of  that  fire,  \vhich 
was  rene\ved  from  time  to  time  by  dried  brush,  the  Ameri- 
can frontier  substitute  for  the  fagot,  were  the  scenes  I  am 
about  to  mention  enacted. 

We  found  all  the  males,  and  several  of  the  females,  as- 
sembled in  the  large  apartment  of  the  building  I  have  de- 
scribed, when' Chainbearer  and  myself  entered.  The  wife 
of  Tobit,  with  one  or  two  of  the  sisterhood,  however,  were 
absent ;  doubtless  in  attendance  on  Dus.  Lowiny,  I  re- 
marked, stood  quite  near  the  fire,  and  the  countenance  of 
the  girl  seemed  to  me  to  be  saddened  and  thoughtful.  I 
trust  I  shall  not  be  accused  of  being  a  coxcomb,  if  I  add 
that  the  idea  crossed  my  mind  that  the  appearance  and 
manners  of  a  youth  so  much  superior  to  those  with  whom 
she  was  accustomed  to  associate  had  made  a  slight  im- 
pression on  this  girl's — I  will  not  say  heart,  for  imagina- 
tion would  be  the  better  word — and  had  awakened  sympa- 
thies that  manifested  themselves  in  her  previous  conduct  ; 
while  the  shade  that  was  now  cast  across  her  brow  came 
quite  as  much  from  the  scene  she  had  witnessed  between 
myself  and  Dus,  near  the  rock,  as  from  seeing  me  again  a 
prisoner.  The  friendship  of  this  girl  might  still  be  of  im- 
portance to  me,  and  still  more  so  to  Ursula,  and  I  will  ac- 
knowledge that  the  apprehension  of  losing  it  was  far  from 
pleasant.  I  could  only  wait  for  the  developments  of  time 


THE  CHAINBEARER.  315 

however,  in  order  to  reach  any  certainty  on  this,  as  well  as 
on  other  most  interesting  topics. 

Thousandacres  had  the  civility  to  order  us  chairs,  and  we 
took  our  seats  accordingly.  On  looking  round  the  grave 
and  attentive  circle,  I  could  trace  no  new  signs  of  hos- 
tility ;  but,  on  the  contrary,  the  countenances  of  all  seemed 
more  pacific  than  they  were  when  we  parted.  I  consid- 
ered this  as  an  omen  that  I  and  my  friend  should  receive 
some  propositions  that  tended  toward  peace.  In  this  I 
was  not  mistaken  ;  the  first  words  that  were  uttered  hav- 
ing that  character. 

"It's  time  this  matter  atween  us,  Chainbearer,"  com- 
menced Thousandacres  himself,  "  should  be  brought  to 
suthin' like  an  eend.  It  keeps  the  b'ys  from  their  lum- 
berin',  and  upsets  my  whull  family.  I  call  myself  a  rea- 
sonable man  ;  and  be  as  ready  to  settle  a  difficulty  on  as 
accommodatin'  tarms  as  any  parson  you'll  find  by  lookin' 
up  and  down  the  land.  Many  is  the  difficulty  that  I've  set- 
tled in  my  day  ;  and  I'm  not  too  old  to  settle  'em  now. 
Sometimes  I've  fit  out,  when  Fve  fell  in  with  an  obsti- 
nate fellow  ;  sometimes  I've  left  it  out  to  men  ;  and  some- 
times I've  settled  matters  myself.  No  man  can  say  he 
ever  know'd  me  refuse  to  hearken  to  reason,  or  know'd  me 
to  gi'n  up  a  just  cause,  so  long  as  there  was  a  morsel  of  a 
chance  to  defend  it.  When  overpowered  by  numbers,  and 
look'd  down  by  your  accursed  law,  as  you  call  it,  I'll  own 
that,  once  or  twice  in  my  time,  when  young  and  inexper'- 
enced,  I  did  get  the  worst  of  it  ;  and  so  was  obliged  to 
sort  o'  run  away.  But  use  makes  parfect.  I've  seen  so 
much,  by  seventy  odd,  as  to  have  1'arnt  to  take  time  by  the 
forelock,  and  don't  practyse  delays  in  business.  I  look 
upon  you,  Chainbearer,  as  a  man  much  like  myself,  rea- 
sonable, exper'enced,  and  willin'  to  accommodate.  I  see 
no  great  difficulty,  therefore,  in  settlin'  this  matter  on  the 
spot,  so  as  to  have  no  more  hard  feelin's  or  hot  words 
atween  us.  Sich  be  my  notions  ;  and  I  should  like  to  hear 
your'n." 

"  Since  you  speak  to  me,  T'ousantacres,  in  so  polite  and 
civil  a  manner,  I'm  reaty  to  hear  you,  ant  to  answer  in  t'e 
same  temper,"  returned  old  Andries,  his  countenance  los- 
ing much  of  the  determined  and  angry  expression  with 
which  he  had  taken  his  seat  in  the  circle.  "  T'ere  ist 
nuttin'  t'at  more  pecomes  a  man  t'an  moteration  ;  ant  an 
olt  man  in  partic'lar.  I  do  not  t'ink,  however,  t'at  t'ere  ist 
much  resemplance  petween  you  ant  me,  T'ousantacres,  in- 


3i6  THE  CHAINBEARER. 

any  one  t'ing,  except  it  pe  in  olt  age.  We're  pot'  of  us 
pretty  well  atvancet,  ant  haf  reachet  a  time  of  life  when  it 
pehooves  a  man  to  examine  ant  reflect  on  t'e  great  trut's 
t'at  are  to  pe  fount  in  his  piple.  T'e  piple  ist  a  pook, 
Aaron,  t'at  ist  not  enough  re't  in  t'e  woots  ;  t'ough  Al- 
mighty Got  hast  all  t'e  same  rights  to  t'e  sacrifices  ant 
worship  of  his  creatures  in  t'e  forest,  as  to  t'e  worship  and 
sacrifices  of  his  creatures  in  t'e  settlements.  I'm  not  a  tellin' 
you  t'is,  T'ousantacres,  py  way  of  showin'  off  my  own 
1'arnin' ;  for  all  I  know  on  the  supject,  myself,  I  haf  got 
from  Dus,  my  niece,  who  ist  as  goot,  ant  as  willin',  ant  as 
hanty  in  explainin'  sich  matters,  as  any  tominie  I  ever 
talket  wit'.  I  wish  you  would  listen  to  her,  yourself  ;  you 
and  Prutence  ;  when  I  t'ink  you  woult  allow  t'at  her  tis- 
course  ist  fery  etifyin'  ant  improfin'.  Now  you  seem  in  t'e 
right  temper,  ist  a  goot  time  to  pe  penefitet  in  t'at  way  ; 
for  t'ey  tell  me  my  niece  ist  here,  ant  at  hant." 

"  She  is  ;  and  I  rej'ice  that  you  have  brought  her  name 
into  the  discourse  so  'arly  ;  as  it  was  my  design  to  mention 
it  myself.  I  see  we  think  alike  about  the  young  wom- 
an, Chainbearer,  and  trust  and  believe  she'll  be  the 
means  of  reconciling  all  parties,  and  of  making  us  good 
fri'nds.  I've  sent  for  the  gal ;  and  she'll  soon  be  coming 
along,  with  Tobit's  wife,  who  sets  by  her  wonderfully  al- 
ready." 

"  Well,  talkin'  of  wonterful  t'ings,  wonters  wilt  never 
cease,  I  do  pelieve  !  "  Chainbearer  exclaimed,  for  he  really 
believed  that  the' family  of  the  squatter  was  taken  suddenly 
with  a  "religious  turn,"  and  that  something  like  a  conver- 
sion was  about  to  occur.  "  Yes,  yes  ;  it  ist  so  ;  we  meet 
wit'  wonters  when  we  least  expect  'em  ;  and  t'at  it  is  t'at 
makes  wonters  so  wonterful !" 


CHAPTER  XXV. 

"Yes,  Hastings,  these  are  they 

Who  challenge  to  themselves  thy  country's  love  ; 
The  true,  the  constant,  who  alone  can  weigh 

What  glory  should  demand,  or  liberty  approve  !  " 

— AKENSIDE. 

A  PAUSE  succeeded  this  little  opening,  during  which  the 
assembly  was  waiting  for  the  arrival  of  Ursula  Malbone, 
and  the  semi-savage  guardian  that  "set  "  so  much  by  her, 


THE  CHAINBEARER.  317 

as  not  to  leave  her  out  of  sight  for  a  moment.  All  that 
time  Thousandacres  was  ruminating  on  his  own  plans  ; 
while  old  Andries  was  probably  reflecting  on  the  singular 
circumstances  that  "  wonters  shoult  pe  so  wonterful  !  "  At 
length  a  little  bustle  and  movement  occurred  near  the  door, 
the  crowd  collected  in  it  opened,  and  Dus  walked  into  the 
centre  of  the  room,  her  color  heightened  by  excitement, 
but  her  step  firm,  and  her  air  full  of  spirit  At  first,  the 
blazing  light  affected  her  sight,  and  she  passed  a  hand  over 
her  eyes.  Then  looking  around  I  met  her  gaze,  and  was 
rewarded  for  all  my  anxiety  by  one  of  those  glances,  into 
which  affection  knows  how  to  infuse  so  much  that  is 
meaning  and  eloquent.  I  was  thus  favored  for  a  moment 
only ;  those  eyes  still  turning  until  they  met  the  fond, 
answering  look  of  Chainbearer.  The  old  man  had  arisen, 
and  he  now  received  his  niece  in  his  arms,  as  a  parent  would 
embrace  a  beloved  child. 

That  outpouring  of  feeling  lasted  but  a  little  while.  It 
had  been  unpremeditated  and  impulsive,  and  was  almost 
as  suddenly  suppressed.  It  gave  me,  however,  the  happi- 
ness of  witnessing  one  of  the  most  pleasant  sights  that 
man  can  behold ;  that  of  youth,  and  beauty,  and  delicacy, 
and  female  tenderness,  pouring  out  their  feelings  on  the 
bosom  of  age — on  the  ruder  qualities  of  one  hardened  in 
person  by  the  exposures  of  a  life  passed  in  the  forest.  To 
me  the  contrast  between  the  fair,  golden  hair  of  Dus,  and 
the  few  straggling,  bleached  locks  of  her  uncle  ;  the  downy, 
peach-like  cheek  of  the  girl,  and  the  red,  wrinkled,  and 
sun-dried  countenance  of  Chainbearer,  was  perfectly  de- 
lightful. It  said  how  deep  must  lie  those  sympathies  of 
our  nature,  which  could  bring  together  so  closely  two  so 
differently  constituted  in  all  things,  and  set  at  defiance  the 
apparent  tendencies  of  taste  and  habit. 

Dus  suffered  herself  to  be  thus  carried  away  by  her  feel- 
ings for  only  a  moment.  Accustomed  in  a  degree,  as  she 
certainly  was,  to  the  rough  associations  of  the  woods,  this 
was  the  first  time  she  had  ever  been  confronted  with  such 
an  assembly,  and  I  could  see  that  she  drew  back  into  her- 
self with  womanly  reserve,  as  she  now  gazed  around  her, 
and  saw  in  what  a  wild  and  unwonted  presence  she  stood. 
Still,  I  had  never  seen  her  look  so  supremely  lovely  as  she 
did  that  evening,  for  she  threw  Pris  Bayard  and  Kate,  with 
all  their  advantages  of  dress  and  freedom  from  exposure, 
far  into  the  shade.  Perhaps  the  life  of  Ursula  Malbone 
had  givren  to  her  beauty  the  very  completeness  and  fullness, 


3i8  THE  CHAINBEARER. 

that  are  most  apt  to  be  wanting  to  the  young  American 
girl,  who  has  been  educated  in  the  over-tender  and  delicate 
manner  of  our  ordinary  parental  indulgence.  Of  air  and 
exercise  she  had  already  enjoyed  enough,  and  they  had 
imparted  to  her  bloom  and  person  the  richness  and  devel- 
opment that  are  oftener  found  in  the  subordinate  than  in 
the  superior  classes  of  the  country. 

As  for  Thousandacres,  though  he  watched  every  move- 
ment of  Ursula  Maibone  with  jealous  interest,  he  said 
nothing  to  interrupt  the  current  of  her  feelings.  As  soon 
as  she  left  her  uncle's  arms,  however,  Dus  drew  back  and 
took  the  rude  seat  that  I  had  placed  for  her  close  to  Chain- 
bearer's  side.  I  was  paid  for  this  little  act  of  attention  by 
a  sweet  smile  from  its  subject,  and  a  lowering  look  from 
the  old  squatter,  that  admonished  me  of  the  necessity  of 
being  cautious  of  manifesting  too  much  of  the  interest  I 
felt  in  the  beloved  object  before  me.  As  is  usual  in  as- 
semblages composed  of  the  rude  and  unpractised,  a  long, 
awkward  pause  succeeded  this  introduction  of  Dus  to  our 
presence.  After  a  time,  however,  Aaron  resumed  the  sub- 
ject in  hand. 

"  We've  met  to  settle  all  our  difficulties,  as  I  was  sayin'," 
observed  Thousandacres,  in  a  manner  as  deliberative  and 
considerate  as  if  he  were  engaged  in  one  of  the  most  blame- 
less pursuits  of  life,  the  outward  appearances  of  virtue  and 
vice  possessing  a  surprising  resemblance  to  each  other. 
"  When  men  get  together  on  sich  a  purpose,  and  in  a  right 
spirit,  it  must  be  that  there's  a  fault  somewhere,  if  what's 
right  can't  be  come  at  atween  'em.  What's  right  atwixt 
man  and  man  is  my  creed,  Chainbearer." 

"  What's  right  petween  man  ant  man  is  a  goot  creet, 
T'ousantacres  ;  ant  it's  a  goot  religion,  too,"  answered 
Andries,  coldly. 

"  That  it  is  !  that  it  is  !  and  I  now  see  that  you're  in  a 
reasonable  temper,  Chainbearer,  and  that  there's  a  pros- 
pect of  business  in  you.  I  despise  a  man  that's  so  set  in 
his  notions  that  there's  no  gettin'  him  to  give  in  an  inch 
in  a  transaction — don't  you  hold  to  that,  too,  Captain  An- 
dries?" 

"T'at  depents  on  what  t'e  notions  pe.  Some  notions  do 
nopoty  any  goot,  ant  t'e  sooner  we're  rit  of  'em  t'e  petter  ; 
while  some  notions  pe  so  fery  excellent  t'at  a  man  hat 
pest  lay  town  his  life  as  lay  t'em  town." 

This  answer  puzzled  Thousandacres,  who  had  no  idea  of 
a  man's  ever  dying  for  opinion's  sake  ;  and  who  was  prob' 


THE  CHAINBEARER.  319 

ably  anxious,  just  at  that  moment,  to  find  his  companion 
sufficiently  indifferent  to  principle  to  make  some  sacrifices 
to  expediency.  It  was  quite  evident  this  man  was  disposed 
to  practise  a  ruse  on  this  occasion,  that  is  often  resorted  to 
by  individuals,  and  sometimes  by  states,  when  disposed  to 
gain  a  great  advantage  out  of  a  very  small  right ;  that  of 
demanding  much  more  than  they  expect  to  receive,  and 
of  making  a  great  merit  of  yielding  points  that  they  never 
had  the  smallest  claim  to  maintain.  But  this  disposition 
of  the  squatter's  will  make  itself  sufficiently  apparent  as 
we  proceed. 

"  I  don't  see  any  use  in  talkin'  about  layin'  down  lives," 
Thousandacres  returned  to  Chainbearer's  remark,  "  seein' 
this  is  not  a  life  and  death  transaction  at  all.  The  most 
that  can  be  made  of  squattin',  give  the  law  its  full  swing, 
is  trespass  and  damages,  and  them  an't  matters  to  frighten 
a  man  that  has  stood  out  ag'in  'em  all  his  days.  We're 
pretty  much  sich  crittur's  as  sarcumstances  make  us. 
There  be  men,  I  don't  question,  that  a  body  can  skear  half 
out  of  their  wits  with  a  writ,  while  a  whull  flock  of  sheep, 
skins  and  wool  united,  wunt  intimidate  them  that's  used  to 
sich  things.  I  go  on  the  principle  of  doin'  what's  right, 
let  the  law  say  what  it  will  of  the  matter  ;  and  this  is  the 
principle  on  which  I  wish  to  settle  our  present  difficulty." 

"  Name  your  tarms — name  your  tarms  !  "  cried  Chain- 
bearer,  a  little  impatiently;  "talkin'  ist  talkin',  all  t'e 
wrorlt  ofer,  ant  actin'  ist  actin'.  If  you  haf  anyt'ing  to  pro- 
pose, here  we  are,  reaty  ant  willin'  to  hear  it." 

"  That's  hearty,  and  just  my  way  of  thinkin'  and  feelin', 
and  I'll  act  up  to  it,  though  it  was  the  gospel  of  St.  Paul 
himself,  and  I  was  set  on  followin'  it.  Here,  then,  is  the 
case,  and  any  man  can  understand  it.  There's  two  rights 
to  all  the  land  on  'arth,  and  the  whull  world  over.  One 
of  these  rights  is  what  I  call  a  king's  right,  or  that  which 
depends  on  writin's,  and  laws,  and  sichlike  contrivances ; 
and  the  other  depends  on  possession.  It  stands  to  reason, 
that  fact  is  better  than  any  writin'  about  it  can  be  ;  but  I'm 
willin'  to  put  'em  on  a  footin'  for  the  time  bein',  and  for 
the  sake  of  accommodatin'.  I  go  all  for  accommodatin' 
matters,  and  not  for  stirrin'  up  ill  blood  ;  and  that  I  tell 
Chainbearer,  b'ys,  is  the  right  spirit  to  presarve  harmony 
and  fri'ndship  !" 

This  appeal  was  rewarded  by  a  murmur  of  general  ap- 
probation in  all  that  part  of  the  audience  which  might  be 
supposed  to  be  in  the  squatter  interest,  while  the  part  that 


320  THE  CHAINBEARER. 

might  be  called  adverse,  remained  silent,  though  strictly 
attentive,  old  Andries  included. 

"Yes,  that's  my  principles,"  resumed  Thousandacres, 
taking  a  hearty  draught  of  cider,  a  liquor  of  which  he  had 
provided  an  ample  allowance,  passing  the  mug  civilly  to 
Chainbearer,  as  soon  as  he  had  his  swallow.  "  Yes,  that's 
my  principles,  and  good  principles  they  be,  for  them  that 
likes  peace  and  harmony,  as  all  must  allow.  Now,  in  this 
matter  afore  us,  General  Littlepage  and  his  partner  ripre- 
sents  writin's,  and  I  and  mine  ripresent  fact.  I  don't  say 
which  is  the  best,  for  I  don't  want  to  be  hard  on  any  man's 
rights,  and  'specially  when  the  accommodatin'  spirit  is  up 
and  doin';  but  I'm  fact,  and  the  gin'ral's  pretty  much 
writin's.  But  difficulties  has  sprung  up  atwixt  us,  and  it's 
high  time  to  put  'em  down.  I  look  upon  you,  Chain- 
bearer,  as  the  fri'nd  of  the  t'other  owners  of  this  sile,  and 
I'm  now  ready  to  make  proposals,  or  to  hear  them,  just  as 
it  may  prove  convenient" 

"  I  haf  no  proposals  to  make,  nor  any  aitt'ority  to  offer 
t'em.  I'm  nut'in  here  put  a  chainpearer,  wit'  a  contract  to 
survey  t'e  patent  into  small  lots,  ant  t'en  my  tuty  ist  tone. 
Put,  here  ist  General  Littlepage's  only  son,  ant  he  ist  em- 
poweret,  I  unterstant,  to  do  all  t'at  is  necessary  on  t'is 
tract,  as  t'e  attorney " 

"  He  is  and  he  isn't  an  attorney  ! "  interrupted  Thou- 
sandacres, a  little  fiercely  for  one  in  whom  "  the  accommo- 
datin' spirit  is  up."  "  At  one  moment  he  says  he's  an 
attorney,  and  at  the  next  he  isn't.  I  can't  stand  this  on- 
sartainty  any  very  great  while." 

"  Pooh,  pooh  !  T'ousantacres,"  returned  Chainbearer, 
coolly,  "  you're  frightenet  at  your  own  shadow  ;  ant  t'at 
comes,  let  me  telt  you,  from  not  lifing  in  *  peace  and  har- 
mony,' as  you  call  it,  yourself,  wit'  t'e  law.  A  man  hast  a 
conscience,  whet'er  he  pe  a  skinner  or  a  cowboy,  or  efen 
a  squatter  ;  and  he  hast  it,  pecause  Got  has  gifen  it  to  him, 
and  not  on  account  of  any  sarfices  of  his  own.  T'at  con- 
science it  is,  t'at  makes  my  young  frient  Mortaunt  here  an 
attorney  in  your  eyes,  when  he  ist  no  more  of  a  lawyer 
t'an  you  pe  yourself." 

"  Why  has  he  called  himself  an  attorney,  then,  and  why 
&o  you  call  him  one  ?  An  attorney  is  an  attorney,  in  rny 
eyes,  and  little  difference  is  there  atween  'em.  Rattle- 
snakes would  fare  better  in  a  clearin'  of  Thousandacres' 
than  the  smartest  attorney  in  the  land  !  " 

"  Well,  well,  haf  your  own  feelin's  ;  for  I  s'pose  Satan 


THE  CHAINBEARER.  321 

has  put  'em  into  you,  ant  talkin'  won't  pring  t'em  out. 
T'is  young  gentleman,  however,  1st  no  attorney  of  t'e 
sort  you  mean,  old  squatter,  put  he  hast  been  a  soltier, 
like  myself,  ant  in  my  own  regiment,  which  wast  his 
fat'er's,  ant  a  prave  young  man  he  ist  ant  wast,  ant  one  t'at 
has-fou't  gallantly  for  liperty " 

"If  he's  a  fri'nd  of  liberty,  he  should  be  a  fri'nd  of 
liberty's  people  ;  should  give  liberty  and  take  liberty.  Now 
I  call  it  liberty  to  let  every  man  have  as  much  land  as  he 
has  need  on,  and  no  more,  keepin'  the  rest  for  them  that's 
in  the  same  situation.  If  he  and  his  father  be  true  fri'nds 
of  liberty,  let  'em  prove  it  like  men,  by  giving  up  all  claims 
to  any  more  land  than  they  want.  That's  what  I  call  liberty  ! 
Let  every  man  have  as  much  land  as  he's  need  on  ;  that's 
my  religion,  and  it's  liberty,  too."* 

"  Why  are  you  so  moterate,  T'ousantacres  ?  why  are  you 
so  unreasonaply  moterate  ?  Why  not  say  t'at  efery  man 
hast  a  right  to  efery  t'hing  he  hast  need  of,  and  so  make 
him  comfortaple  at  once  !  T'ere  is  no  wistom  in  toin' 
t'ings  by  hafs,  ant  it  ist  always  petter  to  surfey  all  t'e  lant 
you" want,  while  t'e  compass  is  set  ant  t'e  chains  pe  going. 
It's  just  as  much  liperty  to  haf  a  right  to  share  in  a  man's 
toliars,  as  to  share  in  his  lants." 

"  I  don't  go  as  far  as  that,  Chambearer,"  put  in  Thou- 
saudacres,  with  a  degree  of  moderation  that  ought  to  put 
the  enemies  of  his  principles  to  the  blush.  "  Money  is 
wbat  a  man  'arns  himself,  and  he  has  a  right  to  it,  and  so 
I  say  let  him  keep  it  ;  but  land  is  necessary,  and  every 

'•  I  am  a  little  apprehensive  that  the  profound  political  philosophers  who 
have  sprung  up  among  us  within  a  few  years,  including  some  in  high  places, 
and  who  virtually  maintain  that  the  American  is  so  ineffably  free,  that  it  is 
opposed  to  the  spirit  of  the  institutions  of  the  country  to  suffer  him  to  be 
either  landlord  or  tenant,  however  much  he  may  desire  it  himself  (and  no 
one  pretends  that  either  law  or  facts  compel  him  to  be  either,  contrary  to 
his  own  wishes),  will  feel  mortified  at  discovering  that  they  have  not  the 
merit  of  first  proposing  their  own  exquisite  theory  ;  Aaron  Thousandacres 
having  certainly  preceded  them  by  sixty  years.  There  is  no  great  secret  on 
the  subject  of  the  principle  which  lies  at  the  bottom  of  this  favorite  doc- 
trine, the  Deity  himself  having  delivered  to  man,  as  far  back  as  the  days  of 
Moses,  the  tenth  commandment,  with  the  obvious  design  of  controlling  it. 
An  attempt  to  prove  that  the  institutions  of  this  country  are  unsuited  to 
the  relations  of  landlord  and  tenant,  is  an  attempt  to  prove  that  they  are 
unsuited  to  meet  the  various  contingencies  of  human  affairs,  and  is  an 
abandonment  of  their  defence,  as  that  defence  can  only  be  made  on  broad, 
manly,  and  justifiable  grounds.  As  a  political  principle,  it  is  just  as  true 
that  the  relations  of  debtor  and  creditor  are  unsuited  to  the  institutions,  and 
ought  to  be  abolished. — EDITOR. 

21 


322  THE  CHAINBEARER. 

man  has  a  right  to  as  much  as  he  has  need  on — I  wouldn't 
give  him  an  acre  more,  on  no  account  at  all." 

"  Put  money  wilt  puy  lant  ;  ant,  in  sharin'  t'e  tollars, 
you  share  t'e  means  of  puyin'  as  much  lant  as  a  man  hast 
neet  of  ;  t'en  t'ere  ist  a  great  teal  more  lant  ast  money  in 
t'is  country,  ant,  in  gifin'  a  man  lant,  you  only  gif  him  t'at 
which  ist  so  cheap  ant  common,  t'at  he  must  pe  a  poor 
tefil  if  he  can't  get  all  t'e  lant  he  wants  wit'out  much 
trouple  and  any  squattin',  if  you  wilt  only  gif  him  ever  so 
little  money.  No,  no,  T'ousantacres — you're  fery  wrong  ; 
you  shoult  pegin  to  tivite  wit'  t'e  tollars,  ant  t'at  wilt  not 
tisturp  society,  as  tollars  are  in  t'e  pocket,  ant  go  ant  come 
efery  day  ;  whereast  lant  is  a  fixture,  and  some  people  lofe 
t'eir  own  hills,  ant  rocks,  ant  trees — when  t'ey  haf  peen 
long  in  a  family  most  especially." 

There  was  a  dark  scowl  gathering  on  the  brow  of  Thou- 
sandacres,  partly  because  he  felt  himself  puzzled  by  the 
upright  and  straightforward  common  sense  of  Chainbear- 
er,  and  partly  for  a  reason  that  he  himself  made  manifest 
in  the  answer  that  he  quite  promptly  gave  to  my  old 
friend's  remarks. 

"  No  man  need  say  anything  ag'in  squattin'  that  wants 
to  keep  fri'nds  with  me,"  Thousandacres  put  in,  with  cer- 
tain twitchings  about  the  muscles  of  the  mouth,  that  were 
so  many  signs  of  his  being  in  earnest.  "  I  hold  to  liberty 
and  a  man's  rights,  and  that  is  no  reason  I  should  be  de- 
flected on.  My  notions  be  other  men's  notions,  I  know, 
though  they  be  called  squatters'  notions.  Congressmen 
have  held  'em,  and  will  hold  'em  ag'in,  if  they  expect  much 
support,  in  some  parts  of  the  country,  at  election  time.  I 
dare  say  the  day  will  come  when  governors  will  be  found 
to  hold  'em.  Governors  be  but  men  a'ter  all,  and  must 
hold  doctrines  that  satisfy  men's  wants,  or  they  won't  be 
governors  long.*  But  all  this  is  nuthin'  but  talk,  and  I 
want  to  come  to  suthin'  like  business,  Chainbearer.  Here's 
this  clearin',  and  here's  the  lumber.  Now,  I'm  willin'  to 
settle  on  some  sich  tarms  as  these  :  I'll  keep  the  lumber, 
carryin'  it  off  as  soon  as  the  water  gets  to  be  high  enough, 
agreein'  to  pay  for  the  privilege  by  not  fellin'  another  tree, 
though  I  must  have  the  right  to  saw  up  sich  logs  as  be 
cut  and  hauled  already  ;  and  then,  as  to  the  land  and 
clearin',  if  the  writin'  owners  want  'em,  they  can  have  'em 
by  payin'  for  the  betterments,  leavin'  the  price  out  to 

*  Thousandacres  speaks  here  like  a  veritable  prophet. — EDITOR. 


THK  C1IAJ\'HKAKRR.  32$ 

men  in  this  neighborhood,  sin'  city-bred  folks  can't  know 
nothin'  of  the  toil  and  labor  of  chopping  and  loggin',  and 
ashin',  and  gettin'  in,  and  croppin'  new  lands." 

"Mortaunt,  t'at  proposal  ist  for  you.  I  haf  nut'in'  to 
do  wit'  t'e  clearin'  put  to  surfey  it ;  and  t'at  much  will  I 
perform,  when  I  get  as  far  ast  t'e  place,  come  t'ere  goot, 
or  come  t'ere  efil  of  it." 

"Survey  this  clearin'!"  put  in  Tobit,  with  his  raven 
throat,  and  certainly  in  a  somewhat  menacing  tone.  "  No, 
no,  Chainbearer — the  man  is  not  out  in  the  woods,  that 
could  ever  get  his  chain  across  this  clearin'." 

"T'at  man,  I  tell  you,  is  Andries  Coejemans,  commonly 
called  Chainpearer,"  answered  my  old  friend,  calmly. 
"No  clearin',  ant  no  squatter,  ever  stoppet  him  yet,  nor 
do  I  t'ink  he  will  pe  stoppet  here,  from  performin'  his  tuty. 
Put  praggin'  is  a  pat  quality,  ant  we'll  leaf  time  to  show  t'e 
trut'." 

Thousandacres  gave  a  loud  hem,  and  looked  very  dark, 
though  he  said  nothing  until  time  had  been  given  to  his 
blood  to  resume  its  customary  current.  Then  he  pursued 
the  discourse  as  follows — evidently  bent  on  keeping  on 
good  terms  with  Chainbearer  as  long  as  possible. 

"On  the  whull,"  he  said,  "I  rather  think,  Tobit,  'twill 
be  best  if  you  leave  this  matter  altogether  to  me.  Years 
cool  the  blood,  and  allow  time  to  reason  to  spread.  Years 
be  as  necessary  to  judgment  as  a  top  to  a  fruit-tree.  I 
kind  o'  b'lieve  that  Chainbearer  and  I,  being  both  elderly 
and  considerate  men,  will  be  apt  to  get  along  best  to- 
gether. I  dare  say,  Chainbearer,  that  if  the  surveyin'  of 
this  clearin'  be  put  to  you  on  the  footin'  of  defiance,  that 
your  back  would  get  up,  like  anybody  else's,  and  you'd 
bring  on  the  chain,  let  who  might  stand  in  your  way. 
But  that's  neither  here  nor  there.  You're  welcome  to 
chain  out  just  as  much  of  this  part  of  the  patent  as  you 
see  fit,  and  'twill  help  us  along  so  much  the  better  when 
we  come  to  the  trade.  Reason's  reason,  and  I'm  of  an  ac- 
commodatin'  spirit." 

"  So  much  t'e  better,  T'ousantacres  ;  yes,  so  much  t'e 
better,"  answered  old  Andries,  somewhat  mollified  by  the 
conciliatory  temper  in  which  the  squatter  now  delivered 
himself.  "When  work  ist  to  pe  performet,  it  must  pe  per- 
formet ;  ant,  as  I'm  hiret  to  surfey  and  chain  t'e  whole 
estate,  t'e  whole  estate  must  be  chainet  ant  surfeyet.  Well, 
what  else  haf  you  to  say  ?  " 

"  I  am  not  answered  as  to  my  first  offer.     I'll  take  the 


324  THE  CHAIKBEARER. 

lumber,  agreein'  not  to  cut  another  tree,  and  the  valie  oi 
the  betterments  can  be  left  out  to  men." 

"  I  am  the  proper  person  to  answer  this  proposal,"  I 
thought  it  now  right  to  say,  lest  Andries  and  Thousand- 
acres  should  get  to  loggerheads  again  on  some  minor  and 
immaterial  point,  and  thus  endanger  every  hope  of  keep- 
ing the  peace  until  Malbone  could  arrive.  "  At  the  same 
time,  I  consider  it  no  more  than  right  to  tell  you,  at  once, 
that  I  have  no  power  that  goes  so  far  as  to  authorize  me  to 
agree  to  your  terms.  Both  Colonel  Pollock  and  my  father 
have  a  stern  sense  of  justice,  and  neither,  in  my  opinion, 
will  feel  much  of  a  disposition  to  yield  to  any  conditions 
that,  in  the  least,  may  have  the  appearance  of  compromis- 
ing any  of  their  rights  as  landlords.  I  have  heard  them 
both  say  that,  in  these  particulars,  'yielding  an  inch  would 
be  giving  an  ell,'  and  I  confess  that,  from  all  I  have  seen 
lately  of  settlers  and  settlements,  I'm  very  much  of  the 
same  way  of  thinking.  My  principals  may  concede  some- 
thing, but  they'll  never  treat  on  a  subject  of  which  all  the 
right  is  on  their  own  side." 

"  Am  I  to  understand  you,  young  man,  that  you're  on- 
accommodatin',  and  that  my  offers  isn't  to  be  listened  to, 
in  the  spirit  in  which  they're  made  ?  "  demanded  Thousand- 
acres,  somewhat  dryly. 

"You  are  to  understand  me  as  meaning  exactly  what  I 
say,  sir.  In  the  first  place,  I  have  no  authority  to  accept 
your  offers,  and  shall  not  assume  any,  let  the  consequences 
to  myself  be  what  they  may.  Indeed,  any  promises  made 
in  duresse  are  good  for  nothing." 

"Anan!"  cried  the  squatter.  "  This  is  Mooseridge 
Patent,  and  Washington,  late  Charlotte  County — and  this 
is  the  place  we  are  to  sign  and  seal  in,  if  writin's  pass  atween 
us." 

"  By  promises  made  in  duresse,  I  mean  promises  made 
while  the  party  making  them  is  in  confinement,  or  not  ab- 
solutely free  to  make  them  or  not ;  such  promises  are  good 
for  nothing  in  law,  even  though  all  the  '  writings  '  that 
could  be  drawn  passed  between  the  parties." 

"  This  is  strange  doctrine,  and  says  but  little  for  your 
boasted  law,  then  !  At  one  time,  it  asks  for  writin's,  and 
nothin'  but  writin's  will  answer  ;  and  then  all  the  writin's 
on  'arth  be  of  no  account !  Yet  some  folks  complain,  and 
have  hard  feelin's,  if  a  man  wunt  live  altogether  up  to 
law  !  " 

"  I  rather  think,  Thousandacres,  you  overlook  the  ob' 


THE  CHAINBEARER.  325 

jects  of  the  law,  in  its  naked  regulations.  Law  is  to  en- 
force the  right,  and  were  it  to  follow  naked  rules,  without 
regard  to  principles,  it  might  become  the  instrument  of 
effecting  the  very  mischiefs  it  is  designed  to  counteract" 

I  might  have  spared  myself  the  trouble  of  uttering  this 
fine  speech ;  which  caused  the  old  squatter  to  stare  at  me 
in  wonder,  and  produced  a  smile  among  the  young  men, 
and  a  titter  among  the  females.  I  observed,  however,  that 
the  anxious  face  of  Lowiny  expressed  admiration,  rather 
than  the  feeling  that  was  so  prevalent  among  the  sister- 
hood. 

"  There's  no  use  in  talkin'  to  this  young  spark,  Chain- 
bearer,"  Thousandacres  said,  a  little  impatiently  in  the 
way  of  manner,  too  ;  "  he's  passed  his  days  in  the  open 
country,  and  has  got  open-country  ways,  and  notions, 
and  talk  ;  and  them's  things  I  don't  pretend  to  under- 
stand. You're  woods,  mainly  ;  he's  open  country  ;  and  I'm 
clearin'.  There's  a  difference  atween  each  ;  but  woods 
and  clearin'  come  clussest ;  and  so  I'll  say  my  say  to  you. 
Be  you,  now,  r'ally  disposed  to  accommodate,  or  not,  old 
Andries  ? " 

"  Any  t'ing  t'at  ist  right,  ant  just,  ant  reasonaple,  T'ou- 
santacres  ;  ant  nut'in'  t'at  ist  not." 

"That's  just  my  way  of  thinkin' !  If  the  law,  now, 
would  do  as  much  as  that  for  a  man,  the  attorneys  would 
soon  starve.  Wa-a-1,  we'll  try  now  to  come  to  tarms,  as 
soon  as  possible.  You're  a  single  man,  I  know,  Chain- 
bearer  ;  but  I've  always  supposed  'twas  on  account  of  no 
dislike  to  the  married  state,  but  because  you  didn't 
chance  to  light  on  the  right  gal ;  or  maybe  on  account  of 
the  surveyin'  principle,  which  keeps  a  man  pretty  much 
movin'  about  from  tract  to  tract  ;  though  not  much  more 
than  squattin'  doos,  neither,  if  the  matter  was  inquired 
into." 

I  understood  the  object  of  this  sudden  change  from  fee- 
simples,  and  possessions,  and  the  "  accommodatin'  spirit," 
to  matrimony  ;  but  Chainbearer  did  not.  He  only  looked 
his  surprise  ;  while,  as  to  myself,  if  I  looked  at  all  as  I 
felt,  I  must  have  been  the  picture  of  uneasiness.  The  be- 
loved, unconscious  Dus  sat  there  in  her  maiden  beauty, 
interested  and  anxious  in  her  mind,  beyond  all  question, 
but  totally  ignorant  of  the  terrible  blow  that  was  meditated 
against  herself.  As  Andries  looked  his  desire  to  hear 
more,  instead  of  answering  the  strange  remark  he  had  just 
heard,  Thousandacres  proceeded-— 


326  THE  CHAINBEARER. 

"  It's  quite  nat'ral  to  think  of  matrimony,  afore  so  many 
young  folks,  isn't  it,  Chainbearer  ? "  added  the  squatter, 
chuckling  at  his  own  conceits.  "Here's  lots  of  b'ys  and 
gals  about  me  ;  and  I'm  just  as  accommodatin'  in  findin' 
husbands  or  wives  for  my  fri'nds  and  neighbors,  as  I  am 
in  settlin'  all  other  difficulties.  Anything  for  peace  and  a 
good  neighborhood  is  my  religion  !  " 

Old  Andries  passed  a  hand  over  his  eyes,  in  the  way  one 
is  apt  to  do  when  he  wishes  to  aid  a  mental  effort  by  ex- 
ternal application.  It  was  evident  he  was  puzzled  to 
find  out  what  the  squatter  would  be  at,  though  he  soon 
put  a  question  that  brought  about  something  like  an  ex- 
planation. 

"  I  ton't  unterstant  you,  T'ousantacres  ; — no,  I  ton't  un- 
terstant  you.  Is  it  your  tesire  to  gif  me  one  of  your  puxom 
ant  fine-lookin'  gals,  here,  for  a  wife  ?" 

The  squatter  laughed  heartily  at  this  notion,  the  young 
men  joining  in  the  mirth  ;  while  the  constant  titter  that 
the  females  had  kept  up  ever  since  the  subject  of  matri- 
mony was  introduced,  was  greatly  augmented  in  zest.  An 
indifferent  spectator  would  have  supposed  that  the  utmost 
good  feeling  prevailed  among  us. 

"  With  all  my  heart,  Chainbearer,  if  you  can  persuade 
any  of  the  gals  to  have  you  ! "  cried  Thousandacres,  with 
the  most  apparent  acquiescence.  "With  such  a  son-in- 
law,  I  don't  know  but  I  should  take  to  the  chain,  a'ter  all, 
and  measure  out  my  clearin's  as  well  as  the  grandee  farm- 
ers, who  take  pride  in  knowin'  where  their  lines  be.  There's 
Lowiny,  she's  got  no  spark,  and  might  suit  you  well  enough, 
if  she'd  only  think  so." 

"  Lowiny  don't  think  any  sich  thing  ;  and  isn't  likely  to 
think  any  sich  thing,"  answered  the  girl,  in  a  quick,  irri- 
tated manner. 

"Wa-a-1,  I  do  s'pose,  a'ter  all,  Chainbearer,"  Thousand- 
acres  resumed,  "  we'll  get  no  weddin'  out  of  you.  Three- 
score-and-ten  is  somewhat  late  for  takin'  a  first  wife ;  though 
I've  known  widowers  marry  ag'in  when  hard  on  upon 
ninety.  When  a  man  has  taken  one  wife  in  'arly  life,  he 
has  a  kind  o'  right  to  another  in  old  age." 

"  Yes — yes — or  a  hundred  either,"  put  in  Prudence,  with 
spirit.  "  Give  'em  a  chance  only,  and  they'll  find  wives  as 
long  as  they  can  find  breath  to  ask  women  to  have  'em  ! 
Gals,  you  may  make  up  your  minds  to  that — no  man  will 
mourn  long  for  any  on  you,  a'ter  you're  once  dead  and 
buried." 


THE  CHA1NBEARER.  327 

I  should  think  this  little  sally  must  have  been  somewhat, 
common,  as  neither  the  "  b'ys  "  nor  the  "gals  "  appeared  to 
give  it  much  attention.  These  matrimonial  insinuations  oc- 
cur frequently  in  the  world,  and  Prudence  was  not  the  first 
woman,  by  a  million,  who  had  ventured  to  make  them. 

"  I  will  own  I  was  not  so  much  thinkin'  of  providin'  a 
wife  for  you,  Chainbearer,  as  I  was  thinkin'  of  providin' 
one  for  a  son  of  mine,"  continued  Thousandacres.  "  Here's 
Zephaniah,  now,  is  as  active  and  hard-workin',  upright, 
honest  and  obedient  a  young  man  as  can  be  found  in  this 
country.  He's  of  a  suitable  age,  and  begins  to  think  of  a 
wife.  I  tell  him  to  marry,  by  all  means,  for  it's  the  bless- 
edest  condition  of  life,  is  the  married  state,  that  man  ever 
entered  into.  You  wouldn't  think  it,  perhaps,  on  lookin' 
at  old  Prudence,  there,  and  beholdin'  what  she  now  is  ; 
but  I  speak  from  exper'ence  in  recommendin'  matrimony  ; 
and  I  wouldn't,  on  no  account,  say  what  I  didn't  really 
think  in  the  matter.  A  little  matrimony  might  settle  all 
our  difficulties,  Chainbearer." 

"  You  surely  do  not  expect  me  to  marry  your  son,  Zeph- 
aniah, I  must  s'pose,  T'ousantacres  !  "  answered  Andries, 
innocently. 

The  laugh,  this  time,  was  neither  as  loud  or  as  general 
as  before,  intense  expectation  rendering  the  auditors  grave. 

"  No,  no  ;  I'll  excuse  you  from  that,  of  a  sartainty,  old 
Andries  ;  though  you  may  have  Lowiny,  if  you  can  only 
prevail  on  the  gal.  But,  speakin'  of  Zephaniah,  I  can 
r'ally  ricommend  the  young  man  ;  a  thing  I'd  never  do  if 
he  didn't  desarve  it,  though  he  is  my  son.  No  one  can  say 
that  I'm  in  the  habit  of  ever  ricommendin'  my  own  things, 
even  to  the  boards.  The  lumber  of  Thousandacres  is  as 
well  known  in  all  the  markets  below,  they  tell  me,  as  the 
flour  of  any  miller  in  the  highest  credit.  It's  just  so  with 
the  b'ys,  better  lads  is  not  to  be  met  with  ;  and  I  can  ricom- 
mend Zephaniah  with  just  as  much  confidence  as  I  could 
ricommend  any  lot  of  boards  I  ever  rafted." 

"  And  what  haf  I  to  do  wit'  all  t'is  ?  "  asked  Chainbearer, 
gravely. 

"  Why,  the  matter  is  here,  Chainbearer,  if  you'll  only 
look  a  little  into  it.  There's  difficulty  atween  us,  and 
pretty  serious  difficulty,  too.  In  me  the  accommodatin' 
spirit  is  up,  as  I've  said  afore,  and  am  willin'  to  say  ag'in. 
Now  I've  my  son,  Zeph,  here,  as  I've  said,  and  he's  look- 
in'  about  for  a  wife  ;  and  you've  a  niece  here — Dus  Mai- 
bone,  I  s'pose  is  her  name — and  they'd  just  suit  each  other. 


328  THE  CHAINBEARER. 

It  seems  they're  acquainted  somewhat,  and  have  kept  com 
pany  some  time  already,  and  that'll  make  things  smooth 
Now  what  I  offer  is  just  this,  and  no  more  ;  not  a  bit  of  it. 
I  offer  to  send  off  for  a  magistrate,  and  I'll  do't  at  my  own 
expense  ;  it  shan't  cost  you  a  farthin';  and  as  soon  as  the 
magistrate  comes,  we'll  have  the  young  folks  married  on 
the  spot,  and  that  will  make  etarnal  peace  forever,  as  you 
must  suppose,  atween  you  and  me.  Wa-a-1,  peace  made 
atween  us,  'twill  leave  but  little  to  accommodate  with  the 
writin'  owners  of  the  sile,  seein'  that  you  are  on  tarms  with 
em'  all,  that  a  body  may  set  you  down  all  as  one  as  bein' 
of  the  same  family,  like.  If  Gin'ral  Littlepage  makes  a 
p'int  of  anything  of  the  sort,  I'll  engage  no  one  of  my 
family,  in  all  futur'  time,  shall  ever  squat  on  any  lands  he 
may  lay  claim  to,  whether  he  owns  em  or  not." 

I  saw  quite  plainly  that  at  first  Chainbearer  did  not  fully 
comprehend  the  nature  of  the  squatter's  proposal.  Neither 
did  Dus  herself  ;  though  somewhat  prepared  for  such  a 
thing  by  her  knowledge  of  Zephaniah's  extravagant  wishes 
on  the  subject.  But  when  Thousandacres  spoke  plainly 
of  sending  for  a  magistrate,  and  of  having  "  the  young 
folks  married  on  the  spot,"  it  was  not  easy  to  mistake  his 
meaning,  and  astonishment  was  soon  succeeded  by  offend- 
ed pride,  in  the  breast  of  old  Andries,  and  that  to  a  degree 
and  in  a  manner  I  had  never  before  witnessed  in  him.  Per- 
haps I  ought,  in  justice  to  my  excellent  friend,  to  add  that 
his  high  principles  and  keen  sense  of  right  were  quite  as 
much  wounded  by  the  strange  proposal  as  his  personal 
feelings.  It  was  some  time  before  he  could  or  would 
speak  ;  when  he  did,  it  was  with  a  dignity  and  severity  of 
manner  which  I  really  had  no  idea  he  could  assume.  The 
thought  of  Ursula  Malbone's  being  sacrificed  to  such  a  be- 
ing as  Zephaniah,  and  such  a  family  as  the  squatter's, 
shocked  all  his  sensibilities,  and  appeared  for  a  moment 
to  overcome  him.  On  the  other  hand,  nothing  was  plainer 
than  that  the  breed  of  Thousandacres  saw  no  such  viola- 
tion of  the  proprieties  in  their  scheme.  The  vulgar,  almost 
invariably,  in  this  country,  reduce  the  standard  of  distinc- 
tion to  mere  money  ;  and  in  this  raspect  they  saw,  or  fan- 
cied they  saw,  that  Dus  was  not  much  better  off  than  they 
were  themselves.  All  those  points  which  depended  on 
taste,  refinement,  education,  habits  and  principles,  were 
Hebrew  to  them ;  and,  quite  as  a  matter  of  course,  they 
took  no  account  of  qualities  they  could  neither  see  nor 
comprehend.  It  is  not  surprising,  therefore,  that  they 


TffF  CHAUVKEARER.  329 

could  imagine  the  young  squatter  might  make  a  suitable 
husband  to  one  who  was  known  to  have  carried  chain  in 
the  forest. 

"  I  pelieve  I  do  begin  to  unterstant  you,  T'ousantacres," 
said  the  Chainbearer,  rising  from  his  chair,  and  moving  to 
the  side  of  his  niece  as  if  instinctively  to  protect  her  ; 
"  t'ough  it  ist  not  a  fery  easy  t'ing  to  comprehent  such  a 
proposal.  You  wish  Ursula  Malpone  to  pecome  t'e  wife 
of  Zephaniah  T'ousantacres,  ant  t'ereupon  you  wish  to 
patch  up  a  peace  wit'  General  Littlepage  and  Colonel  Pol- 
lock, ant  optain  an  intemnity  for  all  t'e  wrong  ant  roppery 
you  have  done  'em " 

"  Harkee,  old  Chainbearer ;  you'd  best  be  kearful  of 
your  language " 

"  Hear  what  t'at  language  ist  to  pe,  pefore  you  inter- 
rupt me,  T'ousantacres.  A  wise  man  listens  pefore  he  an- 
swers. Alt'ough  I  haf  nefer  peen  marriet  myself,  I  know 
what  ist  tecent  in  pehavior,  ant,  t'erefore,  I  wilt  t'ank  you 
for  t'e  wish  of  pein'  connectet  wit'  t'e  Coejemans  ant  t'e 
Malpones.  T'at  tuty  tone,  I  wish  to  say  t'at  my  niece  wilt 
not  haf  your  poy 

"  You  haven't  given  the  gal  a  chance  to  speak  for  her- 
self," cried  Thousandacres,  at  the  top  of  his  voice,  for  he 
began  to  be  agitated  now  with  a  fury  that  lound  a  little 
vent  in  that  manner.  "  You  haven't  given  the  gal  a  chance 
to  answer  for  herself,  old  Andries.  Zeph  is  a  lad  that  she 
may  go  farther  and  fare  worse,  afore  she'll  meet  his  equal, 
I  can  tell  you,  though  perhaps,  bein'  the  b'y's  own  father, 
I  shouldn't  say  it — but,  in  the  way  of  accommodating  I'm 
willin'  to  overlook  a  great  deal." 

"  Zephaniah's  an  excellent  son,"  put  in  Prudence,  in  the 
pride  and  feeling  of  a  mother,  nature  having  its  triumph 
in  her  breast  as  well  as  in  that  of  the  most  cultivated 
woman  of  the  land.  "Of  all  my  sons,  Zephaniah  is  the 
best ;  and  I  account  him  fit  to  marry  with  any  who  don't 
live  in  the  open  country,  and  with  many  that  do." 

"  Praise  your  goots,  ant  extol  your  poy,  if  you  see  fit,'5 
answered  Chainbearer,  with  a  calmness  that  I  knew  be- 
spoke some  desperate  resolution.  "  Praise  your  goots, 
ant  extol  your  poy,  I'll  not  teny  your  right  to  do  as  much 
of  t'at  as  you  wish  ;  put  t'is  gal  was  left  me  py  an  only 
sister  on  her  tyin'  pet,  ant  may  God  forget  me,  when  I  for- 
get  the  tuty  I  owe  to  her.  She  shalt  nefer  marry  a  son 
of  T'ousantacres — she  shalt  nefer  marry  a  squatter — she 
shalt  nefer  marry  any  man  t'at  ist  not  of  a  class,  ant 


330  THE  CHAINBEARER. 

feelin's,  ant  hapits,  and  opinions,  fit  to  pe  t'e  huspant 
of  a  laty !  " 

A  shout  of  derision,  in  which  was  blended  the  fierce  re- 
sentment of  mortified  pride,  arose  among  that  rude  crew, 
but  the  thundering  voice  of  Thousandacres  made  itself 
audible,  even  amid  the  hellish  din. 

"  Beware,  Chainbearer  ;  beware  how  you  aggravate  us  ; 
natur'  can't  and  won't  bear  everything." 

"  I  want  nut'in'  of  you  or  yours,  T'ousantacres,"  calmly 
returned  the  old  man,  passing  his  arm  around  the  waist  of 
Dus,  who  clung  to  him,  with  a  cheek  that  was  flushed  to 
fire,  but  an  eye  that  was  not  accustomed  to  quail,  and  who 
seemed,  at  that  fearful  moment,  every  way  ready  and  able 
to  second  her  uncle's  efforts.  "You're  nut'in'  to  me,  ant 
I'll  leaf  you  here,  in  your  misteets  ant  wicket  t'oughts. 
Stant  asite,  I  orter  you.  Do  not  tare  to  stop  t'e  brod'er 
who  is  apout  to  safe  his  sister's  da'ghter  from  pecoming  a 
squatter's  wife.  Stant  asite,  for  I'll  stay  wit' you  no  longer. 
An  hour  or  two  hence,  miseraple  Aaron,  you'll  see  t'e 
folly  of  all  t'is,  ant  wish  you  hat  livetan  honest  man." 

By  this  time  the  clamor  of  voices  became  so  loud  and 
confused,  as  to  render  it  impossible  to  distinguish  what 
was  said.  Thousandacres  actually  roared  like  a  maddened 
bull,  and  he  was  soon  hoarse  with  uttering  his  menaces 
and  maledictions.  Tobit  said  less,  but  was  probably  more 
dangerous.  All  the  young  men  seemed  violently  agitated, 
and  bent  on  closing  the  door  on  tke  exit  of  the  Chain- 
bearer  ;  who,  with  his  arm  around  Dus,  still  slowly  ad- 
vanced, waving  the  crowd  aside,  and  commanding  them  to 
make  way  for  him,  with  a  steadiness  and  dignity  that  I  be- 
gan to  think  would  really  prevail.  In  the  midst  of  this 
scene  of  confusion,  a  rifle  suddenly  flashed  ;  the  report 
was  simultaneous,  and  old  Andries  Coejemans  fell. 


THE  CHAINBEARER.  331 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 

"  Ye  midnight  shades,  o'er  nature  spread ! 

Dumb  silence  of  the  dreary  hour  ! 
In  honor  of  th'  approaching  dead, 
Around  your  awful  terrors  pour. 
Yes,  pour  around, 
On  this  pale  ground, 

Through  all  this  deep  surrounding  gloom, 
The  sober  thought, 
The  tear  untaught, 
Those  meetest  mourners  at  the  tomb." — MALLET. 

IT  is  a  law  of  human  nature,  that  the  excesses  of  passion 
bring  their  own  rebukes.  The  violence  of  man  feeds  itself, 
until  some  enormity  committed  under  its  influence  sudden- 
ly rises  before  the  transgressor,  as  the  evidence  of  his  blind- 
ness and  the  restorer  of  his  senses.  Guilt  performs  the 
office  of  reason,  staying  the  hand,  stilling  the  pulses,  and 
arousing  the  conscience. 

Thus  it  seemed  to  be  with  the  squatters  of  Mooseridge. 
A  stillness  so  profound  succeeded  the  crack  of  that  rifle, 
that  I  heard  the  stifled  breathing  of  Dus,  as  she  stood  over 
the  body  of  her  uncle,  astounded,  and  almost  converted 
into  a  statue  by  the  suddenness  of  the  blow.  No  one  spoke  ; 
no  one  attempted  to  quit  the  place  ;  in  fact,  no  one  moved. 
It  was  never  known  who  fired  that  shot  At  first  I  ascribed 
it  to  the  hand  of  Tobit ;  but  it  was  owing  more  to  what  I 
knew  of  his  temper  and  character,  than  to  what  I  knew  of 
his  acts  at  that  particular  time.  Afterward  I  inclined  to 
the  opinion  that  my  friend  had  fallen  by  the  hand  of 
Thousandacres  himself  ;  though  there  were  no  means  of 
bringing  it  home  to  him  by  legal  proof.  If  any  knew  who 
was  the  criminal  besides  the  wretch  who  executed  the  deed, 
the  fact  was  never  revealed.  That  family  was  faithful  to  it- 
self, and  seemed  determined  to  stand  or  fall  together.  In  the 
eye  of  the  law,  all  who  were  present,  aiding  and  abetting  in 
the  unlawful  detention  of  Dus  and  her  uncle,  were  equally 
guilty;  but  the  hand  on  which  the  stain  of  blood  rested 
in  particular,  was  never  dragged  to  light. 

My  first  impulse,  as  soon  as  I  could  recollect  myself, 
was  to  pass  an  arm  around  the  waist  of  Dus  and  force  her 
through  the  crowd,  with  a  view  to  escape.  Had  this  at- 
tempt been  persevered  in,  I  think  it  would  have  succeeded, 
so  profound  was  the  sensation  made,  even  upon  those  rude 


332  THE  CHA1NBEARER. 

and  lawless  men,  by  the  deed  of  violence,  that  had  just  been 
done.  But  Dus  was  not  one  to  think  of  self  at  such  a  mo- 
ment. For  a  single  instant  her  head  fell  on  my  shoulders, 
and  I  held  her  to  my  bosom,  while  I  whispered  my  wish 
for  her  to  fly.  Then  raising  her  head,  she  gently  extricated 
her  person  from  my  arms,  and  knelt  by  the  side  of  her 
uncle. 

"  He  breathes  !  "  she  said  huskily,  but  hastily.  "  God 
be  praised,  Mordaunt,  he  still  breathes.  The  blow  may 
not  be  as  heavy  as  we  at  first  supposed  ;  let  us  do  what 
we  can  to  aid  him." 

Here  were  the  characteristic  decision  and  thoughtful- 
ness  of  Ursula  Malbone  !  Rising  quickly,  she  turned  to 
the  group  of  silent  but  observant  squatters,  and  appealed 
to  any  remains  of  humanity  that  might  still  be  found  in 
their  bosoms,  to  lend  their  assistance.  Thousandacres 
stood  foremost  in  the  dark  cluster  at  the  door,  looking 
grimly  at  the  motionless  body,  over  which  Dus  stood,  pale 
and  heartstricken,  but  still  calm  and  collected. 

"  The  hardest-hearted  man  among  you  will  not  deny  a 
daughter's  right  to  administer  to  a  parent's  wants  !  "  she 
said,  with  a  pathos  in  her  voice,  and  a  dignity  in  her  man- 
ner, that  filled  me  with  love  and  admiration,  and  which 
had  a  visible  effect  on  all  who  heard  hear.  "  Help  me  to 
raise  my  uncle  and  to  place  him  on  a  bed,  while  Major 
Littlepage  examines  his  hurt.  You'll  not  deny  me  this 
little  comfort,  Thousandacres,  for  you  cannot  know  how 
soon  you  may  want  succor  yourself  !  " 

Zephaniah,  who  certainly  had  no  hand  in  the  murder 
of  Chainbearer,  now  advanced  ;  and  he,  myself,  Lowiny 
and  Dus,  raised  the  still  motionless  body,  and  placed  it 
on  the  bed  of  Prudence,  which  stood  in  the  principal 
room.  There  was  a  consultation  among  the  squatters, 
while  we  were  thus  employed,  and  one  by  one  the  fam- 
ily dropped  off,  until  no  one  was  left  in  the  house  but 
Thousandacres,  and  his  wife,  and  Lowiny  ;  the  latter  re- 
maing  with  Dus,  as  a  useful  and  even  an  affectionate  assist- 
ant. The  father  sat,  in  moody  silence,  on  one  side  of  the 
fire  while  Prudence  placed  herself  on  the  other.  I  did 
not  like  the  aspect  of  the  squatter's  countenance,  but  he 
said  and  did  nothing.  It  struck  me  he  was  brooding  over 
the  facts,  nursing  his  resentments  by  calling  up  fancied 
wrongs  to  his  mind,  and  plotting  for  the  future.  If  such 
was  the  case,  he  manifested  great  nerve,  inasmuch  as 
neither  alarm  nor  hurry  was,  in  the  slightest  degree,  ap- 


THE  CHAINBEARER.  333 

parent  in  his  mien.  Prudence  was  dreadfully  agitated. 
3he  said  nothing,  but  her  body  worked  to  and  fro  with 
viervous  excitement  ;  and  occasionally  a  heavy,  but  sup- 
pressed groan  struggled  through  her  efforts  to  resist  it. 
Otherwise,  she  was  as  if  not  present. 

I  had  been  accustomed  to  seeing  gunshot  wounds,  and 
possessed  such  a  general  knowledge  of  their  effects  as  to 
be  a  tolerable  judge  of  what  would,  and  what  would  not, 
be  likely  to  prove  fatal.  The  first  look  I  took  at  the  hurt 
of  Chainbearer  convinced  me  there  could  be  no  hope  for 
his  life.  The  ball  had  passed  between  two  of  the  ribs,  and 
seemed  to  me  to  take  a  direction  downward  ;  but  it  was 
impossible  to  miss  the  vitals  with  a  wound  commencing  at 
that  point  on  the  human  body.  The  first  shock  of  the  in- 
jury had  produced  insensibility  ;  but  we  had  hardly  got  the 
sufferer  on  the  bed,  and  applied  a  little  water  to  his  lips, 
ere  he  revived  ;  soon  regaining  his  consciousness,  as  well 
as  the  power  to  speak.  Death  was  on  him,  however  ;  and 
it  was  very  obvious  to  me  that  his  hours  were  numbered. 
He  might  live  days,  but  it  was  not  possible  for  him  to  sur- 
vive. 

"Got  pless  you,  Mortaunt,"  my  old  friend,  murmured, 
after  my  efforts  had  thus  partially  succeeded.  "  Got  for- 
ever pless  ant  preserf  you,  poy,  ant  repay  you  for  all  your 
kintness  to  me  ant  mine.  T'em  squatters  haf  killet  me, 
lat ;  put  I  forgif  t'em.  T'ey  are  an  ignorant,  ant  selfish, 
ant  prutal  preed  ;  ant  I  may  haf  triet  'em  too  sorely.  Put 
Dus  can  never  pecome  t'e  wife  of  any  of  t'e  family." 

As  Zephaniah  was  in  the  room,  though  not  near  the  bed 
at  the  moment,  I  was  anxious  to  change  the  current  of  the 
wounded  man's  thoughts  ;  and  I  questioned  him  as  to  the 
nature  of  his  hurt,  well  knowing  that  Chainbearer  had 
seen  so  many  soldiers  in  situations  similar  to  his  own  un- 
happy condition,  as  to  be  a  tolerable  judge  of  his  actual 
state. 

"  I'm  killet,  Mortaunt,"  old  Andries  answered,  in  a  tone 
even  firmer  than  that  in  which  he  had  just  spoken.  "Apout 
t'at,  t'ere  can  pe  no  mistake.  T'ey  haf  shot  t'rough  my 
rips,  and  t'rough  my  vitals  ;  ant  life  is  impossible.  But 
t'at  does  not  matter  much  to  me,  for  I  am  an  olt  man  now, 
hafin'  lifet  my  t'reescore  years  ant  ten — no,  t'at  is  no  great 
matter,  t'ough  some  olt  people  cling  to  life  wit'  a  tighter 
grip  t'an  t'e  young.  Such  ist  not  my  case,  howsefer  ;  ant 
I  am  reaty  to  march  when  t'e  great  wort  of  commant 
comet'.  I  am  fery  sorry,  Mortaunt,  t'at  t'is  accitent  shouit 


334  THE  CHA1NBEARER. 

happen  pefore  t'e  patent  has  peen  fully  surfeyet ;  put  ! 
am  not  pait  for  t'e  work  t'at  is  finishet,  ant  it  ist  a  great 
comfort  to  me  to  know  I  shall  not  tie  in  tebt.  I  owe  you, 
ant  I  owe  my  goot  frient,  t'e  general,  a  great  teal  for  kint- 
nesses,  I  must  confess  ;  put,  in  t'e  way  of  money,  t'ere  wilt 
pe  no  loss  by  t'is  accitent." 

"  Mention  nothing  of  this  sort,  I  do  entreat  of  you, 
Chainbearer;  I  know  my  father  would  gladly  give  the  best 
farm  he  owns  to  see  you  standing,  erect  and  well,  as  you 
were  twenty  minutes  since." 

"  Well,  I  tares  to  say,  t'at  may  pe  true,  for  I  haf  always 
fount  t'e  general  to  pe  friently  and  consiterate.  I  wilt  tell 
you  a  secret,  Mortaunt,  t'at  I  haf  nefer  pefore  revealet  to 
mortal  man,  put  which  t'ere  ist  no  great  use  in  keepin'  any 
longer,  ant  which  I  shoult  haf  peen  willing  to  haf  toltlong 
ago,  hat  not  t'e  general  himself  mate  it  a  p'int  t'at  I  shoult 
not  speak  of  it " 

"  Perhaps  it  might  be  better,  my  good  friend,  were  you 
to  tell  me  this  secret  another  time.  Talking  may  weary 
and  excite  you  ;  whereas,  sleep  and  rest  may  possibly  do 
you  service." 

"No,  no,  poy — t'e  hope  of  t'at  ist  all  itleness  ant  vanity. 
I  shalt  nefer  sleep  ag'in,  tilt  I  sleep  t'e  last  long  sleep  of 
teat'  ;  I  feelt  sartain  my  wound  is  mortal,  ant  t'at  my  time 
must  soon  come.  Nefert'eless,  it  doesn't  gif  me  pain  to 
talk  ;  ant,  Mortaunt,  my  tear  lat,  fri'nts  t'at  pe  apout  to 
part  for  so  long  a  time,  ought  not  to  part  wit'out  sayin'  a 
wort  to  one  anot'er  pefore  separation.  I  shoult  pe  glat,  in 
partic'lar,  to  tell  to  a  son  all  t'e  kintness  ant  fri'ntship  I 
haf  receifet  from  his  fat'er.  You  know  fery  well,  yourself, 
Mortaunt,  t'at  I  am  not  great  at  figures  ;  and  why  it  shoult 
pe  so,  ist  a  wonter  ant  a  surprise  to  me,  for  my  grantfat'er 
Van  Syce  was  a  wonterful  man  at  arit'inetic,  and  t'e  first 
Coejemans  in  t'is  country,  t'ey  say,  kept  all  t'e  tominie's 
accounts  for  him  \  Put,  let  t'at  pe  ast  it  wast,  I  nefer  coult 
do  anyt'ing  wit'  figures  ;  ant  it  ist  a  secret  not  to  pe  con- 
cealet  now,  Mortaunt,  t'at  I  nefer  coult  haf  helt  my  com- 
mission of  captain  six  weeks,  put  for  your  own  fat'ers  kint- 
ness to  me.  Fintin'  out  how  impossible  it  was  for  me  to 
get  along  wit'  arit'metic,  he  offeret  to  do  all  t'at  sort  of  tuty 
for  me,  ant  t'e  whole  time  we  was  toget'er,  seven  long  years 
ant  more,  Colonel  Littlepage  mate  out  t'e  reports  of  Coeje- 
mans' company.  Capital  goot  reports  was  t'ey,  too,  ant  t'e 
atmiration  of  all  t'at  see  t'em  ;  ant  I  often  felt  ashamet 
like,  when  I  he'rt  t'em  praiset,  and  people  worterin'  how 


THE  CHAIXBEAREK.  335 

an  olt  Tutchman  ever  1'arnet  to  do  his  tuty  so  well  !  I 
shall  nefer  see  t'e  general  ag'in,  ant  I  wish  you  to  tell  him 
t'at  Andries  tit  not  forget  his  gootness  to  him,  to  t'e  latest 
preat'  t'at  he  trew." 

"  I  will  do  all  you  ask  of  me,  Chainbearer — surely  it 
must  give  you  pain  to  talk  so  much  ? " 

"Not  at  all,  poy  ;  not  at  all.  It  is  goot  to  t'e  poty  to 
lighten  t'e  soul  of  its  opligations.  Ast  I  see,  howsefer,  t'at 
Dus  ist  trouplet,  I  wilt  shut  my  eyes,  and  look  into  my 
own  t'oughts  a  little,  for  I  may  not  tie  for  some  hours 
yet." 

It  sounded  fearful  to  me  to  hear  one  I  loved  so  well 
speak  so  calmly,  and  with  so  much  certainty,  of  his  ap- 
proaching end.  I  could  see  that  Ursula  almost  writhed 
under  the  agony  these  words  produced  in  her  ;  yet  that 
noble-minded  creature  wore  an  air  of  calmness  that  might 
have  deceived  one  who  knew  her  less  well  than  she  was 
known  to  me.  She  signed  for  me  to  quit  the  side  of  the 
bed,  in  the  vain  hope  that  her  uncle  might  fall  asleep,  and 
placed  herself  silently  on  a  chair,  at  hand,  in  readiness  to 
attend  to  his  wants.  As  for  me,  I  took  the  occasion  to  ex- 
amine the  state  of  things  without,  and  to  reflect  on  what 
course  I  ought  to  take,  in  the  novel  and  desperate  circum- 
stances in  which  we  were  so  unexpectedly  placed  ;  the 
time  for  something  decisive  having  certainly  arrived. 

It  was  now  near  an  hour  after  the  deed  had  been  done — 
and  there  sat  Thousandacres  and  his  wife,  one  on  each  side 
of  the  fire,  in  silent  thought.  As  I  turned  to  look  at  the 
squatters,  and  the  father  of  squatters,  I  saw  that  his  coun- 
tenance was  set  in  that  species  of  sullen  moodiness,  which 
might  well  be  taken  as  ominous  in  a  man  of  his  looseness 
of  principle  and  fierceness  of  temperament.  Nor  had  the 
nervous  twitchings  of  Prudence  ceased.  In  a  word,  both 
of  these  strange  beings  appeared  at  the  end  of  that  hour 
just  as  they  had  appeared  at  its  commencement.  Jt  struck 
me,  as  I  passed  them  in  moving  toward  the  door,  that 
there  was  even  a  sublimity  in  their  steadiness  in  guilt.  I 
ought,  however,  in  some  slight  degree  to  exempt  the 
woman,  whose  agitation  was  some  proof  that  she  repented 
of  what  had  been  done.  At  the  door  itself,  I  found  no 
one  ;  but  two  or  three  of  the  young  men  were  talking  in  a 
low  tone  to  each  other  at  no  great  distance.  Apparently 
they  had  an  eye  to  what  was  going  on  within  the  building. 
Still  no  one  of  them  spoke  to  me,  and  I  began  to  think 
that  the  crime  already  committed  had  produced  such  a 


336  THE  CHAINBEARER. 

shock,  that  no  further  wrong  to  any  of  us  was  contem- 
plated, and  that  I  might  consider  myself  at  liberty  to  do 
and  act  as  I  saw  fit.  A  twitch  at  my  sleeve,  however,  drew 
my  look  aside,  and  I  saw  Lowiny  cowering  within  the 
shadows  of  the  house,  seemingly  eager  to  attract  my  atten- 
tion. She  had  been  absent  some  little  time,  and  had  prob- 
ably been  listening  to  the  discourse  of  those  without. 

"  Don't  think  of  venturing  far  from  the  house,"  the  girl 
whispered.  "  The  evil  spirit  has  got  possession  of  Tobit ; 
and  he  has  just  sworn  the  same  grave  shall  hold  you,  and 
Chainbearer  and  Dus.  'Graves  don't  turn  state's  evi- 
dence,' he  says.  I  never  know'd  him  to  be  so  awful  as  he 
is  to-night ;  though  he's  dreadful  in  temper  when  anything 
goes  amiss." 

The  girl  glided  past  me  as  she  ceased  her  hurried  com- 
munication, and  the  next  instant  she  was  standing  quietly 
at  the  side  of  Dus,  in  readiness  to  offer  her  assistance  in 
any  necessary  office  for  the  sick.  I  saw  that  she  had  escaped 
notice,  and  then  reconnoitred  my  own  position  with  some 
little  care. 

By  this  time  the  night  had  got  to  be  quite  dark  ;  and  it 
was  impossible  to  recognize  persons  at  the  distance  of 
twenty  feet.  It  is  true,  one  could  tell  a  man  from  a  stump 
at  twice  that  number  of  yards,  or  even  further  ;  but  the 
objects  of  the  rude  clearing  began  to  be  confounded  to- 
gether in  a  way  to  deprive  the  vision  of  much  of  its  cus- 
tomary power.  That  group  of  young  men,  as  I  suppose, 
contained  the  formidable  Tobit ;  but  I  could  be  by  no 
means  certain  of  the  fact  without  approaching  quite  near 
to  it.  This  I  did  not  like  to  do,  as  there  was  nothing  that 
I  desired  particularly  to  say  to  any  of  the  family  at  the 
moment.  Could  they  have  known  my  heart,  the  squatters 
would  have  felt  no  uneasiness  on  the  subject  of  my  escap- 
ing, for  were  Dus  quite  out  of  the  question,  as  she  neither 
was  nor.  could  be,  it  would  be  morally  impossible  for  me 
to  desert  the  Chainbearer  in  his  dying  moments.  Never- 
theless, Tobit  and  his  brethren  did  not  know  this  ;  and  it 
might  be  dangerous  for  me  to  presume  too  far  on  the  con- 
trary supposition. 

The  darkness  was  intensest  near  the  house,  as  a  matter 
of  course  ;  and  I  glided  along  close  to  the  walls  of  logs 
until  I  reached  an  angle  of  the  building,  thinking  the 
movement  might  be  unseen.  But  I  got  an  assurance  that 
I  was  watched  that  would  admit  of  no  question,  by  a  call 
from  one  of  the  young  men,  directing  me  not  to  turn  the 


THE  CHAINBEARER.  337 

corner  to  go  out  of  sight  in  any  direction,  at  the  peril  of 
my  life.  This  was  plain  speaking  ;  and  it  induced  a  short 
dialogue  between  us,  in  which  I  avowed  my  determination 
not  to  desert  my  friends — for  the  Chainbearer  would  prob- 
ably not  outlive  the  night — and  that  I  felt  no  apprehension 
for  myself.  I  was  heated  and  excited,  and  had  merely  left 
the  house  for  air  ;  if  they  offered  no  impediment  I  would 
walk  to  and  fro  near  them  for  a  few  minutes,  solely  with  a 
view  to  refresh  my  feverish  pulses,  pledging  my  word  to 
make  no  attempt  at  escape.  This  explanation,  with  the 
accompanying  assurance,  seemed  to  satisfy  my  guard  ;  and 
I  was  quietly  permitted  to  do  as  I  had  proposed. 

The  walk  I  selected  was  between  the  group  of  squatters 
and  the  house,  and  at  each  turn  it  necessarily  brought  me 
close  to  the  young  men.  At  such  moments  I  profited  by 
my  position  to  look  in  through  the  door  of  the  dwelling  at 
the  motionless  form  of  Dus,  who  sat  at  the  bedside  of  her 
uncle  in  the  patient,  silent,  tender,  and  attentive  manner 
of  woman,  and  whom  I  could  plainly  see  in  thus  passing. 
Notwithstanding  the  fidelity  of  my  homage  to  my  mistress 
at  these  instants,  I  could  perceive  that  the  young  men  uni- 
formly suspended  the  low  dialogue  they  were  holding  to- 
gether, as  I  approached  them,  and  as  uniformly  renewed 
it  as  I  moved  away.  This  induced  me  gradually  to  extend 
my  walk,  lengthening  it  a  little  on  each  end,  until  I  may 
have  gone  as  far  as  a  hundred  feet  on  each  side  of  the 
group,  which  I  took  for  the  centre.  To  have  gone  farther 
would  have  been  imprudent,  as  it  might  seem  preparatory 
to  an  attempt  at  escape,  and  to  a  consequent  violation  of 
my  word. 

In  this  manner,  then,  I  may  have  made  eight  or  ten  turns 
in  as  many  minutes,  when  I  heard  a  low,  hissing  sound 
near  me,  while  at  the  extremity  of  one  of  my  short  prom- 
enades. A  stump  stood  there,  and  the  sound  came  from 
the  root  of  the  stump.  At  first  I  fancied  I  had  encroached 
on  the  domain  of  some  serpent ;  though  animals  of  that 
species,  which  would  be  likely  to  give  forth  such  a  menace, 
were  even  then  very  rare  among  us.  But  my  uncertainty 
was  soon  relieved. 

"  Why  you  no  stop  at  stump  ?  "  said  Susquesus,  in  a  voice 
so  low  as  not  to  be  heard  at  the  distance  of  ten  feet,  while 
it  was  perfectly  distinct  and  not  in  a  whisper.  "  Got  sut'in' 
tell — glad  to  hear." 

"  Wait  until  I  can  make  one  or  two  more  turns  ;  I  will 
come  back  in  a  moment,"  was  my  guarded  answer. 

22 


338  THE  CHAINBEARRR. 

Then  I  continued  my  march,  placing  myself  against  a 
stump  that  stood  at  the  other  end  of  my  walk,  remaining 
leaning  there  for  an  entire  minute  or  two,  when  I  returned, 
passing  the  young  men  as  before.  This  I  did  three  several 
times,  stopping  at  each  turn,  as  if  to  rest  or  to  reflect  ;  and 
making  each  succeeding  halt  longer  than  the  one  that  had 
preceded  it.  At  length  I  took  my  stand  against  the  very 
stump  that  concealed  the  Indian. 

"  How  came  you  here,  Susquesus  ?  "  I  asked  ;  "  and  are 
you  armed?" 

4<  Yes ;  got  good  rifle.  Chainbearer's  gun.  He  no  want 
him  any  longer,  eh  ?  " 

"  You  know  then  what  has  happened  ?  Chainbearer  is 
mortally  wounded." 

"Dat  bad — must  take  scalp  to  pay  for  dat !  Ole  fri'nd 
— good  fri'nd.  Always  kill  murderer." 

"  I  beg  nothing  of  the  sort  will  be  attempted  ;  but  how 
came  you  here  ? — and  how  came  you  armed  ?" 

"  Jaap  do  him — come  and  break  open  door.  Nigger 
strong — do  what  he  like  to.  Bring  rifle — say  take  him. 
Wish  he  come  sooner — den  Chainbearer  no  get  kill.  We 
see." 

I  thought  it  prudent  to  move  on  by  the  time  this  was 
said  ;  and  I  made  a  turn  or  two  ere  I  was  disposed  to  come 
to  another  halt.  The  truth,  however,  was  now  apparent 
to  me.  Jaap  had  come  in  from  the  forest,  forced  the  fast- 
enings of  the  Onondago's  prison,  given  him  arms,  and  they 
were  both  out  in  the  darkness,  prowling  round  the  build- 
ing, watching  for  the  moment  to  strike  a  blow,  or  an  op- 
portunity to  communicate  with  me.  How  they  had  ascer- 
tained the  fact  of  Chainbearer's  being  shot,  I  was  left  to 
conjecture  ;  though  Susquesus  must  have  heard  the  report 
of  the  rifle  ;  and  an  Indian,  on  such  a  night  as  that,  left  to 
pursue  his  own  course,  would  soon  ascertain  all  the  leading 
points  of  any  circumstance  in  which  he  felt  an  interest. 

My  brain  was  in  a  whirl  as  all  these  details  presented 
themselves  to  my  mind,  and  I  was  greatly  at  a  loss  to  de- 
cide on  my  course.  In  order  to  gain  time  for  reflection,  I 
stopped  a  moment  at  the  stump,  and  whispered  to  the  On- 
ondago  a  request  that  he  would  remain  where  he  was  until 
I  could  give  him  his  orders.  An  expressive  "good  "was 
the  answer  I  received,  and  I  observed  that  the  Indian 
crouched  lower  in  his  lair,  like  some  fierce  animal  of  the 
woods,  that  restrained  his  impatience,  in  order  to  make  his 
leap,  when  it  did  come,  more  certain  and  fatal. 


THE  CHAINBEARER.  339 

I  had  now  a  little  leisure  for  reflection.  There  lay  poor 
Chainbearer,  stretched  on  his  death-pallet,  as  motionless 
as  if  the  breath  had  already  left  his  body.  Dus  maintained 
her  post,  nearly  as  immovable  as  her  uncle  ;  while  Lowiny 
stood  at  hand,  manifesting  the  sympathy  of  her  sex  in  the 
mourning  scene  before  her.  I  caught  glimpses,  too,  in 
passing,  of  Thousandacres  and  Prudence.  It  appeared  to 
me  as  if  the  first  had  not  stirred  from  the  moment  when 
he  had  taken  his  seat  on  the  hearth.  His  countenance  was 
as  set,  his  air  as  moody,  and  his  attitude  as  stubborn,  as 
each  had  been  in  the  first  five  minutes  after  the  Chainbearer 
fell.  Prudence,  too,  was  as  unchanged  as  her  husband. 
Her  body  continued  to  rock,  in  nervous  excitement,  but 
not  once  had  I  seen  her  raise  her  eyes  from  the  stone  of 
the  rude  hearth  that  covered  nearly  one-half  of  the  room. 
The  fire  had  nearly  burned  down,  and  no  one  replenishing 
the  brush  which  fed  it,  a  flickering  flame  alone  remained  to 
cast  its  wavering  light  over  the  forms  of  these  two  con- 
science-stricken creatures,  rendering  them  still  more  mys- 
terious and  forbidding.  Lowiny  had  indeed  lighted  a  thin, 
miserable  candle  of  tallow,  such  as  one  usually  sees  iri  the 
lowest  habitations  ;  but  it  was  placed  aside,  in  order  to  be 
removed  from  before  the  sight  of  the  supposed  slumberer, 
and  added  but  little  to  the  light  of  the  room.  Notwith- 
standing, I  could  and  did  see  all  I  have  described,  stopping 
for  some  little  time  at  a  point  that  commanded  a  view  of 
the  interior  of  the  house. 

Of  Dus,  I  could  ascertain  but  little.  She  was  nearly 
immovable  at  the  bedside  of  her  uncle,  but  her  counte- 
nance was  veiled  from  view.  Suddenly,  and  it  was  at  one 
of  those  moments  when  I  had  stopped  in  front  of  the 
building,  she  dropped  on  her  knees,  buried  her  face  in  the 
coverlet,  and  became  lost  in  prayer.  Prudence  started  as 
she  saw  this  act ;  then  she  arose,  after  the  fashion  of  those 
who  imagine  they  have  contributed  to  the  simplicity,  and 
consequently  to  the  beauty  of  worship,  by  avoiding  the  cere- 
mony of  kneeling  to  Almighty  God,  and  stood  erect,  moving 
to  and  fro,  as  before,  her  tall,  gaunt  figure,  resembling  some 
half-decayed  hemlock  of  the  adjacent  forest,  that  has  lost 
the  greater  portion  of  its  verdure,  rocked  by  a  tempest. 
I  was  touched,  notwithstanding,  at  this  silent  evidence  that 
the  woman  retained  some  of  the  respect  and  feeling  for 
the  services  of  the  Deity,  which,  though  strangely  blended 
with  fanaticism  and  a  pertinacious  self-righteousness,  no 
doubt  had  a  large  influence  in  bringing  those  who  belonged 


340  THE  CHATXBEARER. 

to  her  race,  across  the  Atlantic,  some  five  or  six  generations 
previously  to  her  own. 

It  was  just  at  this  instant  that  I  recognized  the  voice  of 
Tobit,  as  he  advanced  toward  the  group  composed  of  his 
brethren  ;  and  speaking  to  his  wife,  who  accompanied  him 
as  far  as  his  father's  habitation,  and  there  left  him,  appar- 
ently to  return  to  her  own.  I  did  not  distinguish  what  was 
said,  but  the  squatter  spoke  sullenly,  and  in  the  tone  of 
one  whose  humor  was  menacing.  Believing  that  I  might 
meet  with  some  rudeness  of  a  provoking  character  from 
this  man,  should  he  see  me  walking  about  in  the  manner 
I  had  now  been  doing  for  near  a  quarter  of  an  hour,  ere 
he  had  the  matter  explained,  I  thought  it  wisest  to  enter 
the  building,  and  effect  an  object  I  had  in  view,  by  holding 
a  brief  conversation  with  Thousandacres. 

This  determination  was  no  sooner  formed  than  I  put  it 
in  execution  ;  trusting  that  the  patience  of  the  Indian,  and 
Jaap's  habits  of  obedience,  would  prevent  anything  like  an 
outbreak  from  them,  without  orders.  As  I  re-entered  the 
room,  Dus  was  still  on  her  knees,  and  Prudence  continued 
erect,  oscillating  as  before,  with  her  eyes  riveted  on  the 
hearth".  Lowiny  stood  near  the  bed,  and  I  thought,  like 
her  mother,  she  was  in  some  measure  mingling  in  spirit 
with  the  prayer. 

"  Thousandacres,"  I  commenced  in  a  low  voice,  drawing 
quite  near  the  squatter,  and  succeeding  in  causing  him  to 
look  at  me,  by  my  address — "  Thousandacres,  this  has  been 
a  most  melancholy  business,  but  everything  should  be 
done  that  can  be  done,  to  repair  the  evil.  Will  you  not 
send  a  messenger  through  to  the  'Nest,  to  obtain  the  aid 
of  the  physician  ? " 

"  Doctors  can  do  but  little  good  to  a  wound  made  by  a 
rifle  that  was  fired  so  cluss,  young  man.  I  want  no  doc- 
tors here,  to  betray  me  and  mine  to  the  law." 

"  Nay,  your  messenger  can  keep  your  secret  ;  and  I  will 
give  him  gold  to  induce  the  physician  to  come,  and  come 
at  once.  He  can  be  told  that  I  am  accidentally  hurt,  and 
might  still  reach  us  to  be  of  service  in  alleviating  pain  ;  I 
confess  there  is  no  hope  for  anything  else." 

"  Men  must  take  their  chances,"  coldly  returned  that 
obdurate  being.  "  Them  that  live  in  the  woods,  take 
woodsmen's  luck  ;  and  them  that  live  in  the  open  country, 
the  open  country  luck.  My  family  and  lumber  must  be 
presarved  at  all  risks  ;  and  no  doctor  shall  come  here." 

What  was  to  be  done — what  could  be  done,  with  such  a 


THE  CHAINBEARER.  341 

being  ?  All  principle,  all  sense  of  right,  was  concentrated 
in  self — in  his  moral  system.  It  was  as  impossible  to 
make  him  see  the  side  of  any  question  that  was  opposed 
to  his  interests,  fancied  or  real,  as  it  was  to  give  sight  to 
the  physically  blind.  I  had  hoped  contrition  was  at  work 
upon  him,  and  that  some  advantage  might  be  obtained 
through  the  agency  of  so  powerful  a  mediator  ;  but  no 
sooner  was  his  dull  nature  aroused  into  anything  like  ac- 
tion, than  it  took  the  direction  of  selfishness,  as  the  needle 
points  to  the  pole. 

Disgusted  at  this  exhibition  of  the  most  confirmed  trait 
of  the  squatter's  character,  I  was  in  the  act  of  moving 
from  him,  when  a  loud  shout  arose  around  the  building, 
and  the  flashes  and  reports  of  three  or  four  rifles  were 
heard.  Rushing  to  the  door,  I  was  in  time  to  hear  the 
tramp  of  men,  who  seemed  to  me  to  be  pushing  forward 
in  all  directions  ;  and  the  crack  of  the  rifle  was  occasion- 
ally heard,  apparently  .retiring  toward  the  woods.  Men 
called  to  each  other,  in  the  excitement  of  a  chase  and  con- 
flict ;  but  I  could  gain  no  information,  the  body  of  dark- 
ness which  had  settled  on  the  place  having  completely 
hidden  everything  from  view,  at  any  distance. 

In  this  state  of  most  painful  doubt  I  continued  for  five 
or  six  minutes,  the  noise  of  the  chase  receding  the  whole 
time,  when  a  man  came  rushing  up  to  the  door  of  the  hut 
where  I  stood,  and,  seizing  my  hand,  I  found  it  was  Frank 
Malbone.  The  succor,  then,  had  arrived,  and  I  was  no 
longer  a  captive. 

"  God  be  praised  !  you  at  least  are  safe,"  cried  Malbone. 
"  But  my  dear  sister  ?" 

"  Is  there  unharmed,  watching  by  the  side  of  her  uncle's 
dying  bed.  Is  any  one  hurt  without  ?  " 

"  That  is  more  than  I  can  tell  you.  Your  black  acted  as 
guide,  and  brought  us  down  on  the  place  so  skilfully,  that 
it  was  not  my  intention  to  resort  to  arms  at  all,  since  we 
might  have  captured  all  the  squatters  without  firing  a 
shot,  had  my  orders  been  observed.  But  a  rifle  was  dis- 
charged from  behind  a  stump,  and  this  drew  a  volley  from 
the  enemy.  Some  of  our  side  returned  the  discharge,  and 
the  squatters  then  took  to  flight.  The  firing  you  have  just 
heard  is  scattered  discharges  that  have  come  from  both 
sides,  and  can  be  only  sound,  as  any  aim  is  impossible  in 
this  obscurity.  My  own  piece  has  not  even  been  cocked, 
and  I  regret  a  rifle  has  been  fired." 

"  Perhaps  all  is  then  well,  and  we  have  driven  off  our 


342  THE  CHAINBEARER. 

enemies  without  doing  them  any  harm.  Are  you  strong 
enough  to  keep  them  at  a  distance  ?  " 

"  Perfectly  so  ;  we  are  a  posse  of  near  thirty  men,  led 
by  an  under-sheriff  and  a  magistrate.  All  we  wanted  was 
a  direction  to  this  spot,  to  have  arrived  some  hours  ear- 
lier." 

I  groaned  in  spirit  at  hearing  this,  since  those  few  hours 
might  have  saved  the  life  of  poor  Chainbearer.  As  it  was, 
however,  this  rescue  was  the  subject  of  grateful  rejoicing, 
and  one  of  the  happiest  moments  of  my  life  was  that  in 
which  I  saw  Dus  fall  on  her  brother's  bosom  and  burst 
into  tears.  I  was  at  their  side,  in  the  doorway  of  the  hut, 
when  this  meeting  took  place  ;  and  Dus  held  out  a  hand 
affectionately  to  me,  as  she  withdrew  herself  from  her 
brother's  arms.  Frank  Malbone  looked  a  little  surprised  at 
this  act ;  but,  anxious  to  see  and  speak  to  Chainbearer, 
he  passed  into  the  building,  and  approached  the  bed.  Dus 
and  I  followed  ;  for  the  shouts  and  firing  had  reached  the 
ears  of  the  wounded  man,  and  Andries  was  anxious  to 
learn  their  meaning.  The  sight  of  Malbone  let  him  into 
a  general  knowledge  of  the  state  of  the  facts  ;  but  a  strong 
anxiety  was  depicted  in  his  falling  countenance,  as  he 
looked  toward  me  for  information. 

"  What  is  it,  Mortaunt  ? "  he  asked,  with  considerable 
strength  of  voice,  his  interest  in  the  answer  probably  stim- 
ulating his  physical  powers.  "What  is  it,  poy  ?  I  hope 
t'ere  hast  peen  no  useless  fightin'  on  account  of  a  poor  olt 
man  like  me,  who  hast  seen  his  t'reescore  years  ant  ten, 
ant  who  owest  to  his  Maker  t'e  life  t'at  wast  grantet  to  him 
seventy  long  years  ago.  I  hope  no  one  hast  peen  injuret 
in  so  poor  a  cause." 

"  We  know  of  no  one  beside  yourself,  Chainbearer,  who 
has  been  hurt  to-night.  The  firing  you  have  heard,  comes 
from  the  party  of  Frank  Malbone,  which  has  just  arrived, 
and  which  has  driven  off  the  squatters  by  noise  more  than 
by  any  harm  that  has  been  done  them." 

"  Got  pe  praiset !  Got  pe  praiset !  I  am  glat  to  see  Frank 
pefore  I  tie,  first  to  take  leaf  of  him,  as  an  olt  frient,  ant 
secontly  to  place  his  sister,  Dus,  in  his  care.  T'ey  haf 
wantet  to  gif  Dus  one  of  t'ese  squatters  for  a  huspant,  by 
way  of  making  peace  petween  t'ieves  and  honest  people. 
T'at  woult  nefer  do,  Frank,  as  you  well  know  Dus  ist  t'e 
ta'ghter  of  a  gentleman,  ant  t'e  ta'ghter  of  a  laty  ;  ant  she 
ist  a  gentlewoman  herself,  ant  ist  not  to  pe  marriet  to  a 
coarse,  rute,  illiterate,  vulgar  squatter.  Wast  I  young,  ant 


THE  CHAINBEARER.      ,  343 

wast  I  not  t'e  gal's  uncle,  I  shoult  not  venture  to  s'pose  I 
coult  make  her  a  fit  companion  myself,  peing  too  little 
edicated  ant  instructet,  to  pe  the  huspant  of  one  like  Dus 
Malpone." 

"  There  is  no  fear  now,  that  any  such  calamity  can  be- 
fall my  sister,  my  dear  Chainbearer,"  answered  Frank  Mai- 
bone.  "  Nor  do  I  think  any  threats  or  dangers  could  so 
far  intimidate  Dus,  as  to  cause  her  to  plight  her  faith  to 
any  man  she  did  not  love  or  respect.  They  would  have 
found  my  sister  difficult  to  coerce." 

"  It  ist  pest  as  it  ist,  Frank — yes,  it  1st  pest  as  it  1st. 
T'ese  squatters  are  fery  sat  rascals,  ant  woult  not  pe  apt  to 
stop  at  trifles.  Ant,  now  we  are  on  t'is  supject,  I  wilt  say  a 
wort  more  consarnin'  your  sister.  I  see  she  hast  gone  out 
of  t'e  hut  to  weep,  ant  she  wilt  not  hear  what  I  haf  to  say. 
Here  ist  Mortaunt  Littlepage,  who  says  he  lofes  Dus  more 
ast  man  efer  lovet  woman  pefore — "  Frank  started,  and  I 
fancied  that  his  countenance  grew  dark — 4<ant  what  ist 
nat'ral  enough,  when  a  man  dost  truly  lofe  a  woman  in  t'at 
tegree,he  wishes  fery,  fery  much  to  marry  her" — Frank's 
countenance  brightened  immediately,  and  seeing  my  hand 
extended  toward  him,  he  grasped  it  and  gave  it  a  most  cor- 
dial pressure.  "  Now,  Mortaunt  woult  pe  an  excellent  match 
for  Dus — a  most  capital  match,  for  he  ist  young  ant  goot 
lookin',  ant  prave,  ant  honoraple,  ant  sensiple,  ant  rich,  all 
of  which  pe  fery  goot  t'ings  in  matrimony  ;  put,  on  t'e  ot'er 
hant,  he  has  a  fat'er,  ant  a  mot'er,  ant  sisters,  ant  it  ist  nat'- 
ral, too,  t'at  t'ey  shoult  not  like,  overmuch,  to  haf  a  son 
ant  a  prot'er  marry  a  gal  t'at  hasn't  anyt'ing  put  a  set  of 
chains,  a  new  compass,  ant  a  few  fielt  articles  t'at  wilt  fall 
to  her  share  a'ter  my  teat'.  No,  no  ;  we  must  t'ink  of  t'e 
honor  of  t'e  Coejemans  ant  t'e  Malpones,  ant  not  let  our 
peloved  gal  go  into  a  family  t'at  may  not  want  her." 

I  could  see  that  Frank  Malbone  smiled,  though  sadly,  as 
he  listened  to  this  warning ;  for,  on  him,  it  made  little  or 
no  impression,  since  he  was  generous  enough  to  judge  me 
by  himself,  and  did  not  believe  any  such  mercenary  con- 
siderations would  influence  my  course.  I  felt  differently, 
however.  Obstinacy  in  opinion,  was  one  of  the  weak 
points  in  Chainbearer's  character,  and  I  saw  the  danger  of 
his  leaving  these  sentiments  as  a  legacy  to  Dus.  She,  in- 
deed, had  been  the  first  to  entertain  them,  and  to  communi- 
cate them  to  her  uncle,  and  they  might  revive  in  her  when 
she  came  to  reflect  on  the  true  condition  of  things,  and 
become  confirmed  by  the  dying  requests  of  her  uncle.  It 


344  THE  CHATNBEARER. 

is  true,  that  in  our  own  interview,  when  I  obtained  from 
the  dear  girl  the  precious  confession  of  her  love,  no  such 
obstacle  seemed  to  exist,  but  both  of  us  appeared  to' look 
forward  with  confidence  to  our  future  union  as  to  a  thing 
certain  ;  but  at  that  moment,  Dus  was  excited  by  my  dec- 
larations of  the  most  ardent  and  unutterable  attachment, 
and  led  away  by  the  strength  of  her  own  feelings.  We 
were  in  the  delirium  of  delight  produced  by  mutual  confi- 
dence, and  the  full  assurance  of  mutual  love,  when  Thou- 
sandacres  came  upon  us,  to  carry  us  to  the  scenes  of  woe 
by  which  we  had  been,  and  were  still,  in  a  degree,  sur- 
rounded. Under  such  circumstances,  one  might  well  fall 
under  the  influence  of  feelings  and  emotions  that  would 
prove  to  be  more  controllable  in  cooler  moments.  It  was 
all-important,  then,  for  me  to  set  Chainbearer  right  in  the 
matter,  and  to  have  a  care  he  did  not  quit  us,  leaving  the 
two  persons  he  most  loved  on  earth,  very  unnecessarily 
miserable,  and  that  solely  on  account  of  the  strength  of  his 
own  prejudices.  Nevertheless,  the  moment  was  not  favor- 
able to  pursue  such  a  purpose,  and  I  was  reflecting  bitterly 
on  the  future,  when  we  were  all  startled  by  a  heavy  groan 
that  seemed  to  come  out  of  the  very  depths  of  the  chest  of 
the  squatter. 

Frank  and  I  turned  instinctively  toward  the  chimney,  on 
hearing  this  unlooked-for  interruption.  The  chair  of  Pru- 
dence was  vacant,  the  woman  having  rushed  from  the  hut 
at  the  first  sound  of  the  recent  alarm  ;  most  probably  in 
quest  of  her  younger  children.  But  Thousandacres  re- 
mained in  the  very  seat  he  had  now  occupied  nearly,  if  not 
quite,  two  hours.  I  observed,  however,  that  his  form  was 
not  as  erect  as  when  previously  seen.  It  had  sunk  lower 
in  the  chair,  while  his  chin  hung  down  upon  his  breast. 
Advancing  nearer,  a  small  pool  of  blood  was  seen  on  the 
stones  beneath  him,  and  a  short  examination  told  Malbone 
and  myself,  that  a  rifle-bullet  had  passed  directly  through 
his  body,  in  a  straight  line,  and  that  only  three  inches 
above  the  hips ! 


THE  CHAINBEARER.  345 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 

"  With  woful  measures,  wan  despair — 

Low,  sullen  sounds  his  grief  beguil'd, 
A  solemn,  strange,  and  mingled  air ; 

'Twas  sad  by  fits,  by  starts  'twas  wild." — COLLINS. 

THOUSANDACRES  had  been  shot  in  his  chair,  by  one  of 
the  rifles  first  discharged  that  night.  As  it  turned  out,  he 
was  the  only  one  that  we  could  ascertain  was  hurt  ;  though 
there  was  a  report,  to  which  many  persons  gave  credence, 
that  Tobit  had  a  leg  broken,  also,  and  that  he  remained  a 
cripple  for  life.  I  am  inclined  to  believe  this  report  may 
have  been  true  ;  for  Jaap  told  me,  after  all  was  over,  that 
he  let  fly  on  a  man  who  had  just  fired  on  himself,  and  who 
certainly  fell,  and  was  borne  off  limping,  by  two  of  his 
companions.  It  is  quite  probable  that  this  hurt  of  Tobit's 
and  the  fate  of  his  father,  was  the  reason  we  received  no 
more  annoyance  that  night  from  the  squatters,  who  had  all 
vanished  from  the  clearing  so  effectually,  including  most 
of  the  females  and  all  the  children,  that  no  traces  of  their 
place  of  retreat  were  to  be  found  next  morning.  Lowiny, 
however,  did  not  accompany  the  family,  but  remained  near 
Dus,  rendering  herself  highly  useful  as  an  attendant  in  the 
melancholy  scene  that  followed.  I  may  as  well  add  here, 
that  no  evidence  was  ever  obtained  concerning  the  manner 
in  which  Thousandacres  received  his  death-wound.  He 
was  shot  through  the  open  door,  beyond  all  question,  as  he 
sat  in  his  chair  ;  and  necessarily  in  the  early  part  of  the 
fray,  for  then  only  was  a  rifle  discharged  very  near  the  house, 
or  from  a  point  that  admitted  of  the  ball's  hitting  its  vic- 
tim. For  myself,  I  believed  from  the  first  that  Susquesus 
sacrificed  the  squatter  to  the  manes  of  his  friend  Chain- 
bearer  ;  dealing  out  Indian  justice,  without  hesitation  or 
compunction.  Still,  I  could  not  be  certain  of  the  fact ;  and 
the  Onondago  had  either  sufficient  prudence  or  sufficient 
philosophy  to  keep  his  own  secret.  It  is  true  that  a  re- 
mark or  two  did  escape  him  soon  after  the  affair  occurred, 
that  tended  to  sustain  my  suspicions  ;  but,  on  the  whole, 
he  was  remarkably  reserved  on  the  subject — less  from  any 
apprehension  of  consequences,  than  from  self-respect  and 
pride  of  character.  There  was  little  to  be  apprehended, 
indeed  ;  the  previous  murder  of  Chainbearer,  and  the  un 


346  THE  CHAIXBEARER. 

lawful  nature  of  all  the  proceedings  of  the  squatters,  jus- 
tifying  a  direct  and  sudden  attack  on  the  part  of  the 
posse. 

Just  as  Malbone  and  myself  discovered  the  condition  of 
Thousandacres,  this  posse,  with  'Squire  Newcome  at  its 
head,  began  to  collect  around  the  house,  which  might  now 
be  termed  our  hospital.  As  the  party  was  large,  and 
necessarily  a  little  tumultuous,  I  desired  Frank  to  lead 
them  off  to  some  of  the  other  buildings,  as  soon  as  a  bed 
had  been  prepared  for  the  squatter,  who  was  placed  in  the 
same  room  with  Chainbearer  to  die.  No  one,  in  the  least 
acquainted  with  injuries  of  that  nature,  could  entertain 
any  hope  for  either  ;  though  a  messenger  was  sent  to  the 
settlements  for  the  individual  who  was  called  "  doctor,''" 
and  who  was  really  fast  acquiring  many  useful  notions 
about  his  profession,  by  practising  on  the  human  system. 
They  say  that  "  an  ounce  of  experience  is  worth  a  pound 
of  theory,"  and  this  disciple  of  Esculapius  seemed  to  have 
set  up  in  his  art  on  this  principle  ;  having  little  or  none  of 
the  last,  while  he  was  really  obtaining  a  very  respectable 
amount  of  the  first,  as  he  practised  right  and  left,  as  the 
pugilist  is  most  apt  to  hit  in  his  rallies.  Occasionally,  how- 
ever, he  gave  a  knock-down  blow. 

As  soon  as  the  necessary  arrangements  were  made  in 
our  hospital,  I  told  Dus  that  we  would  leave  her  and  Low- 
iny  in  attendance  on  the  wounded,  both  of  whom  mani- 
fested weariness  and  a  disposition  to  doze,  while  all  the 
rest  of  the  party  would  draw  off,  and  take  up  their  quar- 
ters for  the  night  in  the  adjacent  buildings.  Malbone  was 
to  remain  as  a  sentinel,  a  little  distance  from  the  door,  and 
I  promised  to  join  him  in  the  course  of  an  hour. 

"  Lowiny  can  attend  to  the  wants  of  her  father,  while 
you  will  have  the  tenderest  care  of  your  uncle,  I  well  know. 
A  little  drink  occasionally  is  all  that  can  alleviate  their 
sufferings — 

"  Let  me  come  in,"  interrupted  a  hoarse  female  voice  at 
the  door,  as  a  woman  forced  her  way  through  the  oppos- 
ing arms  of  several  of  the  posse.  "  I  am  Aaron's  wife,  and 
they  tell  me  he  is  hurt.  God  himself  has  ordered  that  a 
woman  should  cleave  unto  her  husband,  and  Thousand- 
acres  is  mine  ;  and  he  is  the  father  of  my  children,  if  he  has 
murdered  and  been  murdered  in  his  turn." 

There  was  something  so  commanding  in  the  natural 
emotions  of  this  woman,  that'  the  guard  at  the  door  gave 
way  immediately,  when  Prudence  entered  the  room.  The 


THE  CH'AIXBEARER.  347 

first  glance  of  the  squatter's  wife  was  at  the  bed  of  Chain- 
bearer  ;  but  nothing  there  held  her  gaze  riveted.  That  gaze 
only  became  fixed  as  her  eyes  fell  on  the  large  form  of  Thou- 
sandacres,  as  he  lay  extended  on  his  death-bed.  It  is  prob- 
able that  this  experienced  matron,  who  had  seen  so  many 
accidents  in  the  course  of  a  long  life,  and  had  sat  by  so 
many  a  bedside,  understood  the  desperate  nature  of  her 
husband's  situation  as  soon  as  her  eyes  fell  on  the  fallen 
countenance  :  for,  turning  to  those  near  her,  the  first  im- 
pulse was,  to  revenge  the  wrong  which  she  conceived 
had  been  done  to  her  and  hers.  I  will  acknowledge  that 
I  felt  awed,  and  that  a  thrill  passed  through  my  frame  as 
this  rude  and  unnurtured  female,  roused  by  her  impulses, 
demanded  authoritatively  : 

"  Who  has  done  this  ?  Who  has  taken  the  breath  from 
my  man  before  the  time  set  by  the  Lord  ?  Who  has  dared 
to  make  my  children  fatherless,  and  me  a  widow,  ag'in  law 
and  right  ?  I  left  my  man  seated  on  that  hearth,  heart- 
stricken  and  troubled  at  what  had  happened  to  another  ; 
and  they  tell  me  he  has  been  murdered  in  his  chair.  The 
Lord  will  be  on  our  side  at  last,  and  then  we'll  see  whom 
the  law  will  favor,  and  whom  the  law  will  condemn — ! " 

A  movement  and  a  groan,  on  the  part  of  Thousandacres, 
would  seem  first  to  have  apprised  Prudence  that  her 
husband  was  not  actually  dead.  Starting  at  this  discovery, 
this  tiger's  mate  and  tiger's  darn,  if  not  tigress  herself, 
ceased  everything  like  appeal  and  complaint,  and  set  her- 
self about  those  duties  which  naturally  suggested  them- 
selves to  one  of  her  experience,  with  the  energy  of  a  fron- 
tier woman — a  woodman's  wife,  and  the  mother  of  a  large 
brood  of  woodman's  sons  and  daughters.  She  wiped  the 
face  of  Thousandacres,  wet  his  lips,  shifted  his  pillow, 
such  as  it  was,  placed  his  limbs  in  postures  she  thought 
the  easiest,  and  otherwise  manifested  a  sort  of  desperate 
energy  in  her  care.  The  whole  time  she  was  doing  this, 
her  tongue  was  muttering  prayers  and  menaces,  strangely 
blended  together,  and  quite  as  strangely  mixed  up  with 
epithets  of  endearment  that  were  thrown  away  on  her  still 
insensible  and  least  unconscious  husband.  She  called  him 
Aaron,  and  that  too  in  a  tone  that  sounded  as  if  Thousand- 
acres  had  a  strong  hold  on  her  affections,  and  might  at 
least  have  been  kind  and  true  to  her. 

I  felt  convinced  that  Dus  had  nothing  to  fear  from  Pru- 
dence, and  I  left  the  place  as  soon  as  the  two  nurses  had 
everything  arranged  for  their  respective  patients,  and  the 


348  7 HE  CHA1NBEARER. 

house  was  quite  free  from  the  danger  of  intrusion.  On 
quitting  her  who  now  occupied  most  of  my  thoughts,  I 
ventured  to  whisper  a  request  she  would  not  forget  the 
pledges  given  me  in  the  forest,  and  asked  her  to  summon 
me  to  the  bedside  of  Chainbearer,  should  he  rouse  himself 
from  the  slumber  that  had  come  over  him,  and  manifest  a 
desire  to  converse.  I  feared  he  might  renew  the  subject 
to  which  his  mind  had  already  once  averted  since  receiving 
his  wound,  and  imbue  his  niece  with  some  of  his  own  set 
notions  on  that  subject.  Ursula  was  kindness  itself.  Her 
affliction  had  even  softened  her  feelings  toward  me  more 
than  ever  ;  and,  so  far  as  she  was  concerned,  I  certainly  had 
no  ground  for  uneasiness.  In  passing  Frank,  who  stood 
on  post  some  twenty  yards  from  the  door  of  the  house,  he 
said  :  "  God  bless  you,  Littlepage — fear  nothing.  I  am  too 
much  in  your  own  situation,  not  to  be  warmly  your  friend." 
I  returned  his  good  wishes,  and  went  my  way,  in  one  sense 
rejoicing. 

The  posse,  as  has  been  stated,  were  in  possession  of  the 
different  deserted  habitations  of  the  family  of  Thousand- 
acres.  The  night  being  cool,  fires  were  blazing  on  all  the 
hearths,  and  the  place  wore  an  air  of  cheerfulness  that  it 
had  probably  never  before  known.  Most  of  the  men  had 
crowded  into  two  of  the  dwellings,  leaving  a  third  for  the 
convenience  of  the  magistrate,  Frank  Malbone,  and  my- 
self, whenever  we  might  choose  to  repair  to  it.  By  the 
time  I  appeared,  the  posse  had  supped,  using  the  milk  and 
bread,  and  other  eatables  of  the  squatters,  ad  libitum,  and 
were  disposing  of  themselves  on  the  beds  and  on  the  floors, 
to  take  a  little  rest,  after  their  long  and  rapid  march.  But 
in  my  own  quarters  I  found  'Squire  Newcome  alone,  un- 
less the  silent  and  motionless  Onondago,  who  occupied  a 
chair  in  a  corner  of  the  fireplace,  could  be  called  a  com- 
panion. Jaap,  too,  in  expectation  of  my  arrival,  was  loung- 
ing near  the  door  ;  and  when  I  entered  the  house,  he  fol- 
lowed me  in  for  orders. 

It  was  easy  for  me,  who  knew  of  Newcome's  relations 
with  the  squatters,  to  discover  the  signs  of  confusion  in  his 
countenance,  as  his  eye  first  met  mine.  One  who  was  not 
acquainted  with  the  circumstances,  most  probably  would 
have  detected  nothing  out  of  the  common  way.  It  will  be 
remembered  that  the  "  'squire  "  had  no  positive  knowledge 
that  I  was  acquainted  with  his  previous  visit  to  the  mill  ; 
and  it  will  be  easy  to  see  that  he  must  have  felt  an  itching 
and  uneasy  desire  to  ascertain  that  fact.  A  great  deal  de- 


THE  CffAINBEARER.  349 

pended  on  that  circumstance  ;  nor  was  it  long  before  I  had 
a  specimen  of  his  art  in  sounding  round  the  truth,  with  a 
view  to  relieve  his  mind. 

"Who'd  'a'  thought  of  findin'  Major  Littlepage  in  the 
hands  of  the  Philistines,  in  sich  an  out  o'  the  way  place  as 
this!"  exclaimed  Mr.  Newcome,  as  soon  as  our  salutations 
had  been  exchanged.  "  I've  heern  say  there  was  squatters 
down  hereabouts  ;  but  such  things  are  so  common,  that  I 
never  bethought  me  of  givin'  him  a  hint  on  the  matter 
when  I  last  saw  the  major." 

Nothing  could  surpass  the  deferential  manner  of  this 
person  when  he  had  an  object  to  gain,  it  being  quite  com- 
mon with  him  to  use  the  third  person,  in  this  way,  when 
addressing  a  superior ;  a  practice  that  has  almost  become 
obsolete  in  the  English  language,  and  which  is  seldom  if 
ever  used  in  America,  except  by  this  particular  class  of 
men,  who  defer  before  your  face,  and  endeavor  to  under- 
mine when  the  back  is  turned.  My  humor  was  not  to  trifle 
with  this  fellow,  though  I  did  not  know  that  it  was  exactly 
prudent,  just  then,  to  let  him  know  that  I  had  both  seen 
and  heard  him  in  his  former  visit,  and  was  fully  aware  of 
all  his  practices.  It  was  not  easy,  however,  to  resist  the 
opportunity  given  by  his  own  remarks,  to  put  him  a  little 
way  on  the  tenter-hooks  of  conscience — that  quality  of  the 
human  mind  being  one  of  the  keenest  allies  an  assailant 
can  possess,  in  cases  of  this  sort. 

"  I  had  supposed,  Mr.  Newcome,  that  you  were  generally 
charged  with  the  care  of  the  Mooseridge  lands,  as  one  of 
the  conditions  annexed  to  the  Ravensnest  agency?"  I 
somewhat  dryly  remarked. 

"  Sartain,  sir  ;  the  colonel — or  gin'ral,  as  he  ought  to  be 
called  now,  I  do  s'pose — gave  me  the  superintendence  of 
both  at  the  same  time.  But  the  major  knows,  I  presume, 
that  Mooseridge  was  not  on  sale  ?  " 

"  No,  sir  ;  it  would  seem  to  have  been  only  on  plunder. 
One  would  think  that  an  agent,  intrusted  with  the  care  of 
an  estate,  and  who  heard  of  squatters  being  in  possession, 
and  stripping  the  land  of  its  trees,  would  feel  it  to  be  his 
duty  at  least  to  apprise  the  owners  of  the  circumstance, 
that  they  might  look  to  the  case,  if  he  did  not." 

"The  major  hasn't  rightly  understood  me,"  put  in  the 
'squire,  in  a  manner  that  was  particularly  deprecatory  ;  "  I 
don't  mean  to  say  that  I  know'd,  with  anything  like  posi- 
tiveness,  that  there  was  squatters  hereabouts  ;  but  that  ru- 
mors was  stirrin'  of  some  sich  things.  But  squatters  is 


350  THE  CHA1NBEARER. 

sich  common  objects  in  new  countries,  that  a  body  scarce 
turns  aside  to  look  at  them  ! " 

"  So  it  would  seem,  in  your  case  at  least,  Mr.  Newcome. 
This  Thousandacres,  however,  they  tell  me,  is  a  well-known 
character,  and  has  done  little  since  his  youth  but  lumber 
on  the  property  of  other  people.  I  should  suppose  you 
must  have  met  him,  in  the  course  of  five-and-twenty  years' 
residence  in  this  part  of  the  world  ?  " 

"  Lord  bless  the  major  !  met  Thousandacres  ?  Why,  I've 
met  him  a  hundred  times  !  We  all  know  the  old  man  well 
enough  ;  and  many  and  many  is  the  time  I've  met  him  at 
raisin's,  and  trainin's,  and  town  meetin's,  and  political 
meetin's,  too.  I've  even  seen  him  in  court,  though  Thou- 
sandacres don't  set  much  store  by  law,  not  half  as  much  as 
he  and  every  other  man  ought  to  do  ;  for  law  is  excellent, 
and  society  would  be  no  better  than  a  collection  of  wild 
beasts,  as  I  often  tell  Miss  Newcome,  if  it  hadn't  law  to 
straighten  it  out,  and  to  teach  the  misguided  and  evil-dis- 
posed what's  right.  I  s'pose  the  major  will  coincide  with 
that  idee  ?  " 

"  I  have  no  particular  objection  to  the  sentiment,  sir, 
but  wish  it  was  more  general.  As  you  have  seen  this  per- 
son Thousandacres  so  often,  perhaps  you  can  tell  me  some- 
thing of  his  character.  My  opportunities  of  knowing  the 
man  have  been  none  of  the  best ;  for  most  of  the  time  I 
was  his  prisoner  he  had  me  shut  up  in  an  out-building  in 
which  I  believe  he  has  usually  kept  his  salt,  and  grain,  and 
spare  provisions." 

"  Not  the  old  store'us' !  "  exclaimed  the  magistrate,  look- 
ing a  little  aghast,  for  the  reader  .will  doubtless  recollect 
that  the  confidential  dialogue  between  him  and  the  squat- 
ter, on  the  subject  of  the  lumber,  had  occurred  so  near 
that  building  as  to  be  overheard  by  me.  "  How  long  has 
the  major  been  in  this  clearin',  I  wonder  ? " 

"  Not  a  very  great  while  in  fact,  though  long  enough  to 
make  it  appear  a  week.  I  was  put  into  the  storehouse 
soon  after  my  seizure,  and  have  passed  at  least  half  my 
time  there  since."  . 

"  I  want  to  know  !  Perhaps  the  major  got  in  that  hole 
as  'arly  as  yesterday  morn  ? " 

"Perhaps  I  did,  sir.  But,  Mr.  Newcome,  on  looking 
round  at  the  quantity  of  lumber  these  men  have  made,  and 
recollecting  the  distance  they  are  from  Albany,  I  am  at  a 
loss  to  imagine  how  they  could  hope  to  get  their  ill-gotten 
gains  to  market  without  discovery.  It  would  seem  to  me 


THE  CtfAINBEARER.  351 

that  their  movements  must  be  known,  and  that  the  active 
and  honest  agents  of  this  part  of  the  country  would  seize 
their  rafts  in  the  watercourses  ;  thus  making  the  very  ob- 
jects of  the  squatters'  roguery  the  means  of  their  punish- 
ment. Is  it  not  extraordinary  that  theft,  in  a  moral  sense 
at  least,  can  be  systematically  carried  on,  and  that  on  so 
large  a  scale,  with  such  entire  impunity?" 

"Wa-a-1 — I  s'pose  the  major  knows  how  things  turn,  in 
this  world.  Nobody  likes  to  meddle." 

"  How,  sir — not  meddle  !  This  is  contrary  to  all  my  ex- 
perience of  the  habits  of  the  country,  and  all  I  have  heard 
of  it!  Meddling,  I  have  been  given  to  understand,  is  the 
great  vice  of  our  immigrant  population,  in  particular,  who 
never  think  they  have  their  just  rights,  unless  they  are 
privileged  to  talk  about,  and  sit  in  judgment  on  the  affairs 
of  all  within  twenty  miles  of  them  ;  making  two-thirds  of 
their  facts  as  they  do  so,  in  order  to  reconcile  their  theo- 
ries with  the  wished-for  results." 

"Ah!  I  don't  mean  meddlin'  in  that  sense,  of  which 
there  is  enough,  as  all  must  allow.  But  folks  don't  like  to 
meddle  with  things  that  don't  belong  to  them  in  such  seri- 
ous matters  as  this." 

"  I  understand  you — the  man  who  will  pass  days  in  dis- 
cussing his  neighbor's  private  affairs,  about  which  he  abso- 
lutely knows  nothing  but  what  has  been  obtained  from  the 
least  responsible  and  most  vulgar  sources,  will  stand  by 
and  see  that  neighbor  robbed  and  say  nothing,  under  the 
influence  of  a  sentiment  so  delicate,  that  it  forbids  his 
meddling  with  what  don't  belong  to  him." 

Lest  the  reader  should  think  I  was  unduly  severe  upon 
'Squire  Newcome,  let  me  appeal  to  his  own  experience, 
and  inquire  if  he  never  knew,  not  only  individuals,  but 
whole  neighborhoods,  which  were  sorely  addicted  to  pry- 
ing into  every  man's  affairs,  and  to  inventing  when  facts 
did  not  exactly  sustain  theories  ;  in  a  word,  convulsing 
themselves  with  that  with  which  they  have  no  real  concern, 
draw  themselves  up  in  dignified  reserve,  as  the  witnesses 
of  wrongs  of  all  sorts,  that  every  honest  man  is  bound  to 
oppose  ?  I  will  go  further,  and  ask  if  a  man  does  happen 
to  step  forth  to  vindicate  the  right,  to  assert  truth,  to  de- 
fend the  weak  and  to  punish  the  wrong-doer,  if  that  man 
be  not  usually  the  one  who  meddles  least  in  the  more  or- 
dinary  and  minor  transactions  of  life — the  man  who 
troubles  his  neighbors  least,  and  has  the  least  to  say  about 
their  private  affairs  ?  Does  it  not  happen  that  the  very 


352  THE   CHAIXBEARKR. 

individual  who  w~\l  Ha/id  by  and  see  his  neighbor  v/ronged, 
on  account  of  hi?  indisposition  to  meddle  with  that  which 
does  not  belong  to  him,  will  occupy  a  large  portion  of  his 
own  tim**,  m  discussing,  throwing  out  hints,  and  otherwise 
commenting  on  the  private  affairs  of  that  very  neigh- 
bor? 

Mr.  Newcome  was  shrewd,  and  he  understood  me  well 
enough,  though  he  probably  found  it  a  relief  to  his  appre- 
hensions to  see  the  conversation  inclining  toward  these 
generalities,  instead  of  sticking  to  the  storehouse.  Never- 
theless, "  boards  "  must  have  been  uppermost  in  his  con- 
science ;  and  after  a  pause  he  made  an  invasion  into  the 
career  of  Thousandacres,  by  way  of  diverting  me  from 
pushing  matters  too  directly. 

"This  old  squatter  was  a  desperate  man,  Major  Little- 
page,"  he  answered,  "  and  it  may  be  fortinate  for  the  coun- 
try that  he  is  done  with.  I  hear  the  old  fellow  is  killed, 
and  that  all  the  rest  of  the  family  has  absconded." 

"  It  is  not  quite  so  bad  as  that.  Thousandacres  is  hurt 
— mortally,  perhaps — and  all  his  sons  have  disappeared  ; 
but  his  wife  and  one  of  his  daughters  are  still  here,  in  at- 
tendance on  the  husband  and  father." 

"  Prudence  is  here,  then  !  "  exclaimed  Mr.  Newcome,  a 
little  indiscreetly  as  I  thought. 

"  She  is — but  you  seem  to  know  the  family  well  for  a 
magistrate,  'squire,  seeing  their  ordinary  occupation — so 
well,  as  to  call  the  woman  by  her  name." 

"  Prudence,  I  think  Thousandacres  used  to  call  his 
woman.  Yes,  the  major  is  very  right ;  we  magistrates  do 
get  to  know  the  neighborhood  pretty  gin'rally  ;  what  be- 
tween summonses,  and  warrants,  and  bailings-out.  But 
the  major  hasn't  yet  said  when  he  first  fell  into  the  hands 
of  these  folks  ? " 

"  I  first  entered  this  clearing  yesterday  morning,  not  a 
long  time  after  the  sun  rose,  since  which  time,  sir,  I  have 
been  detained,  here,  either  by  force  or  by  circumstances." 

A  long  pause  succeeded  this  announcement.  The  'squire 
fidgeted,  and  seemed  uncertain  how  to  act  ;  for,  while  my 
announcement  must  have  given  rise,  in  his  mind,  to  the 
strong  probability  of  my  knowing  of  his  connection  with 
the  squatters,  it  did  not  absolutely  say  as  much.  I  could 
see  that  he  was  debating  with  himself  on  the  expediency 
of  coming  out  with  some  tale  invented  for  the  occasion, 
and  I  turned  toward  the  Indian  and  the  negro,  both  of 
whom  I  knew  to  be  thoroughly  honest — after  the  Indian 


THE  CHAIXRRARER.  353 

find  the  negro  fashions — in  order  to  say  a  friendly  word  to 
each  in  turn. 

Susquesus  was  in  one  of  his  quiescent  moods,  and  had 
lighted  a  pipe,  which  he  was  calmly  smoking.  No  one,  to 
look  at  him,  would  suppose  that  he  had  so  lately  been  en- 
gaged in  a  scene  like  that  through  which  he  had  actually 
gone  ;  but,  rather,  that  he  was  some  thoughtful  philosopher, 
who  habitually  passed  his  time  in  reflection  and  study. 

As  this  was  one  of  the  occasions  on  which  the  Onondago 
came  nearest  to  admitting  his  own  agency  in  procuring 
the  death  of  the  squatter,  I  shall  relate  the  little  that  passed 
between  us. 

"Good  evening,  Sureflint,"  I  commenced,  extending  a 
hand,  which  the  other  courteously  took  incompliance  with 
our  customs.  "  1  am  glad  to  see  you  at  large,  and  no 
longer  a  prisoner  in  that  storehouse." 

"  Store'us'  poor  gaol.  Jaap  snap  off  bolt  like  pipe-stem. 
Won'er  Tousandacres  didn't  t'ink  of  d'at." 

"  Thousandacres  has  had  too  much  to  think  of  this  even- 
ing, to  remember  such  a  trifle.  He  has  now  to  think  of 
his  end." 

The  Onondago  was  clearing  the  bowl  of  his  pipe  of  its 
superfluous  ashes  as  I  said  this,  and  he  deliberately  ef- 
fected his  purpose  ere  he  answered — 

"  Sartain — s'pose    he  kill  dis  time." 

"I  fear  his  hurt  is  mortal,  and  greatly  regret  that  it  has 
happened.  The  blood  of  our  tried  friend,  Chainbearer, 
was  enough  to  be  shed  in  so  miserable  an  affair  as  this." 

"  Yes,  'fair  pretty  rnis'rable  ;  t'ink  so,  too.  If  squatter 
shoot  surveyor,  must  t'ink  surveyor's  fri'nd  will  shoot 
squatter." 

"That  maybe  Indian  law,  Sureflint,  but  it  is  not  the 
law  of  the  pale-face,  in  the  time  of  peace  and  quiet." 

Susquesus  continued  to  smoke,  making  no  answer. 

"  It  was  a  very  wicked  thing  to  murder  Chainbearer, 
and  Thousandacres  should  have  been  handed  over  to  the 
magistrates,  for  punishment,  if  he  had  a  hand  in  it  ;  not 
shot,  like  a  dog." 

The  Onondago  drew  his  pipe  from  his  mouth,  looked 
round  toward  the  'squire,  who  had  gone  to  the  door  in 
order  to  breathe  the  fresh  air — then,  turning  his  eyes  most 
significantly  on  me,  he  answered — 

"Who  magistrate  go  to,  eh?  What  use  good  law  wit' 
poor  magistrate  ?  Better  have  red-skin  law,  and  warrior 
be  his  own  magistrate — own  gallows,  too." 

23 


354  THE  CHAINBRARER. 

The  pipe  was  replaced,  and  Surerlint  appeared  to  be  sat 
isfied  with  what  had  passed  ;  for  he  turned  away,  and  seemed 
to  be  lost  again,  in  his  own  reflections. 

After  all,  the  strong  native  intellect  of  this  barbarian 
had  let  him  into  one  of  the  greatest  secrets  connected  with 
our  social  ills.  Good  laws,  badly  administered,  are  no 
better  than  an  absence  of  all  law,  since  they  only  encour- 
age evil-doers  by  the  protection  they  afford  through  the 
power  conferred  on  improper  agents.  Those  who  have 
studied  the  defects  of  the  American  system,  with  a  view 
to  ascertain  truth,  say  that  the  want  of  a  great  moving 
power  to  set  justice  in  motion  lies  at  the  root  of  its  feeble- 
ness. According  to  theory,  the  public  virtue  is  to  constU 
tute  this  power  ;  but  public  virtue  is  never  one-half  as 
active  as  private  vice.  Crime  is  only  to  be  put  down  by 
the  strong  hand,  and  that  hand  must  belong  to  the  public 
in  truth,  not  in  name  only  ;  whereas,  the  individual  wronged 
is  fast  getting  to  be  the  only  moving  power,  and  in  very 
many  cases  local  parties  are  formed,  and  the  rogue  goes 
to  the  bar  sustained  by  an  authority  that  has  quite  as 
much  practical  control  as  the  law  itself.  Juries  and  grand 
juries  are  no  longer  to  be  relied  on,  and  the  bench  is 
slowly,  but  steadily,  losing  its  influence.  When  the  day 
shall  come — as  come  it  must,  if  present  tendencies  continue 
— that  verdicts  are  rendered  directly  in  the  teeth  of  law 
and  evidence,  and  jurors  fancy  themselves  legislators, 
then  may  the  just  man  fancy  himself  approaching  truly 
evil  times,  and  the  patriot  begin  to  despair.  .It  will  be  the 
commencement  of  the  rough's  paradise  !  Nothing  is  easier, 
I  am  willing  to  admit,  than  to  over-govern  men  ;  but  it 
ought  not  to  be  forgotten,  that  the  political  vice  that 
comes  next  in  the  scale  of  facility,  is  to  govern  them  too 
little. 

Jaap,  or  Jaaf,  had  been  humbly  waiting  for  his  turn 
to  be  noticed.  There  existed  perfect  confidence,  as  be- 
tween him  and  myself,  but  there  were  also  bounds,  in  the 
way  of  respect,  that  the  slave  never  presumed  to  pass, 
without  direct  encouragement  from  the  master.  Had  I 
not  seen  fit  to  speak  to  the  black  that  night,  he  would  not 
have  commenced  a  conversation,  which,  begun  by  me, 
he  entered  into  with  the  utmost  frankness  and  freedom 
from  restraint. 

"  You  seem  to  have  managed  your  part  of  this  affair, 
Jaap,"  I  said,  "  with  discretion  and  spirit.  I  have  every 
reason  to  be  satisfied  with  you  ;  more  especially  for  lib- 


THE  CflAINBEAREK.  355 

crating  the  Indian,  and  for  the  manner  in  which  you 
guided  the  posse  down  into  the  clearing,  from  the 
woods." 

"Yes,  sah  ;  s'pose  you  would  t'ink  dat  was  pretty  well. 
As  for  Sus,  t'ought  it  best  to  let  him  out,  for  he  be  won- 
'erful  sartain  wid  he  rifle.  We  should  do  much  better, 
masser  Mordy,  but  'e  'squire  so  vverry  backward  about 
lettin'  'e  men  shoot  'em  'ere  squatter !  Gosh  !  massar 
Mordy,  if  he  only  say  'fire'  when  I  want  him,  I  don't 
t'ink  so  much  as  half  a  one  get  off." 

"  It  is  best  as  it  is,  Jaap.  We  are  at  peace,  and  in  the 
bosom  of  our  country  ;  and  bloodshed  is  to  be  avoided." 

"Yes,  sah;  but  Chainbearer  !  If 'ey  don't  like  blood- 
shed, why  'ey  shoot  him,  sah  ?  " 

"  There  is  a  feeling  of  justice  in  what  you  say,  Jaap,  but. 
the  community  cannot  get  on  in  anything  like  safety  un- 
less we  let  the  law  rule.  Our  business  was  to  take  those 
squatters,  and  to  hand  them  over  to  the  law." 

"  Werry  true,  sah.  Nobody  can't  deny  dat,  masser 
Mordy,  but  he  nodder  seize  nor  shot,  now  !  Sartain,  it 
best  to  do  one  or  t'odder  with  sich  rascal.  Well,  I  t'ink  dat 
Tobit,  as  dey  calls  him,  will  remember  Jaap  Satanstoe 
long  as  he  live.  Dat  a  good  t'ing,  anyway  !" 

"  Good  !  "  exclaimed  the  Onondago,  with  energy. 

I  saw  it  was  useless,  then,  to  discuss  abstract  principles 
with  men  so  purely  practical  as  my  two  companions,  and  I 
left  the  house  to  reconnoitre,  ere  I  returned  to  our  hospital 
for  the  night.  The  negro  followed  me,  and  I  questioned 
him  as  to  the  manner  of  the  attack,  and  the  direction  of 
the  retreat  of  the  squatters,  in  order  to  ascertain  what 
danger  there  might  be  during  the  hours  of  darkness.  Jaap 
gave  me  to  understand  that  the  men  of  Thousandacres' 
family  had  retired  by  the  way  of  the  stream,  profiting  by 
the  declivity  to  place  themselves  under  cover  as  soon  as 
possible.  As  respects  the  women  and  children,  they  must 
have  got  into  the  woods  at  some  other  point,  and  it  was 
probable  the  whole  had  sought  some  place  of  retreat  thai 
would  naturally  have  been  previously  appointed  by  those 
who  knew  that  they  lived  in  the  constant  danger  of  re- 
quiring one.  Jaap  was  very  certain  we  should  see  no  more 
of  the  men,  and  in  that  he  was  perfectly  right.  No  more 
was  ever  seen  of  any  one  of  them  all  in  that  part  of  the 
country,  though  rumors  reached  us,  in  the  course  of  time, 
from  some  of  the  more  western  counties,  that  Tobit  had 
been  seen  there,  a  cripple,  as  I  have  already  stated,  but 


356  THE  CHAJNBEARER. 

maintaining  his  old  character  for  lawlessness  and  disregard 
of  the  rights  of  others. 

I  next  returned  to  Frank  Malbone,  who  still  stood  on 
post  at  no  great  distance  from  the  door,  through  which  we 
could  both  see  the  form  and  features  of  his  beautiful  and 
beloved  sister.  Dus  sat  by  her  uncle's  bedside,  while 
Prudence  had  stationed  herself  by  that  of  her  husband. 
Frank  and  I  advanced  near  the  door,  and  looked  in  upon 
the  solemn  and  singular  sight  that  room  afforded.  It  was 
indeed  a  strange  and  sad  spectacle,  to  see  those  two  aged 
men,  each  with  his  thin  locks  whitened  by  seventy  years, 
drawing  near  their  ends,  the  victims  of  lawless  violence  ; 
for,  while  the  death  of  Thousandacres  was  enveloped  in  a 
certain  mystery,  and  might  by  some  eyes  be  viewed  as 
merited  and  legal,  there  could  be  no  doubt  that  it  was  a 
direct  consequence  of  the  previous  murder  of  Chainbearer. 
It  is  in  this  way  that  wrong  extends  and  sometimes  per- 
petuates its  influence,  proving  the  necessity  of  taking  time 
by  the  forelock,  and  resorting  to  prevention  in  the  earliest 
stages  of  the  evil,  instead  of  cure. 

There  lay  the  two  victims  of  the  false  principles  that  the 
physical  condition  of  the  country,  connected  with  its  pas- 
sive endurance  of  encroachments  on  the  right,  had  grad- 
ually permitted  to  grow  up  among  us.  Squatting  was  a 
consequence  of  the  thinness  of  the  population  and  of  the 
abundance  of  land,  the  two  very  circumstances  that  ren- 
dered it  the  less  justifiable  in  a  moral  point  of  view  ;  but 
which,  by  rendering  the  one  side  careless  of  its  rights,  and 
the  other  proportionably  encroaching,  had  gradually  led, 
not  only  to  this  violation  of  law,  but  to- the  adoption  of 
notions  that  are  adverse  to  the  supremacy  of  law  in  any 
case.  It  is  this  gradual  undermining  of  just  opinions  that 
forms  the  imminent  danger  of  our  social  system  ;  a  spu- 
rious philanthropy  on  the  subject  of  punishments,  false  no- 
tions on  that  of  personal  rights,  and  the  substitution  of 
numbers  for  principles,  bidding  fair  to  produce  much  the 
most  important  revolution  that  has  ever  yet  taken  place  on 
the  American  continent.  The  lover  of  real  liberty,  under 
such  circumstances,  should  never  forget  that  the  road  to 
despotism  lies  along  the  borders  of  the  slough  of  licentious- 
ness, even  when  it  escapes  wallowing  in  its  depths. 

When  Malbone  and  myself  drew  back  from  gazing  on 
the  scene  within  the  house,  he  related  to  me  in  detail  all 
that  was  connected  with  his  own  proceedings.  The  reade: 
knows  that  it  was  by  means  of  a  meeting  in  the  forest,  be- 


THE  CHAINBEARER.  357 

tween  the  Indian  and  the  negro,  that  my  friends  first  be- 
came acquainted  with  my  arrest,  and  the  probable  danger 
in  which  I  was  placed.  Chainbearer,  Dus,  and  Jaap  in- 
stantly repaired  to  the  clearing  of  Thousandacres  ;  while 
Malbone  hastened  on  to  Ravensnest,  in  pursuit  of  legal 
aid,  and  of  a  force  to  render  my  rescue  certain.  Medi- 
tating on  all  the  facts  of  the  case,  and  entertaining  most 
probably  an  exaggerated  notion  of  the  malignant  character 
of  Thousandacres,  by  the  time  he  reached  the  Nest  my  new 
friend  was  in  a  most  feverish  state  of  excitement.  His  first 
act  was,  to  write  a  brief  statement  of  the  facts  to  my  father, 
and  to  dispatch  his  letter  by  a  special  messenger,  with 
orders  to  him  to  push  on  to  Fishkill,  all  the  family  being 
there  at  the  time,  on  a  visit  to  the  Kettletases  ;  proceeding 
by  land  or  by  water,  as  the  wind  might  favor.  I  was  star- 
tled at  this  information,  foreseeing  at  once  that  it  would 
bring  not  only  the  general  himself,  but  my  dear  mother 
and  Kate,  with  Tom  Bayard  quite  likely  in  her  train,  post- 
haste to  Ravensnest.  It  might  even  cause  my  excellent 
old  grandmother  to  venture  so  far  from  home  ;  for  my  last 
letters  had  apprised  me  that  they  were  all  on  the  point  of 
visiting  my  sister  Anneke,  which  was  the  way  Frank  had 
learned  where  the  family  was  to  be  found. 

As  Malbone's  messenger  had  left  the  Nest  early  the  pr.e^ 
ceding  night,  and  the  wind  had  been  all  day  fresh  at  north, 
it  came  quite  within  the  bounds  of  possibility  that  he 
might  be  at  Fishkill  at  the  very  moment  I  was  listening 
to  the  history  of  his  message.  The  distance  was  about  a 
hundred  and  forty  miles,  and  nearly  one  hundred  of  it 
could  be  made  by  water.  Such  a  messenger  would  care 
but  little  for  the  accomodations  of  his  craft  ;  and,  on  the 
supposition  that  he  reached  Albany  that  morning,  and 
found  a  sloop  ready  to  profit  by  the  breeze,  as  would  be 
likely  to  occur,  it  would  be  quite  in  rule  to  reach  the 
landing  at  Fishkill  in  the  course  of  the  evening,  aided  by 
the  little  gale  that  had  been  blowing.  I  knew  General 
Littlepage  too  well,  to  doubt  either  his  affection  or  his 
promptitude.  Albany  could  be  reached  in  a  day  by  land, 
and  Ravensnest  in  another.  I  made  my  account,  there- 
fore, to  see  a  part  if  not  all  of  the  family  at  the  Nest,  as 
soon  as  I  should  reach  it  myself  ;  an  event  not  likely  to 
occur,  however,  for  some  little  time,  on  account  of  the 
condition  of  Chainbearer. 

I  shall  not  deny  that  this  new  state  of  things,  with  the 
expectations  connected  with  it,  gave  me  sufficient  food  foi 


358  THE  CHAINBEARER. 

reflection.  I  could  not  and  did  not  blame  Frank  Malbone 
for  what  he  had  done,  since  it  was  natural  and  proper. 
Notwithstanding,  it  would  precipitate  matters  as  regarded 
my  relation  to  Dus  a  little  faster  than  I  could  have  wished. 
I  desired  time  to  sound  my  family  on  the  important  sub- 
ject of  my  marriage — to  let  the  three  or  four  letters  I  had 
already  written,  and  in  which  she  had  been  mentioned  in 
a  marked  manner,  produce  their  effect  ;  and  I  counted 
largely  on  the  support  I  was  to  receive  through  the  friend- 
ship and  representations  of  Miss  Bayard.  I  felt  certain 
that  deep  disappointment  on  the  subject  of  Pris  would  be 
felt  by  the  whole  family  ;  and  it  was  my  wish  not  to  in- 
troduce Ursula  to  their  acquaintance  until  time  had  a  little 
lessened  its  feeling.  But  things  must  now  take  their 
course  ;  and  my  determination  was  settled  to  deal  as  sin- 
cerely and  simply  as  possible  with  my  parents  on  the  sub- 
ject. I  knew  their  deep  affection  for  me,  and  relied 
strongly  on  that  natural  support. 

I  had  half  an  hour's  conversation  with  Dus  while  walking 
in  front  of  the  hospital  that  night,  Frank  taking  his  sister's 
place  by  the  side  of  Chainbearer's  bed.  Then  it  was  that 
I  again  spoke  of  my  hopes,  and  explained  -the  probabili- 
ties of  our  seeing  all  of  my  immediate  family  so  shortly  at 
Ravensnest.  My  arm  was  round  the  waist  of  the  dear 
girl  as  I  communicated  these  facts  ;  and  I  felt  her  treufble, 
as  if  she  dreaded  the  trial  she  was  to  undergo. 

"  This  is  very  sudden  and  unexpected,  Mordaunt,"  Dus 
remarked,  after  she  had  had  a  little  time  to  recover  her 
recollection  ;  "and  I  have  so  much  reason  to  fear  the 
judgment  of  your  respectable  parents — of  your  charming 
sister,  of  whom  I  have  heard  so  often  through  Priscilla 
Bayard — and  indeed  of  all  who  have  lived,  as  they  have 
done,  amid  the  elegancies  of  a  refined  state  of  society  ;  I, 
Dus  Malbone — a  chainbearer's  niece,  and  a  chainbearer 
myself !  " 

"  You  have  never  borne  any  chain,  love,  that  is  as  last- 
ing or  as  strong  as  that  which  you  have  entwined  around 
my  heart,  and  which  will  forever  bind  me  to  you,  let  the 
rest  of  the  world  regard  us  both  as  it  may.  But  you  can 
have  nothing  to  fear  from  any,  and  least  of  all  from  my 
friends.  My  father  is  not  worldly-minded  ;  and  as  for  my 
dear,  dear  mother,  Anneke  Mordaunt,  as  the  general  even 
now  often  affectionately  calls  her,  as  if  the  name  itself  re- 
minded him  of  the  days  of  her  maiden  loveliness  and 
pride — as  for  that  beloved  mother,  Ursula,  I  do  firmly  be- 


THE  CHAINBEAREK.  359 

lieve  that,  when  she  comes  to  know  you,  she  will  even  pre- 
fer you  to  her  son." 

"That  is  a  picture  of  your  blinded  partiality,  Mordaunt," 
answered  the  gratified  girl,  for  gratified  I  could  see  she 
was,  "and  must  not  be  too  fondly  relied  on.  But  this  is 
no  time  to  talk  of  our  own  fnture  happiness,  when  the 
eternal  happiness  or  misery  of  those  two  aged  men  is  sus- 
pended, as  it  might  be,  by  a  thread.  I  have  read  prayers 
once  already  with  my  dear  uncle  ;  and  that  strange  woman, 
in  whom  there  is  so  much  of  her  sex,  mingled  with  a  species 
of  ferocity  like  that  of  a  she-bear,  has  muttered  a  hope  that 
her  own  'dying  man,'  as  she  calls  him,  is  not  to  be  forgot- 
ten. I  have  promised  he  should  not  be,  and  it  is  time  to 
attend  to  that  duty  next." 

What  a  scene  followed  !  Dus  placed  the  light  on  a  chest 
near  the  bed  of  Thousandacres,  and,  with  the  prayer-book 
in  her  hand,  she  knelt  beside  it.  Prudence  stationed  her- 
self in  such  a  posture  that  her  head  was  buried  in  one  of 
her  own  garments,  that  was  suspended  from  a  peg  ;  and 
there  she  stood,  while  the  melodious  voice  of  Ursula  Mai- 
bone  poured  out  the  petitions  contained  in  the  offices  for 
the  dying,  in  humble  but  fervent  piety.  I  say  stood,  for 
neither  Prudence  nor  Lowiny  knelt.  The  captious  temper 
of  self-righteousness  which  had  led  their  ancestors  to  re- 
ject kneeling  at  prayers  as  the  act  of  formalists,  had  de- 
scended to  them  ;  and  there  they  stood,  praying  doubtless 
in  their  hearts,  but  ungracious  formalists  themselves  in 
their  zeal  against  forms.  Frank  and  I  knelt  in  the  door- 
way ;  and  I  can  truly  affirm  that  never  did  prayers  sound 
so  sweetly  in  my  ears,  as  those  which  then  issued  from  the 
lips  of  Ursula  Malbone. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

"Thence  cum  we  to  the  horrour  and  the  hel, 
The  large  great  kyngdomes,  and  the  dreadful  raygne 

Of  Pluto  in  his  trone  where  he  dyd  dwell, 
The  wyde  waste  places,  and  the  hugye  playne  : 
The  waylings,  shrykes,  and  sundry  sortes  of  payne, 
The  syghes,  and  sobbes,  and  diep  and  deadly  groane, 
Earth,  ayer,  and  all  resounding  playnt  and  moane." 

— SACKVILLE. 

IN  this  manner  did  that  memorable  night  wear  away. 
The  two  wounded  men  slumbered  much  of  the  time  ;  nor 
did  their  wants  extend  beyond  occasional  draughts  of 


360  THE  CHAINBEAREK. 

water,  to  cool  their  feverish  mouths,  or  the  wetting  of  lips. 
I  prevailed  on  Dus  to  lie  down  on  the  bed  of  Lovviny,  and 
try  to  get  a  little  rest  ;  and  I  had  the  pleasure  to  hear  her 
say  that  she  had  slept  sweetly  for  two  or  three  hours,  after 
the  turn  of  the  night.  Frank  and  I  caught  naps,  also, 
after  the  fashion  of  soldiers,  and  Lowiny  slept  in  her  chair, 
or  leaning  on  her  father's  bed.  As  for  Prudence,  I  do  not 
think  her  watchfulness  was  lessened  for  a  single  instant. 
There  she  sat  the  livelong  night ;  silent,  tearless,  moody, 
and  heart-stricken  by  the  great  and  sudden  calamity  that 
had  befallen  her  race,  but  vigilant  and  attentive  to  the 
least  movement  in  the  huge  frame  of  her  wounded  partner. 
No  complaint  escaped  her  ;  scarcely  once  did  she  turn  to 
look  at  what  was  going  on  around  her,  nor  in  any  manner 
did  she  heed  aught  but  her  husband.  To  him  she  seemed 
to  be  unerringly  true  ;  and  whatever  she  may,  and  must 
have  thought  of  his  natural  sternness,  and  occasional  fits 
of  severity  toward  herself,  all  now  seemed  to  be  forgotten. 
At  length  light  returned,  after  hours  of  darkness  that 
seemed  to  me  to  be  protracted  to  an  unusual  length.  Then 
it  was,  when  Jaap  and  the  Indian  were  ready  to  take  our 
places  on  the  watch,  that  Frank  and  I  went  to  one  of  the 
huts  and  lay  down  for  two  or  three  hours  ;  and  that  was 
the  time  when  Dus  got  her  sweetest  and  most  refreshing 
sleep.  Lowiny  prepared  our  morning's  meal  for  us  ;  which 
we  three,  that  is,  Dus,  Frank  and  myself,  took  together  in 
the  best  way  we  could,  in  the  dwelling  of  Tobit.  As  for 
'Squire  Newcome,  he  left  the  clearing  in  the  course  of  the 
night,  or  very  early  in  the  morning,  doubtless  exceedingly 
uneasy  in  his  conscience,  but  still  uncertain  whether  his 
connection  with  the  squatters  was  or  was  not  known  to 
me  ;  the  excuse  for  this  movement  being  the  probable 
necessity  of  summoning  a  jury  ;  Mr.  Jason  Newcome  fill- 
ing in  his  own  person,  or  by  deputy,  the  several  offices  and 
functions  of  justice  of  the  peace,  one  of  the  coroners  of  the 
county,  supervisor  of  the  township  of  RaVnesnest,  mer- 
chant, shopkeeper,  miller,  lumber-dealer,  husbandman  and 
innkeeper  ;  to  say  nothing  of  the  fact  that  he  wrote  all  the 
wills  of  the  neighborhood  ;  was  a  standing  arbitrator  when 
disputes  were  "  left  out  to  men  ;  "  was  a  leading  politician, 
a  patriot  by  trade,  and  a  remarkable  and  steady  advocate 
of  the  rights  of  the  people,  even  to  minutiae.  Those  who 
know  mankind  will  not  be  surprised,  after  this  enumeration 
of  his  pursuits  and  professions,  to  hear  it  added  that  he 
was  a  remarkable  rogue  in  the  bargain. 


THE  CHAINBEARER.  361 

There  are  two  things  I  have  lived  long  enough  to  receive 
as  truths  established  by  my  own  experience,  and  they  are 
these  ;  I  never  knew  a  man  who  made  large  professions  of 
a  love  for  the  people,  and  of  his  wish  to  serve  them  on  all 
occasions,  whose  aim  was  not  to  deceive  them  to  his  own 
advantage  ;  and  the  other  is,  that  I  never  knew  a  man  who 
was  compelled  to  come  much  in  contact  with  the  people, 
and  who  at  the  same  time  was  personally  popular,  who  had 
anything  in  him  at  the  bottom.  But  it  is  time  to  quit  Jason 
Newcome  and  his  defects  of  character,  in  order  to  attend 
to  the  interesting  scene  that  awaited  us  in  the  dwelling  of 
Thousandacres,  and  to  which  we  were  now  summoned  by 
Jaap. 

As  the  day  advanced,  both  the  Chainbearer  and  the 
squatter  became  aroused  from  the  languor  that  had  suc- 
ceeded the  receiving  of  their  respective  hurts,  and  more  or 
less  alive  to  what  was  passing  around  them.  Life  was  eb- 
bing fast  in  both,  yet  each  seemed,  just  at  that  moment,  to 
turn  his  thoughts  backward  on  the  world,  in  order,  as  it 
might  be,  to  take  a  last  look  at  those  scenes  in  which  he 
had  now  been  an  actor  for  the  long  period  of  threescore- 
and-ten  years. 

"  Uncle  Chainbearer  is  much  revived,  just  now,"  said 
Dus,  meeting  Frank  and  myself  at  the  door,  ''and  he  has 
asked  for  you  both  ;  more  especially  for  Mordaunt,  whose 
name  he  has  mentioned  three  several  times  within  the  last 
five  minutes.  '  Send  for  Mordaunt,  my  child,'  he  has  said  to 
me, '  for  I  wish  to  speak  with  him  before  I  quit  you.'  I  am 
fearful  he  has  inward  admonitions  of  his  approaching  end." 

"  That  is  possible,  dearest  Ursula  ;  for  men  can  hardly 
lose  their  hold  of  life  without  being  aware  of  the  ap- 
proaches of  death.  I  will  go  at  once  to  his  bedside,  that 
he  may  know  I  am  here.  It  is  best  to  let' his  own  feelings 
decide  whether'he  is  able  or  not  to  converse." 

The  sound  of  Chainbearer's  voice,  speaking  in  a  low  but 
distinct  tone,  caught  our  ears  as  we  approached  him,  and 
we  all  stopped  to  listen. 

"I  say,  T'ousantacres,"  repeated  Andries,  on  a  key  a  lit- 
tle louder  than  before,  "  if  you  hear  me,  olt  man,  ant  can 
answer,  I  wish  you  to  let  me  know  it.  You  ant  I  pe  about 
to  start  on  a  fery  long  journey,  ant  it  ist  unreasonaple,  as 
well  as  wicket,  to  set  out  wit'  pad  feelin's  at  t'e  heart.  If 
you  hat  hat  a  niece,  now,  like  Dus  t'ere,  to  tell  you  t'ese 
matters,  olt  Aaron,  it  might  pe  petter  for  your  soul  in  t'e 
worlt  into  which  we  are  poth  apout  to  enter.'' 


362  THE  CHAINBEARER. 

11  He  knows  it — I'm  sure  he*knows  it,  and  feels  it,  too,'* 
muttered  Prudence,  rocking  her  body  as  before.  "  He  has 
had  pious  forefathers,  and  cannot  have  fallen  so  far  away 
from  grace,  as  to  forget  death  and  eternity." 

"  Look  you,  Prutence,  Aaron  nefer  coult  fall  away  from 
what  he  nefer  wast  fastenet  to.  As  for  pious  forefat'ers, 
t'ey  may  do  to  talk  apout  in  Fourt'  of  July  orations,  put 
t'ey  are  of  no  great  account  in  cleansin'  a  man  from  his 
sins.  I  s'pose  t'em  pious  forefat'ers  of  which  you  speak 
was  t'e  people  t'at  first  steppet  on  t'e  rock  town  at  Ply- 
mout' ;  put,  let  me  telt  you,  Prutence,  hat  t'ere  peen  twice 
as  many  of  t'em,  and  hat  t'ey  all  peen  twice  as  goot  as  you 
poast  of  t'eir  hafin'  peen,  it  wilt  do  no  goot  to  your  man, 
unless  he  wilt  repent,  and  pe  sorry  for  all  t'e  unlawful  ant 
wicket  t'ings  he  hast  tone  in  t'is  worlt,  and  his  treatment  of 
pountaries  in  jin'ral,  ant  of  ot'er  men's  lants  in  partic'lar. 
Pious  ancestors  may  pe  pleasant  to  haf,  put  goot  pehavior 
ist  far  petter  as  t'e  last  hour  approaches." 

"Answer  him,  Aaron,"  the  wife  rejoined — "answer  him, 
my  man,  in  order  that  we  may  all  on  us  know  the  frame 
of  mind  in  which  you  take  your  departure.  Chainbearer 
is  a  kind-hearted  man  at  the  bottom,  and  has  never  wilfully 
done  us  any  harm." 

For  the  first  time  since  Andries  received  his  wound,  I 
now  heard  the  voice  of  Thousandacres.  Previously  to 
that  moment,  the  squatter,  whether  hurt  or  not,  had  sat  in 
moody  silence,  and  I  had  supposed  after  he  was  wounded 
that  he  was  unable  to  use  his  tongue.  To  my  surprise, 
however,  he  now  spoke  with  a  depth  and  strength  of  voice 
that  at  first  misled  me,  by  inducing  me  to  think  that  the 
injury  he  had  received  could  not  be  fatal. 

"  If  there  wasn't  no  chainbearers,"  growled  Thousand- 
acres,  "  there  wouldn't  .be  no  lines,  or  metes  and  bounds, 
as  they  call  'em  ;  and  where  there's  no  metes  and  bounds, 
there  can  be  no  right  of  possession.  If  'twasn't  for  your 
writin'  titles,  I  shouldn't  be  lyin'  here,  breathin'  my  last." 

"  Forgive  it  all,  my  man  ;  forgive  it  all,  as  behooves  a 
good  Christian,"  Prudence  returned,  to  this  characteristic 
glance  at  the  past,  in  which  the  squatter  had  so  clearly 
overlooked  all  his  own  delinquencies,  and  was  anxious  to 
impute  consequences  altogether  to  others.  "  It  is  the  law 
of  God  to  forgive  your  enemies,  Aaron,  and  I  want  you  to 
forgive  Chainbearer,  and  not  go  to  the  world  of  spirits 
with  gall  in  your  heart." 

"  'Twoult  pe  much  petter,   Prutence,  if  T'ousantacres 


THE  CHAINBEARER.  363 

woult  pray  to  Got  to  forgif  himself,"  put  in  Chainbearer. 
"  I  am  fery  willin',  ant  happy  to  haf  t'e  forgifness  of  efery 
man,  ant  it  ist  not  unlikely  t'at  I  may  haf  tone  somet'ing, 
or  sait  somet'ing  t'at  hast  peen  hart  to  t'e  feelin's  of  your 
huspant  ;  for  we.  are  rough,  and  plain-speakin',  and  plain- 
actin'  enough,  in  t'e  woots  ;  so  I'm  willin'  to  haf  even 
T'ousantacres'  forgifness,  I  say,  and  wilt  accept  it  wit' 
pleasure  if  he  wilt  offer  it,  and  take  mine  in  exchange." 

A  deep  groan  struggled  out  of  the  broad,  cavern-like 
chest  of  the  squatter.  I  took  it  as  an  admission  that  he 
was  the  murderer  of  Andries. 

"  Yes,"  resumed  Chainbearer — "  Dus  hast  mate  me 
see " 

"  Uncle  !  "  exclaimed  Ursula,  who  was  intently  listening, 
and  who  now  spoke  because  unable  to  restrain  the  im- 
pulse. 

"  Yes,  yes,  gal,  it  hast  peen  all  your  own  toin's.  Pefore 
ast  you  come  pack  from  school,  ast  we  come  into  t'e  woots, 
all  alone  like,  you  haf  nefer  forgotten  to  teach  an  olt,  for- 
getful man  his  tuty " 

"Oh!  uncle  Chainbearer,  it  is  not  I,  but  God  in  his 
mercy  who  has  enlightened  your  understanding  and 
touched  your  heart." 

"  Yes,  tarlin'  ;  yes,  Dus,  my  tear,  I  comprehent  t'at  too  ; 
but  Got  in  His  mercy  sent  an  angel  to  pe  his  minister  on 
'art'  wit'  a  poor  ignorant  Tutchman,  who  hast  not  t'e  1'arn- 
in'  ant  t'e  grace  he  might  ant  ought  to  have  hat,  wit'out 
your  ait,  and  so  hast  t'e  happy  change  come  apout.  No 
— no — T'ousantacres,  I  wilt  not  tespise  even  your  forgif- 
ness, little  as  you  may  haf  to  forgif  ;  for  it  lightens  a  man's 
heart  of  heafy  loats,  when  his  time  is  short,  to  know  he 
leafs  no  enemies  pehind  him.  T'ey  say  it  ist  pest  to  haf 
t'e  goot  wishes  of  a  tog,  ant  how  much  petter  ist  it  to  haf 
t'e  goot  wishes  of  one  who  hast  a  soul  t'at  only  wants  puri- 
fyin',  to  twell  in  t'e  Almighty's  presence  t'roughout  eter- 
nity !  " 

"  I  hope  and  believe,"  again  growled  Thousandacres, 
"  that  in  the  world  we're  goin'  to,  there'll  be  no  law,  and 
no  attorneys." 

"In  t'at,  t'en,  Aaron,  you  pe  greatly  mistaken.  T'at 
lant  is  all  law,  ant  justice,  ant  right  ;  t'ough.  Got  forgif 
me  if  I  do  any  man  an  injury  ;  put  to  pe  frank  wit'  you,  as 
pecomes  two  mortals  so  near  t'eir  ents,  I  do  not  pelief, 
myself,  t'at  t'ere  wilt  pe  a  great  many  attorneys  to  trouble 
t'em  t'at  are  receivet  into  t'e  courts  of  t'e  Almighty,  him- 


364  TH&  CHA 1NBEA  RER. 

self.  T'eir  practices  on  'arth  does  not  suit  t'em  for  practice 
in  heafen." 

"If  you'd  always  held  them  rational  notions,  Chain- 
bearer,  no  harm  might  have  come  to  you,  and  my' life  and 
your'ii  been  spared.  But  this  is  a  state  of  being  in  which 
short-sightedness  prevails  ag'in  the  best  calkerlations.  I 
never  felt  more  sure  of  gettin'  lumber  to  market  than  I 
felt  three  days  ago,  of-  gettin'  this  that's  in  the  creek,  safe 
to  Albany  ;  and  now,  you  see  how  it  is  !  the  b'ys  are  dis- 
parsed,  and  may  never  see  this  spot  again  ;  the  gals  are  in 
the  woods,  runnin'  with  the  deer  of  the  forest ;  the  lum- 
ber has  fallen  into  the  hands  of  the  law  ;  and  that,  too,  by 
the  aid  of  a  man  that  was  bound  in  honesty  to  protect  me, 
and  I'm  dyin'  here  !  " 

"Think  no  more  of  the  lumber,  my  man,  think  no  more 
of  the  lumber,"  said  Prudence,  earnestly  ;  "  time  is  desp'r- 
ate  short  at  the  best,  and  yours  is  shorter  than  common, 
even  for  a  man  of  seventy,  while  etarnity  has  no  eend. 
Forgit  the  boards,  and  forgit  the  b'ys,  and  forgit  the  gals, 
forgit  'arth  and  all  it  holds  — 

"  You  wouldn't  have  me  forgit  you,  Prudence,"  inter- 
rupted Thousandacres,  "  that's  been  my  wife,  now,  forty 
long  years,  and  whom  I  tuck  when  she  was  young  and 
comely,  and  that's  borne  me  so  many  children,  and  has  al- 
ways been  a  faithful  and  hard-working  woman — you 
wouldn't  have  me  forget  you!  " 

This  singular  appeal,  coming  as  it  did  from  such  a  be- 
ing, and  almost  in  his  agony,  sounded  strangely  and  sol- 
emnly, amid  the  wild  and  semi-savage  appliances  of  a 
scene  I  can  never  forget.  The  effect  on  Ursula  was  still 
more  apparent ;  she  left  the  bedside  of  her  uncle,  and 
with  strong  womanly  sympathy  manifested  in  her  counte- 
nance, approached  that  of  this  aged  couple,  now  about  to 
be  separated  for  a  short  time,  at  least,  where  she  stood  gaz- 
ing wistfully  at  the  very  man  who  was  probably  that  un- 
cle's murderer,  as  if  she  could  gladly  administer  to  his 
moral  ailings.  Even  Chainbearer  attempted  to  raise  his 
head,  and  looked  with  interest  toward  the  other  group. 
No  one  spoke,  however,  for  all  felt  that  the  solemn  recol- 
lections and  forebodings  of  a  pair  so  situated,  were  too  sa- 
cred for  interruption.  The  discourse  went  on,  without 
any  hiatus,  between  them. 

"  Not  I,  not  I,  Aaron,  my  man,"  answered  Prudence, 
with  strong  emotions  struggling  in  her  voice  ;  "  there  can 
be  no  law,  or  call  for  that.  We  are  one  flesh,  and  what 


THK  CffAlNBEARER.  365 

God  has  j'ined,  God  will.not  keep  asunder  long.  I  cannot 
tarry  long  behind  you,  my  man,  and  when  we  meet  to- 
gether ag'in,  I  hope  'twill  be  where  no  boards,  or  trees  or 
acres,  can  ever  make  more  trouble  for  us  !  " 

"  I've  been  hardly  treated  about  that  lumber,  a'ter  all/ 
muttered  the  squatter,  who  was  now  apparently  more 
aroused  to  consciousness  than  he  had  been,  and  who  could 
not  but  keep  harping  on  what  had  been  the  one  great  busi- 
ness of  his  life,  even  as  that  life  was  crumbling  beneath 
his  feet — "  hardly  dealt  by,  do  I  consider  myself,  about 
that  lumber,  Prudence.  Make  the  most  of  the  Littlepage 
rights,  it  was  only  trees  that  they  could  any  way  claim,  in 
reason  ;  while  the  b'ys  and  I,  as  you  well  know,  have  con- 
varted  them  trees  into  as  pretty  and  noble  a  lot  of  han'- 
some  boards  and  planks  as  man  ever  rafted  to  market ! " 

"It's  convarsion  of  another  natur'  that  you  want  now, 
Aaron,  my  man  ;  another  sort  of  convarsion  is  the  thing 
needful.  We  must  all  be  convarted  once  in  our  lives  ;  at 
least  all  such  as  be  the  children  of  Puritan  parents  and  a 
godly  ancestry  ;  audit  must  be  owned,  takin'  into  account 
our  years,  and  the  importance  of  example  in  such  a  family 
as  our'n,  that  you  and  I  have  put  it  off  long  enough.  Come 
it  must,  or  suthin'  worse  ;  and  time  and  etarnity,  in  your 
case,  Aaron,  is  pretty  much  the  same  thing." 

"  I  should  die  easier  in  mind,  Prudence,  if  Chainbearer 
would  only  admit  that  the  man  who  chops  and  hauls,  and 
saws  and  rafts  a  tree,  does  get  some  sort  of  a  right,  nat'ral 
or  legal,  to  the  lumber." 

"I'm  sorry,  T'ousantacres,"  put  in  Andries,  "  t'at  you 
feel  any  such  admission  from  me  necessary  to  you  at  t'is 
awful  moment,  since  I  nefer  can  make  it  ast  an  honest  man. 
You  hat  petter  listen  to  your  wife,  and  get  confarted  if  you 
can,  ant  as  soon  ast  you  can.  You  ant  I  haf  put  a  few 
hours  to  lif  ;  I  am  an  olt  soltier,  T'ousantacres,  ant  haf 
seen  more  t'an  t'ree  t'ousant  men  shot  town  in  my  own 
ranks,  to  say  nut'in'  of  t'e  ranks  of  t'e  enemy ;  ant  wit'  so 
much  exper'ence  a  man  comes  to  know  a  little  apout 
wounts  ant  t'eir  tarminations.  I  gif  it  ast  my  chugment,  • 
t'erefore,  t'at  neit'er  of  us  can  haf  t'e  smallest  hope  to  lif 
t'rough  t'e  next  night.  So  get  t'at  confarsion  as  hastily 
ant  ast  well  ast  you  can,  for  t'ere  ist  little  time  to  lose,  ant 
you  a  squatter  !  T'is  ist  t'e  moment  of  all  ot'ers,  T'ousant- 
acres, to  proofe  t'e  true  falue  of  professions,  and  trates, 
ant  callin's,  as  well  ast  of  t'e  manner  in  which  t'eir  tuties 
haf  peen  fulfilled  It  may  pe  more  honoraple  ant  more 


366  THE  CIIAINBEARER. 

profitaple  to  pe  a  calculating  surveyor,  ant  to  unterstant 
arit'metic,  and  to  pe  talket  of  in  t'e  worlt  for  work  tone  on 
a  large  scale  ;  put  efen  his  excellency  himself,  when  he 
comes  to  t'e  last  moments,  may  pe  glat  t'at  t'e  temptations 
of  such  larnin',  ant  his  pein  so  t'oroughly  an  honest  man, 
toes  not  make  him  enfy  t'e  state  of  a  poor  chainpearer  ; 
who,  if  he  titn't  know  much,  ant  coultn't  do  much,  at  least 
measuret  t'e  lant  wit'  fitelity,  and  tid  his  work  ast  well  ast 
he  knew  how.  Yes,  yes,  olt  Aaron  ;  get  confartet,  I  tell 
you  ;  ant  shoult  Prutence  not  know  enough  of  religion 
ant  her  piple,  ant  of  prayin'  to  Got  to  haf  marcy  on  your 
soul,  t'ere  ist  Dus  Malpone,  my  niece,  who  understants,  ant 
what  ist  far  petter,  who  feels  t'ese  matters,  quite  as  well  ast 
most  tominies,  ant  petter  t'an  some  lazy  ant  selfish  ones 
t'at  I  know,  who  treat  t'eir  flocks  as  if  t'e  Lort  meant  t'ey 
wast  to  pe  sheart  only,  ant  who  wast  too  lazy  to  do  much 
more  t'an  to  keep  cryin*  out — not  in  t'e  worts  of  t'e  in- 
spiret  writer — 'Watchman,  what  of  t'e  night  ? — watchman, 
what  of  t'e  night?' — put,  'My  pelovet,  and  most  Christian, 
ant  gotly-mintet  people,  pay,  pay,  pay!'  Yes,  t'ere  ist  too 
much  of  such  afarice  ant  selfishness  in  t'e  worlt,  and  it  toes 
harm  to  t'e  cause  of  t'e  Safiour ;  put  trut'  is  so  clear  ant 
peautiful  an  opject,  my  poor  Aaron,  t'at  efen  lies,  ant 
fice,  ant  all  manner  of  wicketnesses  cannot  long  sully  it. 
Take  my  atvice,  ant  talk  to  Dus  ;  ant  t'ough  you  wilt 
touptless  continue  to  grow  worse  in  poty,  you  wilt  grow 
petter  in  spirit." 

Thousandacres  turned  his  grim  visage  round,  and  gazed 
intently  and  wistfully  toward  Ursula.  I  saw  the  struggle 
that  was  going  on  within,  through  the  clear  mirror  of  the 
sweet,  ingenuous  face  of  my  beloved,  and  I  saw  the  pro- 
priety of  retiring.  Frank  Malbone  understood  my  look, 
and  we  left  the  house  together,  closing  the  door  behin^  us. 

Two,  to  me,  long  and  anxious  hours  succeeded,  during 
most  of  which  time  my  companion  and  myself  walked 
about  the  clearing,  questioning  the  men  who  composed 
the  posse,  and  hearing  their  reports.  These  men  were  in 
earnest  in  what  they  were  doing  ;  for  a  respect  for  law  is 
a  distinguishing  trait  in  the  American  character,  and  per- 
haps more  so  in  New  England,  whence  most  of  these 
people  came,  than  in  any  other  part  of  the  country,  the 
rascality  of  'Squire  Newcome  to  the  contrary,  notwith- 
standing. Some  observers  pretend  that  this  respect  for 
law  is  gradually  decreasing  among  us,  and  that  in  its  place, 
is  sensibly  growing  UP  a  disposition  to  substitute  the 


THE  CHAIXBEARER.  367 

opinions,  wishes,  and  interests  of  local  majorities,  making 
the  country  subject  to  men  instead  of  principles.  The  last 
are  eternal  and  immutable  ;  and  coming  of  God,  men, 
however  unanimous  in  sentiment,  have  no  more  right  to 
attempt  to  change  them,  than  to  blaspheme  his  holy  name. 
All  that  the  most  exalted  and  largest  political  liberty  can 
ever  beneficially  effect  is  to  apply  these  principles  to  the 
good  of  the  human  race,  in  the  management  of  their  daily 
affairs  ;  but  when  they  attempt  to  substitute  for  these  pure 
and  just  rules  of  right,  laws  conceived  in  selfishness  and 
executed  by  the  power  of  numbers,  they  merely  exhibit 
tyranny  in  its  popular  form,  instead  of  in  its  old  aspect  of 
kingly  or  aristocratic  abuses.  It  is  a  fatal  mistake  to  fancy 
that  freedom  is  gained  by  the  mere  achievement  of  a  right 
in  the  people  to  govern,  unless  the  manner  in  which  that 
right  is  to  be  both  understood  and  practised,  is  closely  in- 
corporated with  all  the  popular  notions  of  what  has  been 
obtained.  That  right  to  govern  means  no  more  than  the 
right  of  the  people  to  avail  themselves  of  the  power  thus 
acquired,  to  apply  the  great  principles  of  justice  to  their 
own  benefit,  and  from  the  possession  of  which  they  had 
hitherto  been  excluded.  It  confers  no  power  to  do  that 
which  is  inherently  wrong,  under  any  pretence  whatever  ; 
or  would  anything  have  been  gained,  had  America,  as 
soon  as  she  relieved  herself  from  a  sway  that  diverted  so 
many  of  her  energies  to  the  increase  of  the  wealth  and 
influence  of  a  distant  people,  gone  to  work  to  frame  a  new 
polity  which  should  inflict  similar  wrongs  within  her  own 
bosom. 

My  old  acquaintance,  the  hearty  Rhode  Islander,  was 
one  of  the  posse,  and  I  had  a  short  conversation  with  him, 
while  thus  kept  out  of  the  house,  which  may  serve  to  let 
the  reader  somewhat  into  the  secret  of  the  state  of  things 
at  the  clearing.  We  met  near  the  mill,  when  my  acquaint- 
ance, whose  name  was  Hosmer,  commenced  as  follows  : 

"A  good  day  to  you,  major,  and  a  hearty  welcome  to  the 
open  air  ! "  cried  the  sturdy  yeoman,  frankly  but  respect- 
fully, offering  his  hand.  "  You  fell  into  a  pit  here,  or  into 
a  den  among  thieves  ;  and  it's  downright  providential  you 
e'er  saw  and  breathed  the  clear  air  ag'in  !  Wa-a-1,  I've 
been  trailin'  a  little  this  mornin'  along  with  the  Injin  ;  and 
no  hound  has  a  more  sartain  scent  than  he  has.  We  went 
into  the  hollow  along  the  creek ;  and  a  desp'rate  sight  of 
boards  them  varmints  have  got  into  the  water,  I  can  tell 
you!  If  the  lot's  worth  forty  pounds  York,  it  must  be 


368  THE  CHAINBEARER. 

worth  every  shilling  of  five  hundred.  They'd  'a'  made 
their  fortin's,  every  blackguard  among  'em.  I  don't  know 
but  I'd  fit  myself  to  save  so  many  boards,  and  sich  beauti- 
ful boards,  whether  wrongfully  or  rightfully  lumbered  !  " 

Here  the  hearty  old  fellow  stopped  to  laugh,  which  he 
did  exactly  in  the  full-mouthed,  contented  way  in  which 
he  spoke  and  did  everything  else.  I  profited  by  the  occa- 
sion to  put  in  a  word  in  reply. 

"You  are  too  honest  a  man,  major,  to  think  of  ever 
making  your  boards  out  of  another  man's  trees,"  I  an- 
swered. "These  people  have  lived  by  dishonest  practices 
all  their  lives,  and  any  one  can  see  what  it  has  come  to." 

"Yes,  I  hope  I  am,  'Squire  Littlepage — I  do  hope  I  am. 
Hard  work  and  I  an't  nohow  afeard  of  each  other  ;  and  so 
long  as  a  man  can  work,  and  will  work,  Satan  don't  get  a 
full  grip  on  him.  But,  as  I  was  sayin',  the  Trackless  struck 
the  trail  down  the  creek,  though  it  was  along  a  somewhat 
beaten  path  ;  but  the  Injin  would  make  no  more  of  findin' 
it  in  a  highway,  than  you  and  I  would  of  findin'  our  places  in 
the  Bible  on  Sabba'day,  where  we  had  left  off  the  Sabba'day 
that  was  gone.  I  always  mark  mine  with  a  string  the  old 
woman  braided  for  me  on  purpose,  and  a  right-down  good 
method  it  is  ;  for,  while  you're  s'archin'  for  your  specs  with 
one  hand,  nothin'  is  easier  than  to  open  the  Bible  with 
t'other.  Them's  handy  things  to  have,  major  ;  and,  when 
you  marry  some  great  lady  down  at  York,  sich  a  one  as 
your  own  mother  was,  for  I  know'd  her  and  honored  her,  as 
we  all  did  hereaway — but,  when  you  get  married  ask  your 
wife  to  braid  a  string  for  you,  to  find  the  place  in  the 
Bible  with,  and  all  will  go  right,  take  an  old  man's  word 
for  it." 

"  I  thank  you,  friend,  and  will  remember  the  advice, 
even  though  I  might  happen  to  marry  a  lady  in  this  part 
of  the  world,  and  not  down  in  York." 

"  This  part  of  the  world  ?  No,  we've  got  nobody  our 
way,  that's  good  enough  for  you.  Let  me  see  ;  Newcome 
has  a  da'ghter  that's  old  enough,  but  she's  desp'rate  humbly 
(Anglice,  homely — the  people  of  New  England  reserve 
'ugly'  for  moral  qualities)  and  wouldn't  suit,  no  how.  I 
don't  think  the  Littlepages  would  overmuch  like  being 
warp  and  fillin'  with  the  Newcomes." 

"  No  !  My  father  was  an  old  friend — or,  an  old  acquaint- 
ance at  least,  of  Mr.  Newcome's,  and  must  know  and  ap- 
preciate his  merits." 

"Yes — yes — I'll   warrant    ye    the    gin'ral    knows   him. 


THE  CHAINBEARER.  369 

Wa-a-1  -'  Human  natur'  is  human  natur'  ;  and  I  do  s'pose, 
if  truth  must  be  spoken,  none  on  us  be  half  as  good  as  we 
ought  to  be.  We  read  about  faithful  stewards  in  the  good 
book,  and  about  onfaithful  ones  too,  squire  " — here  the  old 
yeoman  stopped  to  indulge  in  one  of  his  hearty  laughs, 
rendering  it  manifest  he  felt  the  full  application  of  his 
words.  "  Wa-a-1,  all  must  allow  the  Bible's  a  good  book. 
I  never  open  it,  without  1'arnin'  suthin',  and  what  I  Tarn,  I 
strive  not  to  forgit.  But  there's  a  messenger  for  you, 
major,  from  Thousandacres'  hut,  and  I  fancy  it  will  turn 
out  that  he  or  Chainbearer  is  drawing  near  his  eend." 

Lowiny  was  coming  to  summon  us  to  the  house,  sure 
enough,  and  I  took  my  leave  of  rny  brother  major  for  the 
moment.  It  was  plain  to  me  that  this  honest-minded  yeo- 
man, a  good  specimen  of  his  class,  saw  through  Newcome 
and  his  tricks,  and  was  not  unwilling  to  advert  to  them. 
Nevertheless,  this  man  had  a  fault,  and  one  very  charac- 
teristic of  his  "order"  He  could  not  speak  directly,  but 
would  hint  round  a  subject,  instead  of  coming  out  at  once, 
and  telling  what  he  had  to  say  ;  beating  the  bush  to  start 
his  game,  when  he  might  have  put  it  up  at  once,  by  going 
in  at  it  directly.  Before  we  parted,  he  gave  me  to  under- 
stand that  Susquesus  and  my  fellow,  Jaap,  had  gone  on  in 
pursuit  of  the  retreating  squatters,  intending  to  follow 
their  trail  several  miles,  in  order  to  make  sure  that  Tobit 
and  his  gang  were  not  hanging  around  the  clearing  to 
watch  their  property,  ready  to  strike  a  blow  when  it  might 
be  least  expected. 

Dus  met  me  at  the  door  of  the  cabin,  tearful  and  sad, 
but  with  such  a  holy  calm  reigning  in  her  generally  bril- 
liant countenance,  as  denoted  the  nature  of  the  solemn 
business  in  which  she  had  just  been  engaged.  She  extended 
both  hands  to  meet  mine,  and  whispered,  u  Uncle  Chain- 
bearer  is  anxious  to  speak  to  us — on  the  subject  of  our  en- 
gagement, I  think  it  is."  A  tremor  passed  through  the 
frame  of  Ursula,  but  she  made  an  effort,  smiled  sadly,  and 
continued  :  "  Hear  him  patiently,  dear  Mordaunt,  and  re- 
member that  he  is  my  father,  in  one  sense,  and  as  fully 
entitled  to  my  obedience  and  respect  as  if  I  were  really  his 
daughter." 

As  I  entered  the  room,  I  could  see  that  Dus  had  been  at 
prayer.  Prudence  looked  comforted,  but  Thousandacres 
himself  had  a  wild  and  uncertain  expression  of  counte- 
nancex  as  if  doubts  had  begun  to  beset  him,  at  the  very 
moment  when  they  must  have  been  the  most  tormenting. 

24 


370  THE  CHAIXB  RARER. 

I  observed  that  his  anxious  eye  followed  the  form  of  Dus, 
and  that  he  gazed  on  her  as  one  would  be  apt  to  regard 
the  being  who  had  just  been  the  instrument  of  awakening 
within  him  the  consciousness  of  his  critical  state.  But  my 
attention  was  soon  drawn  to  the  other  bed. 

"  Come  near  me,  Mortaunt,  lat  ;  and  come  hit'er,  Dus, 
my  tearest  ta'ghter  ant  niece.  I  haf  a  few  worts  of  im- 
portance to  say  to  you  pefore  I  go,  ant  if  t'ey  pe  not  sait 
now,  t'ey  nefer  may  pe  sait  at  all.  It's  always  pest  to  '  take 
time  py  t'e  forelock,'  t'ey  say  ;  ant  surely  I  cannot  pe 
callet  in  haste  to  speak,  when  not  only  one  foot,  put  pot' 
feet  and  half  my  poty  in  t'e  pargain,  may  well  pe  sait  to 
pe  in  t'e  grafe.  Now  listen  to  an  olt  man's  atfice,  ant  do 
not  stop  my  worts  until  all  haf  peen  spoken,  for  I  grow 
weak  fast,  ant  haf  not  strength  enough  to  t'row  away  any 
of  it  in  argument. 

"  Mortaunt  hast  sait  ast  much,  in  my  hearin'  ast  to  atmit 
t'at  he  lofes  ant  atmires  my  gal,  ant  t'at  he  wishes,  ant 
hopes,  ant  expects  to  make  her  his  wife.  On  t'e  ot'er 
hant,  Ursula,  or  Dus,  my  niece,  confesses  ant  acknowledges 
t'at  she  lofes,  ant  esteems,  ant  hast  a  strong  regart  for 
Mortaunt,  ant  ist  willin'  to  pecome  his  wife.  All  t'is  is 
nat'ral,  ant  t'ere  wast  a  time  when  it  woult  haf  mate  me  ast 
happy  ast  t'e  tay  ist  long  to  hear  as  much  sait  py  t'e  one  or 
t'e  ot'er  of  t'e  parties.  You  know,  my  chiltren,  t'at  my 
affection  for  you  is  equal,  ant  t'at  I  consiter  you,  in  all  re- 
spects put  t'at  of  worltly  contition,  to  pe  as  well  suitet  to 
pecome  man  ant  wife  ast  any  young  couple  in  America. 
Put  tuty  is  tuty,  ant  it  must  pe  tischarget  General  Little- 
page  wast  my  olt  colonel ;  ant  an  honest  ant  an  honor- 
aple  man  himself,  he  hast  efery  right  to  expect  t'at  efery 
one  of  his  former  captains,  in  partic'lar,  woult  do  unto  him 
as  t'ey  woult  haf  him  do  unto  t'em.  Now,  t'ough  heafen 
ist  heafen,  t'is  worlt  must  pe  regartet  as  t'is  worlt,  ant  t'e 
rules  for  its  gofernment  are  to  pe  respectet  in  t'eir  place. 
T'e  Malpones  pe  a  respectaple  family,  I  know  ;  ant  t'ough 
Dus's  own  fat'er  wast  a  little  wilt,  ant  t'oughtless,  ant  ex- 
trafagant — 

u  Uncle  Chainbearer!  " 

"  True,  gal,  true  ;  he  wast  your  fat'er,  ant  t'e  chilt  shoult 
respect  its  parent.  I  atmit  t'at,  ant  wilt  say  no  more  t'an 
ist  apsolutely  necessary  ;  pesites,  if  Malpone  hat  his  pat 
qualities,  he  hat  his  goot.  A  hantsomer  man  coult  not  pe 
fount,  far  ant  near,  ast  my  poor  sister  felt,  I  dares  to  say  ; 
ant  he  wast  prave  as  a  pull-dog,  ant  generous,  ant  goot- 


THE  CHAI  ^BEARER.  371 

naturet,  ant  many  persons  was  quite  captivated  py  all  t'ese 
showy  atfantages,  ant  t'ought  him  petter  ast  he  really  wast. 
Yes,  yes,  Dus,  my  chilt,  he  hat  his  goot  qualities,  as  well 
as  his  pat.  Put,Ve  Malpones  pe  gentlemen,  as  ist  seen  py 
Frank,  Bus's  prother,  ant  py  ot'er  mempers  .of  t'e  family. 
Ten  my  mot'er's  family,  py  which  I  am  relatet  to  Dus, 
wast  very  goot — eve,n  petter  t'an  t'e  Coejemans — ant  t'e  gal 
is  a  gentlewoman  py  pirt'.  No  one  can  deny  t'at  ;  put 
ploot  won't  do  eferyt'ing.  Chiltren  must  pe  fet,  and 
clot'et  ;  ant  money  ist  necessary,  a'ter  all,  for  t'e  harmony 
ant  comfort  of  families.  I  know  Matam  Littlepage,  in 
partic'lar.  She  ist  a  da'ter  of  olt  Harman  Mortaunt,  who 
wast  a  grant  gentleman  in  t'e  lant,  ant  t'e  owner  of  Ravens- 
nest,  ast  well  ast  of  ot'er  estates,  and  who  kept  t'e  highest 
company  in  t'e  profince.  Now  Matam  Littlepage,  who 
hast  peen  t'us  born,  ant  etucatet,  ant  associate!,  may  not 
like  t'e  itee  of  harm'  Dus  Malpone,  a  chainpearer's  niece, 
ant  a  gal  t'at  hast  peen  chainpearer  herself,  for  which  I 
honor"  ant  lofe  her  so  much  t'e  more,  Mortaunt,  lat  ;  put 
for  which  an  ill-chutgin'  worlt  wilt  despise  her — 

"  My  mother — my  noble-hearted,  right-judging  and  right- 
feeling  mother — never  !  "  I  exclaimed,  in  a  burst  of  feeling 
I  found  it  impossible  to  control. 

My  words,  manner  and  earnestness  produced  a  profound 
impression  on  my  auditors.  A  gleam  of  pained  delight 
shot  into  and  out  of  the  countenance  of  Ursula,  like  the 
passage  of  the  electric  spark.  Chainbearer  gazed  on  me 
intently,  and  it  was  easy  to  trace,  in  the  expression  of  his 
face,  the  deep  interest  he  felt  in  my  \vords,  and  the  im- 
portance he  attached  to  them.  As  for  Frank  Malbone,  he 
fairly  turned  away  to  conceal  the  tears  that  forced  them- 
selves from  his  eyes. 

"  If  I  coult  t'ink  ast  much — if  I  coult  hope  ast  much, 
Mortaunt,"  resumed  Chainbearer,  "  it  woult  pe  a  plesset 
relief  to  my  partin'  spirit,  for  I  know  General  Littlepage 
well  enough  to  pe  sartain  t'at  he  ist  a  just  ant  right-mintet 
man,  ant  t'at,  in  t'e  long  run,  he  woult  see  matters  ast  he 
ought  to  see  t'em.  Wit'  Matam  Littlepage  I  fearet  it  was 
tifferent  ;  for  I  haf  always  hearet  t'at  t'e  Mortaunts  was 
tifferent  people,  ant  felt  ast  torjpin'  people  conrmonly  do 
feel.  T'is  makes  some  change  in  my  itees,  ant  some 
change  in  my  plans.  Howsefer,  my  young  frients,  I  haf 
now  to  ask  of  you  each  a  promise— a  solemn  promise  mate 
to  a  tyin'  man — ant  it  ist  t'is — 

"  First   hear  me,   Chainbearer,"    I    interposed  eagerly, 


372  THE  CHAINBEARER. 

"before  you  involve  Ursula  heedlessly,  and  I  had  almost 
said  cruelly,  in  any  incautious  promise,  that  may  make 
both  our  lives  miserable  hereafter.  You  yourself  first  in- 
vited, tempted,  courted  me  to  love  her  ;  and  now,  when  I 
know  and  confess  her  worth,  you  throw  ice  on  my  flame, 
and  command  me  to  do  that  of  which  it  is  too  late  to 
think." 

"  I  own  it,  I  own  it,  lat,  ant  hope  t'e  Lort,  in  his  great 
marcy,  wilt  forgif  ant  parton  t'e  great  mistake  I  mate. 
We  haf  talket  of  t'is  pefore,  Mortaunt,  ant  you  may  re- 
memper  I  tolt  you  it  was  Dus  herself  who  first  mate  me 
see  t'e  trut'  in  t'e  matter,  ant  how  much  petter  ant  more 
pecomin'  it  wast  in  me  to  holt  you  pack,  t'an  to  encour- 
age ant  leat  you  on.  How  comes  it,  my  tear  gal,  t'at  you 
haf  forgot  all  t'is,  ant  now  seem  to  wish  me  to  do  t'e  fery 
t'ing  you  atviset  me~not  to  do  ? " 

Ursula's  face  became  pale  as  death  ;  then  it  flashed  to 
the  brightness  of  a  summer  sunset,  and  she  sank  on  her 
knees,  concealing  her  countenance  in  the  coarse  quilt  of 
the  bed,  as  her  truthful  and  ingenuous  nature  poured  out 
her  answer. 

"Uncle  Chainbearer,"  she  said,  "when  we  first  talked 
on  this  subject  I  had  never  seen  Mordaunt." 

I  knelt  at  the  side  of  Ursula,  folded  her  to  my  bosom, 
and  endeavored  to  express  the  profound  sentiment  of 
gratitude  that  I  felt  at  hearing  this  ingenuous  explana- 
tion, by  such  caresses  as  nature  and  feeling  dictated. 
Dus,  however,  gently  extricated  herself  from  my  arms, 
and  rising,  we  both  stood  waiting  the  effect  of  what  had 
just  been  seen  and  heard  on  Chainbearer. 

"  I  see  t'at  natur'  is  stronger  t'an  reason,  ant  opinion, 
ant  custom,"  the  old  man  resumed,  after  a  long,  medita- 
tive pause — "  I  haf  put  little  time  to  s'pent  in  t'is  matter, 
howsefer,  my  chiltren,  ant  must  pring  it  to  a  close.  Prom- 
ise me,  pot'  of  you,  t'at  you  will  nefer  marry  wit'out  t'e 
free  consent  of  General  Littlepage,  ant  t'at  of  olt  Matam 
Littlepage,  ant  young  Matam  Littlepage,  each  or  all  pein' 
lifin'." 

"  I  do  promise  you,  uncle  Chainbearer,"  said  Dus,  with 
a  promptitude  that  I  could  hardly  pardon — "  I  do  promise 
you,  and  will  keep  my  promise,  as  I  love  you  and  fear  and 
honor  my  Maker.  'Twould  be  misery  tc  me  to  enter  a 
family  that  was  not  walling  to  receive  me — 

"  Ursula  ! — dearest — dearest  Ursula — do  you  reflect f 
Am  I,  then,  nothing  in  your  eyes?" 


THE  CHATNB&ARMX.  373 

"  It  would  also  be  misery  to  live  without  you,  Mordaunt 
— but  in  one  case  I  should  be  supported  by*  a  sense  of 
having  discharged  my  duty ;  while  in  the  other,  all  that 
went  wrong  would  appear  a  punishment  for  my  own 
errors." 

I  would  not  promise  ;  for,  to  own  the  truth,  while  I 
never  distrusted  my  father  or  mother  for  a  single  instant, 
I  did  distrust  my  dear  and  venerable  grandmother.  I 
knew  that  she  had  not  only  set  her  heart  on  my  marrying: 
Priscilia  Bayard  ;  but  that  she  had  a  passion  for  making 
matches  in  her  own  family  ;  and  I  feared  that  she  might 
have  some  of  the  tenacity  of  old  age  in  maintaining  her 
opinions.  Dus  endeavored  to  prevail  on  me  to  promise  ; 
but  I  evaded  the  pledge  ;  and  all  solicitations  were  aban- 
doned in  consequence  of  a  remark  that  was  soon  after 
made  by  Chainbearer. 

"Nefer  mint — nefer  mint,  darlint  \your  promise  is  enough. 
So  long  as  you  pe  true,  what  matters  it  w'et'er  Mortaunt  is 
heatstrong  or  not  ?  Ant  now,  children,  ast  I  wish  to  talk 
no  more  of  t'e  matters  of  t'is  worlt,  put  to  gif  all  my  meti- 
tations  ant  language  to  t'e  t'ings  of  Got,  I  wilt  utter  my 
partin'  worts  to  you.  W'et'er  you  marry  or  not,  I  pray 
Almighty  Got  to  gif  you  his  pest  plessin's  in  t'is  life,  ant  in 
t'at  which  ist  to  come.  Lif  in  sich  a  way,  my  tear  chiltren, 
as  to  pe  aple  to  meet  t'is  awful  moment,  in  which  you  see 
me  placed,  wit'  hope  ant  joy,  so  t'at  we  may  all  meet  here- 
after in  t'e  courts  of  Heafen.  Amen." 

A  short,  solemn  pause  succeeded  this  benediction,  when 
it  was  interrupted  by  a  fearful  groan,  that  struggled  out  of 
the  broad  chest  of  Thousandacres.  All  eyes  were  turned 
on  the  other  bed,  which  presented  a  most  impressive  con- 
trast to  the  calm  scene  that  surrounded  the  parting  soul  of 
him  about  whom  we  had  been  gathered.  I  alone  advanced 
to  the  assistance  of  Prudence,  who,  woman-like,  clung  to 
her  husband  to  the  last ;  "bone  of  his  bone,  and  flesh  of 
his  flesh."  I  must  own,  however,  that  horror  paralyzed  my 
limbs  ;  and  that  when  I  got  as  far  as  the  foot  of  the  squat- 
ter's bed,  I  stood  riveted  to  the  place  like  a  rooted  tree. 

Thousandacres  had  been  raised,  by  means  of  quilts,  until 
half  his  body  lay  almost  in  a  sitting  position  ;  a  change  he 
had  ordered  during  the  previous  scene.  His  eyes  were 
open  ;  ghastly,  wandering,  hopeless.  As  the  -lips  con- 
tracted with  the  convulsive  twitchings  of  death,  they  gave 
to  his  grim  visage  a  species  of  sardonic  grin  that  rendered  it 
doubly  terrific.  At  this  moment  a  sullen  calm  came  over  the 


374  THE  CHAINBEARER. 

countenance,  and  all  was  still.  I  knew  that  the  last  breath 
remained  to  be  drawn,  and  waited  for  it  as  the  charmed 
bird  gazes  at  the  basilisk-eye  of  the  snake.  It  came,  draw- 
ing aside  the  lips  so  as  to  show  every  tooth,  and  not  one 
was  missing  in  that  iron  frame  ;  when,  finding  the  sight  too 
frightful  for  even  my  nerves,  I  veiled  my  eyes.  When  my 
hand  was  removed,  I  caught  one  glimpse  of  that  dark 
tenement  in  which  the  spirit  of  the  murderer  and  squatter 
had  so  long  dwelt,  Prudence  being  in  the  act  of  closing  the 
glary,  but  still  fiery  eyes.  I  never  before  had  looked  upon 
so  revolting  a  corpse,  and  never  wish  to  see  its  equal  again. 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 

"  Mild  as  a  babe  reclines  himself  to  rest, 
And  smiling  sleeps  upon  the  mother's  breast — 
Tranquil,  and  with  a  patriarch's  hope,  he  gave 
His  soul  to  heaven,  his  body  to  the  grave." — HARTE. 

I  SAW  that  neither  Chainbearer  nor  Dus  looked  at  the 
revolting  object  presented  in  the  corpse  of  Thousandacres, 
after  that  selfish  and  self-willed  being  ceased  to  live.  I  had 
another  hut  prepared  immediately  for  its  reception,  and 
the  body  was  removed  to  it  without  delay.  Thither  Pru- 
dence accompanied  the  senseless  body  ;  and  there  .she 
passed  the  remainder  of  the  day,  and  the  whole  of  the  suc- 
ceeding night,  attended  by  Lowiny — with  occasional  offers 
of  food  and  assistance  from  the  men  of  the  posse.  Two  or 
three  of  the  latter,  carpenters  by  trade,  made  a  coffin  of 
pine,  and  the  body  was  placed  in  it  in  the  customary  man- 
ner. Others  dug  a  grave  in  the  centre  of  one  of  those 
rough  fields  that  the  squatter  had  appropriated  to  his  own 
uses,  thus  making  everything  ready  for  the  interment,  as 
soon  as  the  coroner,  who  had  been  sent  for,  should  have 
had  his  sitting  over  the  body. 

The  removal  of  the  remains  of  Thousandacres  left  a  sort 
of  holy  cairn  in  the  cabin  of  Chainbearer.  My  old  friend 
was  fast  sinking  ;  and  he  said  but  little.  His  conscious- 
ness continued  to  the  last,  and  Dus  was  often  at  prayer 
with  him  in  the  course  of  that  day.  Frank  and  I  aided  in 
doing  the  duty  of  nurses  ;  and  we  prevailed  on  Ursula  to 
retire  to  the  loft,  and  catch  some  rest,  after  her  unwearying 
watchfulness.  It  was  near  sunset  that  old  Andries  again 


THE  CHAINBEARER.  375 

addressed  himself  particularly  to  me,  who  was  sitting  at 
his  side,  Dus  being  then  asleep. 

"  I  shalt  lif  till  mornin',  I  now  fint,  Mortaunt,"  he  said  ; 
"  put,  let  deat'  come  when  it  wilt,  it  ist  sent  py  my  Lort 
and  Maker,  ant  it  'ist  welcome.  Deat'  hast  no  fears  for 
me." 

"  He  never  had,  Captain  Coejemans,  as  the  history  of 
your  whole  career  in  the  army 'shows." 

"Yes,  lat,  t'ere  wast  a  time  when  I  shoult  haf  peen  glat 
to  haf  peen  shot  on  t'e  fielt,  ant  to  haf  diet  with  Montgom- 
ery, ant  Laurens,  ant  Wooster,  ant  Warren,  and  sichlike 
gallant  heroes  ;  put  t'at  ist  all  gone,  now.  I'm  like  a  man 
t'at  hast  peen  walkin'  over  a  wite  plain,  ant  who  hast  come 
to  its  tarmination,  where  he  sees  pefore  him  an  entless 
apyss  into  which  he  must  next  step.  At  sich  a  sight,  lat, 
all  t'e  trouples,  ant  lapors,  ant  tifficulties  of  t'e  plain  seem 
so  triflin1,  t'at  t'ey  pe  forgotten.  Mint,  I  do  not  wish  to 
say  t'at  eternity  is  an  apyss  to  me  in  fears,  ant  pains,  ant 
tespair ;  for  t'e  gootness  of  Got  hast  enlightenet  my  mint 
on  t'at  supject,  ant  hope,  ant  love,  ant  longin'  for  t'e  pres- 
ence of  my  Maker,  stant  in  t'eir  places.  Mortaunt,  my  lat, 
pefore  I  quit  you,  I  coult  wish  to  say  a  coqple  of  worts  to 
you  on  t'is  sacret  supject,  if  'twill  gif  no  offence  ? " 

"  Say  all,  and  what  you  please,  dear  Chainbearer.  We 
are  friends  of  the  camp  and  the  field,  and  the  advice  of  no 
one  could  be  more  welcome  to  me  than  yours,  given  at  a 
moment  as  solemn  and  truthful  as  this." 

"  T'ank  ye,  Mortaunt ;  t'ank  ye  wit'  all  my  heart.  You 
know  how  it  hast  peen  wit'  me,  since  poyhoot ;  for  often 
ant  often  you  ant  I  haf  talket  over  t'ese  t'ings  in  camp.  I 
wast  t'rown  young  upon  t'e  worlt,  and  wast  left  wit'out 
fat'er,  or  mot'er,  to  pring  myself  up.  An  only  chilt  of  my 
own  fat'er,  for  Dus  comes  from  a  half-sister,  you  know, 
t'ere  wast  no  one  to  care  for  me  in  partic'lar,  and  I  growet 
up  in  great  ignorance  of  t'e  Lort  of  Hosts,  ant  my  tuties 
to  him,  and  to  his  plesset  son,  more  ast  anyt'ingelse.  Well, 
Mortaunt,  you  know  how  it  ist  in  t'e  woots,  ant  in  t'e  army. 
A  man  neet  not  pe  fery  pat,  to  pe  far  from  pein'  as  goot  as 
ist  expectet  of  him  by  t'e  Almighty,  who  gafe  him  his  soul, 
ant  who  reteemet  him  from  his  sins,  and  who  holts  out 
taily  t'e  means  of  grace.  WhenJ  come  here,  wit'  Dus,  a 
chilt  knewest  almost  as  much  of  t'e  real  natur'  of  religion 
ast  I  knewest.  Put,  t'at  precious  gal,  t'rough  Divine 
grace,  hast  been  t'e  means  of  pringin'  an  olt  ant  ignorant 
man  to  a  sense  of  his  true  contition,  ant  to  petter  hapits, 


376  THE  CHA1NBEARER. 

t'an  t'ose  you  knowest  in  him.  Once  I  lovet  a  frolic, 
Mortaunt,  and  punch  ant  ot'er  savory  liquors  wast  fery 
pleasant  to  me  ;  ay,  ant  even  a'ter  years  might  and  shoult 
haf  teachet  me  t'e  folly  of  sich  ways.  Put  you  haf  not  seen 
t'e  glass  at  my  lips  t'is  summer,  lat,  at  unseemly  moments, 
or  in  unseemly  numpers  of  times,  ant  t'at  ist  owin'  to  the 
confersations  I  haf  hat  wit'  Dus  on  t'e  supject.  It  woult 
haf  tone  your  heart  goot,  Mortaunt,  to  haf  seen  t'e  tear  gal 
seated  on  my  knee,  combin'  my  olt  gray  hairs  wit'  her  teli- 
cate  white  fingers,  ant  playin'  with  my  hart,  ret  cheeks,  ast 
t'e  infant  plays  wit'  t'e  cheeks  of  t'e  mot'er,  whilst  she 
talket  to  me  of  t'e  history  of  Christ,  ant  his  sufferin's  for 
us  all — ant  tolt  me  t'e  way  to  learn  to  know  my  Safiour  in 
trut'  ant  sincerity  !  You  t'ink  Dus  hantsome  ;  ant  pleas- 
ant to  look  upon  ;  ant  pleasant  to  talk  wit' — put  you  can 
nefer  know  t'e  gal  in  her  colors  of  golt,  Mortaunt,  till  she 
pegins  to  converse  wit'  you,  unreservetly,  apout  Got  ant 
retemption  ! " 

"  I  can  believe  anything  in. favor  of  Ursula  Malbone,  my 
dear  Chainbearer  ;  and  no  music  could  be  sweeter,  to  my 
ears,  than  thus  to  hear  you  pronouncing  her  praise." 

The  death  of  Chainbearer  occurred,  as  he  had  himself 
prognosticated,  about  the  time  of  the  return  of  light  on  the 
succeeding  morning.  A  more  tranquil  end  I  never  wit- 
nessed. He  ceased  to  suffer  pain  hours  before  he  drew 
his  last  breath  ;  but  he  had  whispered  to  me,  in  the  course 
of  that  day,  that  he  endured  agony  at  moments.  He  wished 
me  to  conceal  the  fact  .from  Dus,  however,  lest  it  should 
increase  her  grief.  "So  long  ast  t'e  tear  gal  ist  in  igno- 
rance of  my  sufferin's,"  the  excellent  old  man  added  in  his 
whisper,  "  she  cannot  feel  so  much  for  me  ;  since  she  must 
have  confidence  in  t'e  value  of  her  own  goot  work,  ant 
s'pose  me  to  pe  only  trawin'  nearer  to  happiness.  Put, 
you  ant  I  know,  Mortaunt,  t'at  men  are  not  often  shot 
t'rough  t'e  poty  wit'out  fee-lin'  much  pain  ;  ant  I  haf  hat 
my  share — yes,  I  haf  hat  my  share  ! "  Nevertheless,  it 
would  have  been  difficult  for  one  who  was  not  in  the  se- 
cret to  detect  the  smallest  sign  that  the  sufferer  endured  a 
tithe  of  the  agony  he  actually  underwent.  Ursula  was  de- 
ceived ;  and  to  this  hour  she  is  ignorant  how  much  her 
uncle  endured.  But,  as  I  have  said,  this  pain  ceased  alto- 
gether about  nine  o'clock,  and  Andries  even  slumbered  for 
many  minutes  at  a  time.  Not  long  before  the  light  returned, 
however,  he  became  aroused,  and  never  slumbered  again 
until  he  fell  into  the  long,  last  sleep  of  death.  His  niece 


THE  CHAINBEARER.  $ft 

prayed  with  him  about  five  ;  after  which  he  seemed  to  con- 
sider himself  as  ready  for  the  final  march. 

It  might  have  been  owing  to  the  age  of  the  patient*,  but 
in  this  instance  death  announced  his  near  approach  by  a 
rapid  loss  of  the  senses.  At  first  came  a  difficulty  of  hear- 
ing ;  and  then  the  quick  decay  of  the  sense  of  sight.  The 
first  was  made  known  to  us  by  a  repetition  of  questions 
that  had  already  been  more  than  once  answered  ;  while 
the  painful  fact  that  sight,  if  not  absolutely  gone,  was  going, 
was  brought  home  to  us  by  the  circumstance  that,  while 
Dus  was  actually  hovering  over  him  like  a  guardian  angel, 
he  inquired  anxiously  where  she  was. 

"  I  am  here,  uncle  Chainbearer,"  answered  the  dear  girl, 
in  tremulous  tones — "here,  before  you,  and  am  about  to 
wet  your  lips." 

"  1  want  t'e  gal — t'at  1st — I  wish  her  to  pe  near  when  t'e 
spirit  mounts  to  Heafen.  Haf  her  callet,  Frank  or  Mor- 
taunt." 

"  Dear — dearest  uncle,  I  am  here,  now — here  before  you 
— closest  to  you  of  all — almost  in  your  arms,"  answered 
Dus,  speaking  loud  enough  to  make  herself  heard,  by  an 
effort  that  cost  her  a  great  deal.  "  Do  not  think  I  can 
ever  desert  you,  until  I  know  that  your  spirit  has  gone  to 
the  mercy-seat  of  God  !  " 

"I  knowet  it,"  said  Chainbearer,  endeavoring  to  raise 
his  arms  to  feel  for  his  niece,  who  met  the  jffort  by  receiv- 
ing his  feeble  and  clammy  hand  in  both  her  own.  "  Re- 
member my  wishes  apout  Mortaunt,  gal — yet  shoult  t'e 
family  agree,  marry  him  wit'  my  plessin' — yes,  my  pest 
plessin'.  Kiss  me,  Dus. — Wast  t'em  your  lips  ? — t'ey  felt 
colt ;  ant  you  are  nefer  colt  of  hant  or  heart.  Mortaunt 
— kiss  me,  too,  lat — t'at  wast  warmer,  ant  hat  more  feelin' 
in  it.  Frank,  gif  me  your  hant — I  owe  you  money — t'ere 
ist  a  stockin'  half  full  of  tollars.  Your  sister  wilt  pay  my 
tebts.  Ant  General  Littlepage  owes  me  money — put  most 
he  owest  me  goot  will.  I  pray  Got  to  pless  him — ant  to 
pless  Matarn  Littlepage — ant  olt  Matam  Littlepage,  t'at  I 
nefer  did  see — ant  t'e  major,  or  colonel,  ast  he  is  now  callet 
— ant  all  our  rijiment — antjjw/r  rijiment,  too,  Frank,  which 
wast  a  fery  goot  rijiment.  Farewell,  Frank — Dus — sister 
—precious — Christ  Jesus,  receive  my " 

These  words  came  with   difficulty,  and  were  whispered, 

'  rather  than  uttered  aloud.     They  came  at   intervals,  too, 

especially  toward  the   last,  in  the   way  to  announce   the 

near  approach  of  the  state  of  which  they  were  the   more 


378  THE  CHAINBEARRR. 

immediate  percursors.  The  last  syllable  I  have  recorded 
was  no  sooner  uttered,  than  the  breath  temporarily  ceased. 
I  removed  Dus  by  gentle  force,  placing  her  in  the  arms  of 
her  brother,  and  turned  to  note  the  final  respiration.  That 
final  breath  in  which  the  spirit  appears  to  be  exhaled,  was 
calm,  placid,  and  as  easy  as  comports  with  the  separation 
of  soul  and  body  ;  leaving  the  hard,  aged,  wrinkled,  but 
benevolent  countenance  of  the  deceased,  with  an  expres- 
sion of  happy  repose  on  it,  such  as  the  friends  of  the  dead 
love  to  look  upon.  Of  all  the  deaths  I  had  then  witnessed, 
this  was  the  most  tranquil,  and  the  best  calculated  to  re- 
new the  hopes  of  a  Christian.  As  for  myself,  it  added  a 
profound  respect  for  the  character  and  moral  qualities  of 
Ursula  Malbone,  to  the  love  and  admiration  I  bore  her 
already,  the  fruits  of  her  beauty,  wit,  heart,  and  other  at- 
tractions. 

The  two  expected  deaths  had  now  taken  place,  and  it 
only  remained  to  dispose  of  the  legal  questions  connected 
with  the  events  which  had  caused  them,  inter  the  bodies, 
and  return  to  the  Nest.  I  saw  that  one  of  the  cabins  was 
prepared  for  the  reception  of  Ursula  and  Lovviny,  the  lat- 
ter still  clinging  to  us,  while  the  body  of  Chainbearer  was 
laid  out  in  a  coffin  that  had  been  made  by  the  same  hands, 
and  at  the  same  time,  as  that  of  Thousandacres.  About 
noon,  the  coroner  arrived,  not  'Squire  Newcome,  but  an- 
other, for  whom  he  h*ad  himself  sent ;  and  a  jury  was  im- 
mediately collected  from  among  the  members  of  the  posse. 
The  proceedings  were  of  no  great  length.  I  told  my 
story,  or  as  much  of  it  as  was  necessary,  from  beginning 
to  end,  and  others  gave  their  testimony  as  to  the  proceed- 
ings at  different  periods  in  the  events.  The  finding  was, 
in  the  case  of  Chainbearer,  "  murder  by  the  hand  of  some 
person  unknown  ;"  and  in  that  of  Thousandacres,  "acci- 
dental death."  The  first  was  right,  unquestionably  ;  as  to 
the  last,  I  conceive,  there  was  as  little  of  "  accident "  as 
ever  occurred,  when  a  man  was  shot  through  the  body 
by  a  steady  hand,  and  an  unerring  eye.  But  such  was 
the  verdict,  and  I  had  nothing  but  conjectures  for  my 
opinion  as  to  the  agency  of  the  Indian  in  killing  the 
squatter. 

That  evening,  and  a  cool  autumnal  night  it  was,  we  buried 
Thousandacres,  in  the  centre  of  the  field  I  have  mentioned. 
Of  all  his  numerous  family,  Prudence  and  Lowiny  alone 
were  present.  The  service  was  short,  and  the  man  of  vio- 
lence descended  to  mingle  with  the  clods  of  the  earth, 


THE  CHAINBEARER.  379 

without  a  common  prayer,  a  verse  from  Holy  Writ,  or  any 
religious  ri^  whatever.  The  men  who  had  borne  the 
body,-  and  the  few  spectators  present,  filled  the  grave, 
rounded  it  handsomely,  and  covered  it  with  sods,  and  were 
turning  away  in  silence,  to  retrace  their  steps  to  the  dwell- 
ings, when  the  profound  stillness  which  had  reigned 
throughout  the  whole  of  the  brief  ceremony,  was  sud- 
denly broken  by  the  clear,  full  voice  of  Prudence,  who 
spoke  in  a  tone  and  manner  that  arrested  every  step. 

"Men  and  brethren,"  said  this  extraordinary  woman, 
who  had  so  many  of  the  vices  of  her  condition,  relieved 
by  so  many  of  the  virtues  of  her  sex  and  origin  ;  "  Men 
and  brethren,"  she  said  "  for  I  cannot  call  ye  neighbors, 
and  will  not  call  you  foes,  I  thank  ye  for  this  act  of  decent 
regard  to  the  wants  of  both  the  departed  and  the  living, 
and  that  ye  have  thus  come  to  assist  in  burying  my  dead 
out  of  my  sight." 

Some  such  address,  even  a  portion  of  these  very 
words,  were  customary  ;  but  as  no  one  had  expected 
anything  of  the  sort  at  that  moment,  they  startled  as 
much  as  they  surprised  us.  As  the  rest  of  the  party 
recovered  from  its  wonder,  however,  it  proceeded  toward 
the  huts,  leaving  me  alone  with  Prudence,  who  stood, 
swinging  her  body  as  usual,  by  the  side  of  the  grave. 

"The  night  threatens  to  be  cool,"  I  said,  "and  you  had 
better  return  with  me  to  the  dwelling." 

"What's  the  houses  to  me,  now!  Aaron  is  gone,  the  b'ys 
be  fled,  and  their  wives  and  children,  and  my  children,  be 
fled,  leaving  none  in  this  clearin'  but  Lowiny,  who  belongs 
more  to  your'n  in  feelin',  than  to  me  and  mine,  and  the 
body  that  lies  beneath  the  clods  !  There's  property  in  the 
housen,  that  I  do  s'pose  even  the  law  would  give  us,  and 
maybe  some  one  may  want  it.  Give  me  that,  Major  Lit- 
tlepage,  to  help  to  clothe  and  feed  my  young,  and  I'll 
never  trouble  this  place  ag'in.  They'll  not  call  Aaron  a 
squatter  for  takin'  up  that  small  piece  of  'arth  ;  and  one 
day,  perhaps,  you'll  not  grudge  to  me  as  much  more  by  its 
side.  It's  little  more  squattin'  that  I  can  do,  and  the  next 
pitch  I  make,  will  be  the  last." 

"  There  is  no  wish  on  rny  part,  good  woman,  to  injure 
you.  Your  effects  can  be  taken  away  from  this  place 
whenever  you  please,  and  I  will  even  help  you  to  do  it,"  \ 
answered,  "  in  such  a  way  as  to  put  it  in  the  power  of  your 
sons  to  receive  the  goods  without  risk  to  themselves.  I 
remember  to  have  seen  a  batteau  of  some  size  in  the  stream 


380  THE  CHAINBEARER. 

below  the  mill ;  can  you  tell  me  whether  it  remains  there 
or  not  ? " 

"  Why  shouldn't  it  ?  The  b'ys  built  it  two  years  ago, 
to  transport  things  in,  and  it's  not  likely  to  go  off  of 
itself." 

"Well,  then,  I  will  use  that  boat  to  get  your  effects  off 
with  safety  to  yourself.  To-morrow,  everything  of  any 
value  that  can  be  found  about  this  place,  and  to  which 
you  can  have  any  right,  shall  be  put  in  that  batteau,  and 
I  will  send  the  boat,  when  loaded,  down  the  stream,  by 
means  of  my  own  black  and  the  Indian,  who  shall  abandon 
it  a  mile  or  two  below,  where  those  you  may  send  to  look 
for  it,  can  take  possession  and  carry  the  effects  to  any 
place  you  may  choose." 

The  woman  seemed  surprised,  and  even  affected  by  this 
proposal,  though  she  a  little  distrusted  my  motives. 

"Can  I  depend  on  this,  Major  Littlepage?"  she  asked, 
doubtingly.  "  Tobit  and  his  brethren  would  be  desp'rate, 
if  any  scheme  to  take  'em  should  be  set  on  foot  under  sich 
a  disguise." 

"  Tobit  and  his  brethren  have  nothing  to  fear  from 
treachery  of  mine.  Has  the  word  of  a  gentleman  no  value 
in  your  eyes  ? " 

"  I  know  that  gentlemen  gin'rally  do  as  they  promise  ; 
and  so  I've  often  told  Aaron,  as  a  reason  for  not  bein' 
hard  on  their  property,  but  he  never  would  hear  to  it. 
Waal,  Major  Littlepage,  I'll  put  faith  in  you,  and  will  look 
for  the  batteau  at  the  place  you've  mentioned.  God  bless 
you  for  this,  and  may  he  prosper  you  in  that  which  is  near- 
est your  heart !  We  shall  never  see  each  other  ag'in — 
farewell." 

"You  surely  will  return  to  the  house,  and  pass  the  night 
comfortably  under  a  roof !  " 

"No  ;  I'll  quit  you  here.  The  housen  have  little  in  'em 
now  that  I  love,  and  I  shall  be  happier  in  the  woods." 

"  But  the  night  is  cool,  and,  ere  it  be  morning,  it  will  be- 
come even  chilling  and  cold." 

"  It's  colder  in  that  grave,"  answered  the  woman,  point- 
ing mournfully  with  her  long,  skinny  finger  to  the  mound 
which  covered  the  remains  of  her  husband.  "  I'm  used 
to  the  forest,  and  go  to  look  for  my  children.  The  mother 
that  looks  for  her  children  is  not  to  be  kept  back  by  winds 
and  frost.  Farewell  ag'in,  Major  Littlepage.  May  God 
remember  what  you  have  done,  and  will  do,  for  me  and 
mine !" 


THE  CHAINBEARER.  381 

^ 

"  But  you  forget  your  daughter.  What  is  to  become  of 
your  daughter  ? " 

•'Lovviny  has  taken  desp'rately  to  Dus  Malbone,  and 
wishes  to  stay  with  her  while  Dus  wishes  to  have  her 
stay.  If  they  get  tired  of  each  other,  my  da'ghter  can 
easily  find  us.  No  gal  of  mine  will  be  long  put  out  in  sich 
a  s'arch." 

As  all  this  sounded  probable  and  well  enough,  I  had  no 
further  objections  to  urge.  Prudence  waved  her  hand  in 
adieu,  and  away  she  went  across  the  dreary-looking  fields 
with  the  strides  of  a  man,  burying  her  tall,  gaunt  figure  in 
the  shadow  of  the  wood,  with  as  little  hesitation  as  another 
would  have  entered  the  well-known  avenues  of  some  town. 
I  rfever  saw  her  afterward  ;  though  one  or  two  messages 
from  her  did  reach  me  through  Lowiny. 

As  I  was  returning  from  the  grave,  Jaap  and  the  Track- 
less came  in  from  their  scout.  The  report  they  made  was 
perfectly  satisfactory.  By  the  trail,  which  they  followed 
for  miles,  the  squatters  had  actually  absconded,  pushing 
for  some  distant  point,  and  nothing  more  was  to  be  feared 
from  them  in  that  part  of  the  country.  I  now  gave  my 
orders  as  respected  the  goods  and  $hattels  of  the  family, 
which  were  neither  very  numerous  nor  very  valuable  ;  and 
it  may  as  well  be  said  here  as  later,  that  everything  was 
done  next  day,  strictly  according  to  promise.  The  first  of 
the  messages  that  I  received  from  Prudence  came  within 
a  month,  acknowledging  the  receipt  of  her  effects,  even  to 
the  gear  of  the  mill,  and  expressing  her  deep  gratitude  for 
the  favor.  I  have  reason  to  think,  too,  that  nearly  half 
the  lumber  fell  into  the  hands  of  these  squatters,  quite  that 
portion  of  it  being  in  the  stream  at  the  time  we  removed 
from  the  spot,  and  floating  off  with  the  rains  that  soon  set 
in.  What  was  found  at  a  later  day  was  sold,  and  the  pro- 
ceeds were  appropriated  to  meet  the  expenses  of,  and  to 
make  presents  to  the  posse,  as  an  encouragement  to  such 
persons  to  see  the  majesty  of  the  laws  maintained. 

Early  next  morning  we  made  our  preparations  to  quit 
the  deserted  mill.  Ten  of  the  posse  arranged  themselves 
into  a  party  to  see  the  body  of  Chainbearer  transported  to 
the  Nest.  This  was  done  by  making  a  rude  bier,  that  was 
carried  by  two  horses,  one  preceding  the  other,  and  having 
the  corpse  suspended  between  them.  I  remained  with  the 
body  ;  but  Dus,  attended  by  Lowiny,  and  protected  by 
her  brother,  preceded  us,  halting  at  Chainbearer's  huts  for 
our  arrival.  At  this  point  we  passed  the  first  night  of  our 


382  THE  CHAINBEARER. 

journey,  Dus  and  Frank  again  preceding  us,  always  on 
foot,  to  the  Nest.  At  this  place,  the  final  halt  of  poor  An- 
dries,  the  brother  and  sister  arrived  at  an  hour  before  din- 
ner, while  we  did  not  get  in  with  the  body  until  the  sun 
was  just  setting. 

As  our  little  procession  drew  near  the  house,  I  saw  a 
number  of  wagons  and  horses  in  the  orchard  that  spread 
around  it,  which  at  first  I  mistook  for  a  collection  of  the 
tenants,  met  to  do  honor  to  the  manes  of  Chainbearer.  A 
second  look,  however,  let  me  into  the  true  secret  of  the 
case.  As  we  drew  slowly  near,  the  whole  procession  on 
foot,  I  discovered  the  persons  of  my  own  dear  parents,  that 
of  Colonel  Pollock,  those  of  Kate,  Pris.  Bayard,  Tom  Bay- 
ard, and  even  of  my  sister  Kettletas,  in  the  group.  Ast 
of  all,  I  saw,  pressing  forward  to  meet  me,  yet  a  little  re- 
pelled by  the  appearance  of  the  coffin,  my  dear  and  ven- 
erable old  grandmother,  herself ! 

Here,  then,  were  assembled  nearly  all  of  the  house  of 
Littlepage,  with  two  or  three  near  friends,  who  did  not  be- 
long to  it !  Frank  Malbone  was  among  them,  and  doubt- 
less had  told  his  stora  so  that  our  visitors  could  not  be 
surprised  at  our  appearance.  On  the  other  hand,  I  was  at 
no  loss  to  understand  how  all  this  had  been  brought  about. 
Frank's  express  had  found  the  party  at  Fishkill,  had 
communicated  his  intelligence,  set  everybody  in  motion 
on  the  wings  of  anxiety  and  love,  and  here  they  were.  The 
journey  had  not  been  particularly  rapid  either,  plenty  of 
time  having  elapsed  between  the  time  when  my  seizure  by 
the  squatters  was  first  made  known  to  my  friends,  and  the 
present  moment,  to  have  got  a  message  to  Lilacsbush,  and 
to  have  received  its  answer. 

Kate  afterward  told  me  we  made  an  imposing  and  solemn 
appearance,  as  we  came  up  to  the  gate  of  Ravensnest, 
bearing  the  body  of  Chainbearer.  In  advance  marched 
Susquesus  and  Jaap,  each  armed,  and  the  latter  carrying 
an  axe,  acting,  as  occasion  required,  in  the  character  of  a 
pioneer.  The  bearers  and  attendants  came  next,  two  and 
two,  armed  as  a  part  of  the  posse,  and  carrying  packs  ; 
next  succeeded  the  horses  with  the  bier,  each  led  by  a 
keeper  ;  I  was  the  principal  mourner,  though  armed  like 
the  rest,  while  Chainbearer's  poor  slaves,  now  the  property 
of  Dus,  brought  up  the  rear,  carrying  his  compass,  chains, 
and  other  emblems  of  his  calling. 

We  made  no  halt,  but  passing  the  crowd  collected  on  the 
lawn,  we  went  through  the  gateway,  and  only  came  to  a 


THE  CHAINBEARER.  383 

stand  when  \Ve  had  reached  the  centre  of  the  court.  As  all 
the  arrangements  had  been  previously  made,  the  next  step 
was  to  inter  the  body.  I  knew  that  General  Littlepage 
had  often  officiated  on  such  occasions,  and  a  request  to 
that  effect  was  made  to  him,  through  Tom  Bayard.  As  for 
myself,  I  said  not  a  word  to  any  of  my  own  family,  beg- 
ging them  to  excuse  me  until  I  had  seen  the  last  offices 
performed  to  the  remains  of  my  friend.  In  half  an  hour 
all  was  ready,  and  again  the  solemn  procession  was  re- 
sumed. As  before,  Susquesus  and  Jaap  led  the  way,  the 
latter  now  carrying  a  shovel,  and  acting  in  the  capacity  of 
a  sexton.  The  Indian  bore  a  flaming  torch  of  pine,  the 
darkness  having  so  far  advanced  as  to  render  artificial 
light  necessary.  Others  of  the  party  had  these  natural 
flambeaux  also,  which  added  greatly  to  the  solemnity  and 
impressiveness  of  the  scene.  General  Littlepage  preceded 
the  corpse,  carrying  a  prayer-book.  Then  followed  the 
bearers  with  the  coffin,  the  horses  being  now  dismissed. 
Dus,  veiled  in  black  from  head  to  foot  and  leaning  on 
Frank,  appeared  as  chief  mourner.  Though  this  was  not 
strictly  in  conformity  with  real  New  York  habits,  yet  no 
one  thought  the  occasion  one  on  which  to  manifest  the 
customary  reserve  of  the  sex.  Everybody  in  or  near  the 
Nest,  females  as  well  as  males,  appeared  to  do  honor  to 
the  memory  of  Chainbearer,  and  Dus  came  forth  as  the 
chief  mourner.  Priscilla  Bayard,  leaning  on  the  arm  of 
her  brother  Tom,  edged  herself  in  next  to  her  friend, 
though  they  had  not  as  yet  exchanged  a  syllable  together ; 
and,  after  all  was  over,  Pris.  told  me  it  was  the  first  funeral 
she  had  ever  attended,  or  the  first  time  she  had  ever  been 
at  a  grave.  The  same  was  true  of  my  grandmother,  my 
mother,  and  both  my  sisters.  I  mention  this  lest  some 
antiquarian,  a  thousand  years  hence,  might  light  on  this 
manuscript,  and  mistake  our  customs.  Of  late  years,  the 
New  Englanders  are  introducing  an  innovation  on  the  oid 
usage  of  the  colony  ;  but,  among  the  upper  real  New  York 
families,  women  do  not  even  now  attend  funerals.  In  this 
respect,  I  apprehend,  we  follow  the  habits  of  England, 
where  females  of  the  humbler  classes,  as  I  have  heard,  do, 
while  their  superiors  do  not  appear  on  such  occasions. 
The  reason  of  the  difference  between  the  two  is  very  easily 
appreciated,  though  I  limit  my  statements  to  what  I  con- 
ceive to  be  the  facts,  without  affecting  to  philosophize 
on  them. 

But  all  our  ladies  attended  the  funeral  of  Chainbearer. 


I  came  next  to  Tom  and  Priscilla,  Kate  pressing  up  to  my 
side,  and  placing  my  arm  in  mine,  without  speaking.  As 
she  did  this,  however,  the  dear  girl  laid  her  little  hand  on 
mine,  and  gave  the  latter  a  warm  pressure,  as  much  as  to 
say  how  greatly  she  was  rejoiced  at  finding  me  safe,  and 
out  of  the  hands  of  the  Philistines.  The  rest  of  the  party 
fell  in  behind,  and,  as  soon  as  the  Indian  saw  that  every- 
body was  placed,  he  moved  slowly  forward,  holding  his 
flaming  torch  so  high  as  to  light  the  footsteps  of  those 
near  him. 

Directions  had  been  sent  to  the  'Nest  to  dig  a  grave  for 
Andries,  in  the  orchard,  and  at  no  great  distance  from  the 
verge  of  the  rocks.  As  I  afterward  ascertained,  it  was  at 
the  very  spot  where  one  of  the  most  remarkable  events  in 
the  life  of  the  general  had  occurred,  an  event  in  which  both 
Susquesus  and  Jaap  had  been  conspicuous  actors.  Thither, 
then,  we  proceeded  in  funeral  order,  and  with  funeral 
tread,  the  torches  throwing  their  wild  and  appropriate 
light  over  the  nearer  accessories  of  the  scene.  Never  did 
the  service  sound  more  solemnly  to  me,  there  being  a 
pathos  and  richness  in  my  father's  voice  that  were  admir- 
ably adapted  to  the  occasion.  Then  he  felt  what  he  was 
reading,  which  does  not  always  happen  even  when  a  clergy- 
man officiates  ;  for  not  only  was  General  Littlepage  a  close 
friend  of  the  deceased,  but  he  was  a  devout  Christian.  I 
felt  a  throb  at  the  heart,  as  I  heard  the  fall  of  the  first 
clods  on  the  coffin  of  Chainbearer ;  but  reflection  brought 
its  calm,  and  from  the  moment  Dus  became,  as  it  might  be, 
doubly  dear  to  me.  It  appeared  to  me  as  if  all  her  uncle's 
love  and  care  had  been  transferred  to  myself,  and  that, 
henceforth,  I  was  to  be  his  representative  with  his  much- 
beloved  niece.  I  did  not  hear  a  sob  from  Ursula  during 
the  whole  ceremony.  I  knew  that  she  wept,  and  wept 
bitterly  ;  but  her  self-command  was  so  great  as  to  prevent 
any  undue  obtrusion  of  her  griefs  on  others.  We  all  re- 
mained at  the  grave  until  Jaap  had  rounded  it  with  his 
utmost  skill,  and  had  replaced  the  last  sod.  Then  the  pro- 
cession formed  anew,  and  \ve  accompanied  Frank  and  Dus 
to  the  door  of  the  house,  when  she  entered  and  left  us 
without.  Priscilla  Bayard,  however,  glided  in  after  her 
friend,  and  I  saw  them  locked  in  each  other's  arms,  through 
the  window  of  the  parlor,  by  the  light  of  the  fire  within. 
At  the  next  moment,  they  retired  together  to  the  little 
room  that  Dus  had  appropriated  to  her  own  particular  use. 

Now  H  was  that  I  embraced  and  was  embraced  by  my 


THE  CHAIXBEARER.  385 

friends.  My  mother  held  me  long  in  her  arms,  called  me 
her  "dear,  dear  boy,"  and  left  tears  on  my  face.  Kate  did 
pretty  much  the  same,  though  she  said  nothing.  As  for 
Anneke,  my  dear  sister  Kettletas,  her  embrace  was  like 
herself,  gentle,  sincere,  and  warm-hearted.  Nor  must  my 
dear  old  grandmother  be  forgotten  ;  for  though  she  came 
last  of  the  females,  she  held  me  longest  in  her  arms,  and, 
after  "thanking  God"  devoutly  for  my  late  escape,  she 
protested  that  "  I  grew  every  hour  more  and  more  like  the 
Littlepages."  Aunt  Mary  kissed  me  with  her  customary 
affection. 

A  portion  of  the  embraces,  however,  occurred  after  we 
had  entered  the  parlor,  which  Frank,  imitating  Dus,  had 
delicately,  as  well  as  considerately,  left  to  ourselves.  Col- 
onel Pollock,  nevertheless,  gave  me  his  salutations  and 
congratulations  before  we  left  the  court ;  and  they  were  as 
cordial  and  hearty  as  if  he  had  been  a  second  father. 

"  How  atmiraply  the  general  reats,  Mortaunt,"  our  old 
friend  added,  becoming  very  Dutch  as  he  got  to  be  ex- 
cited. "  I  haf  always  sayet  t'at  Corny  Littlepage  woult 
make  as  goot  a  tominie  as  any  rector  t'ey  ever  hat  in  olt 
Trinity.  Put  he  mate  as  goot  a  soltier,  too.  Corny  ist 
an  extraordinary  man,  Mortaunt,  ant  one  tay  he  wilt  pe 
gofernor." 

This  was  a  favorite  theory  of  Colonel  Van  Valken- 
burgh's.  For  himself,  he  was  totally  without  ambition, 
whereas  he  thought  nothing  good  enough  for  his  friend, 
Corny  Littlepage.  Scarce  a  year  passed  that  he  did  not 
allude  to  the  propriety  of  elevating  "  t'e  general "  to  some 
high  office  or  other  ;  nor  am  I  certain  that  his  allusions  of 
this  nature  may  not  have  had  their  effect  ;  since  my  father 
was  elected  to  Congress  as  soon  as  the  new  constitution 
was  formed,  and  continued  to  sit  as  long  as  his  health  and 
comfort  would  permit. 

Supper  was  prepared  for  both  parties  of  travellers,  of 
course,  and  in  due  time  we  all  took  our  seats  at  table.  I 
say  all  ;  but  that  was  not  literally  exact,  inasmuch  as 
neither  Frank,  Dus,  nor  Priscilla  Bayard,  appeared  among 
us  again  that  evening.  I  presume  each  had  something  to 
eat,  though  all  took  the  meal  apart  from  the  rest  of  the 
family. 

After  supper  I  was  requested  to  relate,  seriatim,  all  the 
recent  events  connected  with  my  visit  to  the  'Nest,  my 
arrest  and  liberation.  This  I  did,  of  course,  seated  at  my 
grandmother's  side,  the  old  lady  holding  one  of  my  hands 

25 


386  THE  CHA1NBEARER. 

the  whole  time  I  was  speaking.  The  most  profound  at- 
tention was  lent  by  all  the  party  ;  and  a  thoughtful  silence 
succeeded  my  narration,  which  ended  only  with  the  his- 
tory of  our  departure  from  the  mills. 

"Ay,"  exclaimed  Colonel  Pollock,  who  was  the  first  to 
speak  after  I  had  terminated  my  own  account.  u  So  much 
for  Yankee  religion  !  I'll  warrant  you  now,  Corny,  t'at  t'e 
fellow,  T'ousantacres,  coult  preach  ant  pray  just  like  all 
t'e  rest  of  our  Pilgrim  Fat'ers." 

"  There  are  rogues  of  New  York  birth  and  extraction, 
Colonel  Pollock,  as  well  as  of  New  England,"  answered 
my  father,  dryly  ;  "  and  the  practice  of  squatting  is  inci- 
dental to  the  condition  of  the  country  ;  as  men  are  certain 
to  make  free  with  the  property  that  is  least  protected  and 
watched.  Squatters  are  made  by  circumstances,  and  not 
by  any  peculiar  disposition  of  a  particular  portion  of  the 
population  to  appropriate  the  land  of  others  to  their  own 
uses.  It  would  be  the  same  with  our  hogs  and  our  horses, 
were  they  equally  exposed  to  the  depredations  of  lawless 
men,  let  the  latter  come  from  Connecticut  or  Long  Island." 

"Let  me  catch  one  of  t'ese  gentry  among  my  horses  !" 
answered  the  colonel,  with  a  menacing  shake  of  his  head, 
for,  Dutchman-like,  he  had  a  wonderful  love  for  the 
species — "  I  woult  crop  him  wit'  my  own  hands,  wit'out 
chudge  or  chury." 

"That  might  lead  to  evils  almost  as  great  as  those  pro- 
duced by  squatting,  Dirck,"  returned  my  father. 

"  By  the  way,  sir,"  I  put  in,  knowing  that  Colonel  Pol- 
lock sometimes  uttered  extravagances  on  such  subjects, 
though  as  honest  and  well-meaning  a  man  as  ever 
breathed — "  I  have  forgotten  to  mention  a  circumstance 
that  may  have  some  interest,  as  'Squire  Newcome  is  an  old 
acquaintance  of  yours."  I  then  recounted  all  the  facts  con- 
nected with  the  first  visit  of  Mr.  Jason  Newcome  to  the 
clearing  of  Thousandacres,  and  the  substance  of  the  con- 
versation I  had  overheard  between  the  squatter  and  that 
upright  magistrate.  General  Littlepage  listened  with  pro- 
found attention  ;  and  as  for  Colonel  Pollock,  he  raised  his 
eyebrows,  grunted,  laughed  as  well  as  a  man  could  with 
his  lips  compressing  a  pipe,  and  uttered  in  the  best  way  he 
was  able,  under  the  circumstances,  and  with  sufficient  sen- 
tentiousness,  the  single  word  "Danpury." 

«No — no — Dirck,"  answered  my  father,  "we  must  not 
put  all  the  crimes  and  vices  on  our  neighbors,  for  many  of 
them  grow,  from  the  seedling  to  the  tree  bearing  fruit  <« 


THE  CITAINBEARER.  387 

our  own  soil.  I  know  this  man,  Jason  Newcome,  reason- 
ably well  ;  and  while  I  have  confided  in  him  more  than  I 
ought,  perhaps  I  have  never  supposed  he  was  the  person  in 
the  least  influenced  by  our  conventional  notions  of  honor 
and  integrity.  What  is  called  'law  honest,'  I  have  believed 
him  to  be  ;  but  it  would  seem,  in  that  I  have  been  mis- 
taken. Still  I  am  not  prepared  to  admit  that  the  place  of 
his  birth,  or  his  education,  is  the  sole  cause  of  his  back- 
slidings." 

"  Own  t'e  trut',  Corny,  like  a  man  ast  you  pe,  ant  con- 
fess it  ist  all  our  pilgrim  fat'ers'  ant  Tanpury  itees.  What 
use  ist  t'ere  in  misleetin'  your  own  son,  who  wilt  come, 
sooner  or  later,  to  see  t'e  whole  trut'  ?" 

"  I  should  be  sorry,  Dirck,  to  teach  my  son  any  narrow 
prejudices.  The  last  war  has  thrown  me  much  among  of- 
ficers from  New  England,  and  the  intercourse  has  taught 
me  to  esteem  that  portion  of  our  fellow-citizens  more  than 
was  our  custom  previously  to  the  revolution." 

"Tush  for  'intercourse,'  ant  l esteem,'  ant  ' teaching 
Corny  !  T'e  whole  t'ing  of  squattin1  hast  crosset  t'e  Byram 
rifer,  ant  unless  we  look  to  it,  t'e  Yankees  wilt  get  all  our 
lants  away  from  us !  " 

"Jason  Newcome,  when  I  knew  him  best,  and  I  may  say 
first,"  continued  my  father,  without  appearing  to  pay  much 
attention  to  the  observations  of  his  friend  the  colonel, 
"was  an  exceedingly  unfledged,  narrow-minded  provincial, 
with  a  most  overweening  notion,  certainly,  of  the  high  ex- 
cellences of  the  particular  state  of  society  from  which 
he  had  not  long  before  emerged.  He  had  just  as  great 
a  contempt  for  New  York,  and  New  York  wit,  and  New 
York  usages,  and  especially  for  New  York  religion  and 
morals,  as  Dirck  here  seems  to  have  for  all  those  excellen- 
ces as  they  are  exhibited  in  New  England.  In  a  word, 
the  Yankee  despised  the  Dutchman  and  the  Dutchman 
a"bominated  the  Yankee.  In  all  this,  there  is  nothing  new, 
and  I  fancy  the  supercilious  feeling  of  the  New  England- 
man  can  very  easily  be  traced  to  his  origin  in  the  mother 
country.  But,  differences^?  exist,  I  admit,  and  I  consider 
the  feeling  with  which  every  New  Englander  comes  among 
us  to  be,  by  habit,  adverse  to  our  state  of  society  in  many 
particulars — some  good  and  some  bad — and  this  merely 
because  he  is  not  accustomed  to  them.  Among  other 
things,  as  a  whole,  the  population  of  these  States  do  not 
relish  the  tenures  by  which  our  large  estates  are  held. 
There  are  plenty  of  men  from  that  quarter  of  the  country, 


388  THE  CHAINBEARER. 

who  are  too  well  taught,  and  whose  honesty  is  too  much 
of  proof,  not  to  wish  to  oppose  anything  that  is  wrong  in 
connection  with  this  subject ;  still,  the  prejudices  of  nearly 
all  who  come  from  the  east  are  opposed  to  the  relation  of 
landlord  and  tenant,  and  this  because  they  do  not  wish  to 
see  large  landlords  among  them,  not  being  large  landlords 
themselves.  I  never  found  any  gentleman,  or  man  of  edu- 
cation from  New  England,  who  saw  any  harm  in  a  man's 
leasing  a  single  farm  to  a  single  tenant,  or  half-a-dozen 
farms  to  half-a-dozen  tenants  ;  proof  that  it  is  not  the 
tenure  itself  with  which  they  quarrel,  but  with  a  class  of 
men  who  are,  or  seem  to  be,  their  superiors." 

"  I  have  heard  the  argument  used  against  the  leasehold 
system,  that  it  retards  the  growth  and  lessens  the  wealth 
of  any  district  in  which  it  may  prevail." 

"  That  it  does  not  retard  the  growth,  is  proved  by  the 
fact  that  farms  can  be  leased  always,  when  it  often  requires 
years  to  sell  them.  This  estate  is  half  filled  now,  and  will 
be  entirely  occupied,  long  ere  Mooseridge  will  be  a  third 
sold.  That  the  latter  may  be  the  richest  and  the  best  tilled 
district,  in  the  end,  is  quite  probable  ;  and  this  for  the 
simple  reasons  that  richer  men  buy  than  rent,  to  begin 
with,  and  the  owner  usually  takes  better  care  of  his  farm 
than  the  mere  tenant.  Some  of  the  richest,  best  cultivated, 
and  most  civilized  regions  on  earth,  however,  are  those  in 
which  the  tenures  of  the  actual  occupants  are,  and  ever 
have  been,  merely  leasehold.  It  is  easy  to  talk,  and  to 
feel,  in  these  matters,  but  not  quite  so  easy  to  come  to  just 
conclusions  as  some  imagine.  There  are  portions  of  Eng- 
land, for  instance — Norfolk  in  particular — where  the  im- 
provements are  almost  entirely  owing  to  the  resources 
and  enterprise  of  the  large  proprietors.  As  a  question  of 
political  economy,  Mordaunt,  depend  on  it,  this  is  one  that 
has  two  sides  to  it ;  as  a  question  of  mere  stomach,  each 
man  will  be  apt  to  view  it  as  his  gorge  is  up  or  down." 

Shortly  after  this  was  said,  the  ladies  complained  of 
fatigue,  a  feeling  in  which  we  all  participated  ;  and  the 
party  broke  up  for  the  night.  It  seems  the  general  had 
sent  back  word  by  the  express,  of  the  accommodations  he 
should  require  ;  which  enabled  the  good  people  of  the 
Nest  to  make  such  arrangements  as  rendered  everybody 
reasonably  comfortable. 


THE  CHAINBEARER.  »8<i 


CHAPTER   XXX. 

*'  Lid.  —  The  victory  is  yours,  sir." 

"  King.  —  It  is  a  glorious  one,  and  well  sets  off 

Our  scene  of  mercy  ;  to  the  dead  we  tender 

Our  sorrow  ;  to  the  living,  ample  wishes 

Of  future  happiness."  —  BEAUMONT  AND  FLETCHER. 

FATIGUE  kept  me  in  bed  next  morning  until  it  was  late. 
On  quitting  the  house  I  passed  through  the  gateway,  then 
always  left  open  —  defence  being  no  longer  thought  of  —  • 
and  walked  musingly  toward  the  grave  of  Chainbearer. 
Previously  to  doing  this,  I  went  as  far  as  each  corner  of 
the  building,  however,  to  cast  an  eye  over  the  fields.  On 
one  side  of  the  house  I  saw  my  father  and  mother,  arm  in 
arm,  gazing  around  them  ;  while  on  the  other,  aunt  Mary 
stood  by  herself,  looking  wistfully  in  the  direction  of  a 
wooded  ravine,  which  had  been  the  scene  of  some  impor- 
tant event  in  the  early  history  of  the  country.  When  she 
turned  to  re-enter  the  building,  I  found  her  faced  bathed 
in  tears.  This  respectable  woman,  who  was  now  well 
turned  of  forty,  had  lost  her  betrothed  in  battle,  on  that 
very  spot,  a  quarter  of  a  century  before,  and  was  now 
gazing  on  the  sad  scene  for  the  first  time  since  the  occur- 
rence of  the  event. 

Something  almost  as  interesting,  though  not  of  so  sad  a 
nature,  also  drew  my  parents  to  the  other  side  of  the  house. 
When  I  joined  them,  an  expression  of  grateful  happiness, 
a  little  saddened  perhaps  by  incidental  recollections,  was 
on  the  countenance  of  each.  My  dear  mother  kissed  me 
affectionately  as  I  drew  near,  and  the  general  cordially 
gave  me  his  hand  while  wishing  me  good  morning. 

"  We  were  talking  of  you,"  observed  the  last,  "  at  the 
very  moment  you  appeared.  Ravensnest  is  now  becoming 
a  valuable  property  ;  and  its  income,  added  to  the  products 
of  this  large  and  very  excellent  farm  that  you  have  in  your 
own  hands,  should  keep  a  country  house,  not  only  in 
abundance,  but  with  something  more.  You  will  naturally 
think  of  marrying  ere  long,  and  your  mother  and  I  were 
just  saying  that  you  ought  to  build  a  good,  substantial 
stone  dwelling  on  this  very  spot,  and  settle  down  on  youi 
own  property.  Nothing  contributes  so  much  to  the  civili- 
zation of  a  country,  as  to  dot  it  with  a  gentry,  and  you  will 
both  give  and  receive  advantages  by  adopting  such  a 


390  THE  CHAINBEARER. 

course.  It  is  impossible  for  those  who  have  never  been 
witnesses  of  the  result,  to  appreciate  the  effect  produced 
by  one  gentleman's  family  in  a  neighborhood,  in  the  way 
of  manners,  tastes,  general  intelligence,  and  civilization  at 
large." 

"  I  am  very  willing  to  do  my  duty,  sir,  in  this,  as  in  other 
particulars  ;  but  a  good  stone  country  house,  such  as  a 
landlord  ought  to  build  on  his  property,  will  cost  money, 
and  I  have  no  sum  in  hand  to  use  for  such  a  purpose." 

"The  house  will  cost  far  less  than  you  suppose.  Mate- 
rials are  cheap,  and  so  is  labor  just  now.  Your  mother 
and  myself  will  manage  to  let  you  have  a  few  extra  thou- 
sands, for  our  town  property  is  beginning  to  tell  again, 
and  fear  nothing  on  that  score.  Make  your  selection  of  a 
spot,  and  lay  the  foundation  of  the  house  this  autumn  ;  or- 
der the  lumber  sawed,  the  lime  burned,  and  other  prepara- 
tions made — and  arrange  matters  so  that  you  can  eat  your 
Christmas  dinner,  in  the  year  1785,  in  the  new  residence  of 
Ravensnest.  By  that  time  you  will  be  ready  to  get  mar- 
ried, and  we  may  all  come  up  to  the  house-warming." 

"  Has  anything  occurred  in  particular,  sir,  to  induce  you 
to  imagine  I  am  in  any  haste  to  marry  ?  You  seem  to 
couple  matrimony  and  the  new  house  together,  in  away  to 
make  me  think  there  has." 

I  caught  the  general  there,  and,  while  my  mother  turned 
her  head  aside  and  smiled,  I  saw  that  my  father  colored  a 
little,  though  he  made  out  to  laugh.  After  a  moment  of 
embarrassment,  however,  he  answered  with  spirit — my 
good,  old  grandmother  coming  up  and  linking  her  arm  at 
his  vacant  side  as  he  did  so. 

"  Why,  Mord,  my  boy,  you  can   have  very  little   of  the 
sensibility  of  the  Littlepages  in  you,"  he  said,  "if  you  can ' 
be  a  daily  spectator  of  such  female  loveliness  as  is  now 
near  you,  and  not  lose  your  heart." 

Grandmother  fidgeted,  and  so  did  my  mother  ;  for  I  could 
see  that  both  thought  the  general  had  made  too  bold  a 
demonstration.  With  the  tact  of  their  sex,  they  would 
have  been  more  on  their  guard.  I  reflected  a  moment, 
and  then  determined*  to  be  frank  ;  the  present  being  as 
good  a  time  as  any  other,  to  reveal  my  secret. 

"  I  do  not  intend  to  be  insincere  with  you,  my  dear  sir," 
I  answered,  "  for  I  know  how  much  better  it  is  to  be  open 
on  matters  that  are  of  a  common  interest  in  a  family,  than 
to  affect  mysteriousness.  I  am  a  true  Littlepage  on  the 
score  of  sensibility  to  the  charms  of  the  sex,  and  have  not 


THE  CHA2NBEARER.  391 

lived  in  daily  familiar  intercourse  with  female  loveliness, 
without  experiencing  so  much  of  its  influence  as  to  be  a 
warm  advocate  for  matrimony.  It  is  my  wish  to  marry, 
and  that,  too,  before  this  new  abode  of  Ravensnest  can  be 
completed." 

The  common  exclamation  of  delight  that  followed  this 
declamation,  sounded  in  my  ears  like  a  knell,  for  I  knew 
it  must  be  succeeded  by  a  disappointment  exactly  propor- 
tioned to  the  present  hopes.  But  I  had  gone  too  far  to 
retreat,  and  felt  bound  to  explain  myself. 

"I'm  afraid,  my  dear  parents,  and  my  beloved  grand- 
mother," I  continued,  as  soon  as  I  could  speak,  conscious 
of  the  necessity  of  being  as  prompt  as  possible,  "  that  you 
have  misunderstood  me." 

"  Not  at  all,  my  dear  boy — not  at  all,"  interrupted  my 
father.  "  You  admire  Priscilla  Bayard,  but  have  not  yet 
so  far  presumed  on  your  reception  as  to  offer.  But  what 
of  that  ?  Your  modesty  is  in  your  favor  ;  though  I  will 
acknowledge  that,  in  my  judgment,  a  gentleman  is  bound 
to  let  his  mistress  know,  as  soon  as  his  own  mind  is  made 
up,  that  he  is  a  suitor  for  her  hand,  and  that  it  is  ungener- 
ous and  unmanly  to  wait  until  certain  of  success.  Re- 
member that,  Mordaunt,  my  boy  ;  modesty  may  be  carried 
to  a  fault  in  a  matter  of  this  sort." 

"  You  still  misunderstand  me,  sir.  I  have  nothing  to  re- 
proach myself  with  on  the  score  of  manliness,  though  I 
may  have  gone  too  far  in  another  way  without  consulting 
my  friends.  Beyond  sincere  good-will  and  friendship, 
Priscilla  Bayard  is  nothing  to  me,  and  I  am  nothing  to 
Priscilla  Bayard." 

"Mordaunt!"  exclaimed  a  voice,  that  I  never  heard 
without  its  exciting  filial  tenderness. 

"  I  have  said  but  truth,  dearest  mother,  and  truth  that 
ought  to  have  been  sooner  said.  Miss  Bayard  would  refuse 
me  to-morrow,  were  I  to  offer." 

"You  don't  know  that,  Mordaunt — you  can't  know  it 
until  you  try,"  interrupted  my  grandmother,  somewhat 
eagerly.  "  The  minds  of  young  women  are  not  to  be 
judged  by  the  same  rules  as  those  of  young  men.  Such  an 
offer  will  not  come  every  day,  I  can  tell  her  ;  and  she's 
much  too  discreet  and  right-judging  to  do  anything  so 
silly.  To  be  sure,  I  have  no  authority  to  say  how  Priscilla 
feels  toward  you  ;  but,  if  her  heart  is  her  own,  and  Mordy 
Littlepage  be  not  the  youth  that  has  stolen  it,  I  am  no 
judge  of  my  own  sex." 


392  THE  CHAINBEARER. 

"  But,  you  forget,  dearest  grandmother,  that  were  youl 
flattering  opinions  in  my  behalf  all  true — as  I  have  good 
reason  to  believe  they  are  not — but  were  they  true,  I  could 
only  regret  it  should  be  so  ;  for  I  love  another." 

This  time  the  sensation  was  so  profound  as  to  produce  a 
common  silence.  Just  at  that  moment  an  interruption  oc- 
curred, of  a  nature  both  so  s\veet  and  singular,  as  greatly 
to  relieve  me  at  least,  and  to  preclude  the  necessity  of  my 
giving  any  immediate  account  of  my  meaning.  I  will  ex- 
plain how  it  occurred. 

The  reader  may  remember  that  there  were,  originally, 
loops  in  the  exterior  walls  of  the  house  at  Ravensnest, 
placed  there  for  the  purposes  of  defence,  and  which  were 
used  as  small  windows  in  these  peaceable  times.  We  were 
standing  beneath  one  of  those  loops,  not  near  enough,  how- 
ever, to  be  seen  or  heard  by  one  at  the  loop,  unless  we 
raised  our  voices  above  the  tone  in  which  we  were  actually 
conversing.  Out  of  this  loop,  at  that  precise  instant,  is- 
sued the  low,  sweet  strains  of  one  of  Dus's  exquisite  Indian 
hymns,  I  might  almost  call  them,  set,  as  was  usual  with 
her,  to  a  plaintive  Scotch  melody.  On  looking  toward  the 
grave  of  Chainbearer,  I  saw  Susquesus  standing  over  it, 
and  I  at  once  understood  the  impulse  which  led  Ursula  to 
sing  this  song.  The  words  had  been  explained  to  me,  and 
I  knew  that  they  alluded  to  a  warrior's  grave. 

The  raised  finger,  the  delighted  expression  of  the  eye,x 
the  attitude  of  intense  listening  which  my  beloved  mother 
assumed,  each  and  all  denoted  the  pleasure  and  emotion 
she  experienced.  When,  however,  the  singer  suddenly 
changed  the  language  to  English,  after  the  last  gutturaZ 
words  of  the  Onondago  had  died  on  our  ears,  and  com- 
menced to  the  same  strain  a  solemn  English  hymn,  that 
was  short  in  itself,  but  full  of  piety  and  hope,  the  tears 
started  out  of  my  mother's  and  grandmother's  eyes,  and 
even  General  Littlepage  sought  an  occasion  to  blow  his 
nose  in  a  very  suspicious  manner.  Presently,  the  sounds 
died  away,  and  that  exquisite  melody  ceased. 

"In  the  name  of  wonder,  Mordaunt,  who  can  this  night- 
ingale be  ?"  demanded  my  father,  for  neither  of  the  ladies 
could  speak. 

"  That  is  the  person,  sir,  who  has  my  plighted  faith — the 
woman  I  must  marry  or  remain  single." 

"  This,  then,  must  be  the  Dus  Malbone,  or  Ursula  Mai- 
bone,  of  whom  I  have  heard  so  much  from  Priscilla  Bay- 
ard, within  the  last  day  or  two,"  said  my  mother,  in  the 


THE  CHAINBEARER.  393 

tone  and  with  the  manner  of  one  who  is  suddenly  en' 
lightened  on  any  subject  that  has  much  interest  with  him, 
or  her  ;  "  I  ought  to  have  expected  something  of  the  sort, 
if  half  the  praises  of  Priscilla  be  true." 

No  one  had  a  better  mother  than  myself.  Thoroughly 
a  lady  in  all  that  pertains  to  the  character,  she  was  also  an 
humble  and  pious  Christian.  Nevertheless,  humility  and 
piety  are,  in  some  respects,  particularly  the  first,  matters 
of  convention.  The  fitness  of  things  had  great  merit  in 
the  eyes  of  both  my  parents,  and  I  cannot  say  that  it  is 
entirely  without  it  in  mine  In  nothing  is  this  fitness  of 
things  more  appropriate  than  in  equalizing  marriages ; 
and  few  things  are  less  likely  to  be  overlooked  by  a  dis- 
creet parent,  than  to  have  all  proper  care  that  the  child 
connects  itself  prudently  ;  and  that,  too,  as  much  in  refer- 
ence to  station,  habits,  opinions,  breeding  in  particular, 
and  the  general  way  of  thinking,  as  to  fortune.  Principles 
are  inferred  among  people  of  principle,  as  a  matter  of 
course  ;  but  subordinate  to  these,  worldly  position  is  ever 
of  great  importance  in  the  eyes  of  parents..  My  parents 
could  not  be  very  different  from  those  of  other  people, 
and  I  could  see  that  both  now  thought  that  Ursula  Mai- 
bone,  the  Chainbearer's  niece,  one  who  had  actually  car- 
ried chain  herself,  for  I  had  lightly  mentioned  that  cir- 
cumstance in  one  of  my  letters,  was  scarcely  a  suitable 
match  for  the  only  son  of  General  Littlepage.  Neither 
said  much,  however  ;  though  my  father  did  put  one  or 
two  questions  that  wrere  somewhat  to  the  point,  ere  we 
separated. 

"Am  I  to  understand,  Mordaunt,"  he  asked,  with  a  little 
of  the  gravity  a  parent  might  be  expected  to  exhibit  on 
hearing  so  unpleasant  an  announcement — "Am  I  to  un- 
derstand, Mordaunt,  that  you  are  actually  engaged  to  this 
young— eh-eh-eh — this  young  person  ?" 

"Do  not  hesitate,  my  dear  sir,  to  call  Ursula  Malbone 
a  lady.  She  is  a  lady  by  both  birth  and  education.  The 
last,  most  certainly,  or  she  never  could  have  stood  in  the 
relation  she  does  to  your  family," 

"And  what  relation  is  that,  sir?" 

"  It  is  just  this,  my  dear  father.  I  have  offered  to  Ursula 
— indiscreetly,  hastily  if  you  will,  as  I  ought  to  have  waited 
to  consult  you  and  my  mother — but  we  do  not  always  fol- 
low the  dictates  of  propriety  in  a  matter  of  so  much  feel- 
ing. I  dare  say,  sir,  you  did  better" — here  I  saw  a  slight 
smile  on  the  pretty  mouth  of  my  mother,  and  I  began  to 


394  THE  CHAINBEARER. 

suspect  that  the  general  had  been  no  more  dutiful  than 
myself  in  this  particular — "but  I  hope  my  forgetfulness 
will  be  excused,  on  account  of  the  influence  of  a  passion 
which  we  all  find  so  hard  to  resist." 

"  But  what  is  the  relation  this  young — lady — bears  to  my 
family,  Mordaunt?  You  are  not  already  married  ?" 

"  Far  from  it,  sir;  I  should  not  so  far  have  failed  in 
respect  to  you  three — or  even  to  Anneke  and  Katrinke.  I 
have  offered,  and  have  been  conditionally  accepted." 

"  Which  condition  is " 

"  The  consent  of  you  three  ;  the  perfect  approbation  of 
my  whole  near  connection.  I  believe  that  Dus,  dear  Dus, 
does  love  me,  and  that  she  would  cheerfully  give  me  her 
hand,  were  she  certain  of  its  being  agreeable  to  you,  but 
that  no  persuasion  of  mine  will  ever  induce  her  so  to  do 
under  other  circumstances." 

"This  is  something,  for  it  shows  the  girl  has  principle," 
answered  my  father  *'  Why,  who  goes  there  ?  " 

"Who  went  there  ?"  sure  enough.  There  went  Frank 
Malbone  and  .Priscilla  Bayard,  arm  in  arm,  and  so  en- 
grossed in  conversation  that  they  did  not  see  who  were 
observing  them.  I  dare  say  they  fancied  they  were  in  the 
woods,  quite  sheltered  from  curious  eyes,  and  at  liberty  to 
saunter  about,  as  much  occupied  with  each  other  as  they 
pleased  ;  or,  what  is  more  probable,  that  they  thought  of 
nothing,  just  then,  but  of  themselves.  They  came  out  of 
the  court,  and  walked  off  swiftly  into  the  orchard,  appear- 
ing to  tread  on  air,  and  seemingly  as  happy  as  the  birds 
that  were  carolling  on  the  surrounding  trees. 

"  There,  sir,"  I  said,  significantly — "  There,  my  dear 
mother,  is  the  proof  that  Miss  Priscilla  Bayard  will  not 
break  her  heart  on  my  account." 

"This  is  very  extraordinary,  indeed!"  exclaimed  my 
much  disappointed  grandmother — "  Is  not  that  the  young 
man  who  we  were  told  acted  as  Chainbearer's  surveyor, 
Corny  ? " 

"  It  is,  my  good  mother,  and  a  very  proper  and  agree- 
able youth  he  is,  as  I  know  by  a  conversation  held  with  him 
last  night.  It  is  very  plain  we  have  all  been  mistaken  "— 
added  the  general ;  "though  I  do  not  know  that  we  ought 
to  say  that  we  have  any  of  us  been  deceived." 

"  Here  comes  Kate,  with  a  face  which  announces  that 
she  is  fully  mistress  of  the  secret,"  I  put  in,  perceiving  my 
sister  coming  round  our  angle  of  the  building,  with  a 
countenance  which  I  knew  betokened  that  her  mind  and 


THE  CHAINBEAKER.  395 

heart  were  full.  She  joined  us,  took  my  arm  without 
speaking,  and  followed  my  father,  who  led  his  wife  and 
mother  t«  a  rude  bench  that  had  been  placed  at  the  foot  of 
a  tree,  where  we  all  took  seats,  each  waiting  for  some  other 
to  speak.  My  grandmother  broke  the  silence. 

"Do  you  see  Pris  Bayard  yonder,  walking  with  that 
Mr.  Frank  Chainbearer,  or  Surveyor,  or  whatever  his  name 
is,  Katrinke  dear  ?  "  asked  the  good  old  lady. 

"I  do,  grandmamma,"  answered  the  good  young  lady  in  a 
voice  so  pitched  as  to  be  hardly  audible. 

"  And  can  you  explain  what  it  means,  darling  ?  " 

"  I  believe  I  can,  ma'am— if — if — Mordaunt  wishes  to 
hear." 

"  Don't  mind  me,  Kate,"  returned  I,  smiling — "  My  heart 
will  never  be  broken  by  Miss  Priscilla  Bayard." 

The  look  of  sisterly  solicitude  that  I  received  from  that 
honest-hearted  girl  ought  to  have  made  me  feel  very  grate- 
ful ;  and  it  did  make  me  feel  grateful,  for  a  sister's  affec- 
tion is  a  sweet  thing.  I  believe  the  calmness  of  my  coun- 
tenance and  its  smiling  expression  encouraged  the  dear 
creature,  for  she  now  began  to  tell  her  story  as  fast  as  was 
at  all  in  rule. 

"The  meaning,  then,  is  this,"  said  Kate.  "  That  gentle- 
man is  Mr.  Francis  Malbone,  and  he  is  the  engaged  suitor 
of  Priscilla.  I  have  had  all  the  facts  from  her  own  mouth." 

"  Will  you,  then,  let  us  hear  as  many  of  them  as  it  is 
proper  we  should  know  ? "  said  the  general,  gravely. 

"There  is  no  wish  on  the  part  of  Priscilla  to  conceal 
anything.  She  has  known  Mr.  Malbone  several  years,  and 
they  have  been  attached  all  that  time.  Nothing  impeded 
the  affair  but  his  poverty.  Old  Mr.  Bayard  objected  to 
that,  of  course,  you  know,  as  fathers  will,  and  Priscilla 
would  not  engage  herself.  But — do  you  not  remember  to 
have  heard  of  the  death  of  an  old  Mrs.  Hazleton,  at  Bath, 
in  England,  this  summer,  mamma  ?  The  Bayards  are  in 
half-mourning  for  her  now." 

"  Certainly,  my  dear — Mrs.  Hazleton  was  Mr.  Bayard's 
aunt.  I  knew  her  well  once,  before  she  became  a  refugee 
— her  husband  was  a  half-pay  Colonel  Hazleton  of  the 
royal  artillery,  and  they  were  tories  of  course.  The  aunt 
was  named  Priscilla,  and  was  godmother  to  our  Pris." 

"  Just  so — well,  this  lady  has  left  Pris  ten  thousand 
pounds  in  the  English  funds,  and  the  Bayards  now  consent 
to  her  marrying  Mr.  Malbone.  They  say,  too,  but  I  don't 
think  that  can  have  had  any  influence,  for  Mr.  Bayard  and 


39&  THE  CHA1XBEARER. 

his  wife  are  particularly  disinterested  people,  as  indeed 
are  all  the  family  " — added  Kate,  hesitatingly  and  looking 
down  ;  "  but  they  say  that  the  death  of  some  young  man 
will  probably  leave  Mr.  Malbone  the  heir  of  an  aged 
cousin  of  his  late  father's." 

"  And  now,  my  dear  father  and  mother,  you  will  perceive 
that  Miss  Bayard  will  not  break  her  heart  because  I  hap- 
pen to  love  Dus  Malbone.  I  see  by  your  look,  Katrinke, 
that  you  have  had  some  hint  of  this  backsliding  also." 

"  I  have  ;  and  what  is  more,  I  have  seen  the  young  lady, 
and  can  hardly  wonder  at  it.  Anneke  and  I  have  been 
passing  two  hours  with  her  this  morning  ;  and  since  you 
cannot  get  Pris,  I  know  no  other,  Mordaunt,  who  will  so 
thoroughly  supply  her  place.  Anneke  is  in  love  with  her 
also ! " 

Dear,  good,  sober-minded,  judicious  Anneke  ;  she  had 
penetrated  into  the  true  character  of  Dus,  in  a  single  in- 
terview ;  a  circumstance  that  I  ascribed  to  the  impression 
left  by  the  recent  death  of  Chainbearer.  Ordinarily,  that 
spirited  young  woman  would  not  have  permitted  a  suffi- 
ciently near  approach  in  a  first  interview,  to  permit  a  dis- 
covery of  so  many  of  her  sterling  qualities  ,  but  now  her 
heart  was  softened,  and  her  spirit  so  much  subdued,  one  of 
Anneke's  habitual  gentleness  would  be  very  apt  to  win  on 
her  sympathies,  and  draw  the  two  close  to  each  other. 
The  reader  is  not  to  suppose  that  Dus  had  opened  her 
mind  like  a  vulgar  school-girl,  and  made  my  sister  a  con- 
fidant of  the  relation  in  which  she  and  I  stood  to  one  an- 
other. She  had  not  said,  or  v hinted,  a  syllable  on  the  sub- 
ject. The  information  Kate  possessed  had  come  from 
Priscilla  Bayard,  who  obtained  it  from  Frank,  as  a  matter 
of  course  ;  and  my  sister  subsequently  admitted  to  me  that 
her  friend's  happiness  was  augmented  by  the  knowledge 
that  I  should  not  be  a  sufferer  by  her  earlier  preference 
for  Malbone,  and  that  she  was  likely  to  have  me  for  a 
brother-in-law.  All  this  I  gleaned  from  Kate,  in  our  sub- 
sequent conferences. 

"  This  is  extraordinary  !  "  exclaimed  the  general — "very 
extraordinary  ;  and  to  me  quite  unexpected." 

"  We  can  have  no  right  to  control  Miss  Bayard's  choice," 
observed  my  discreet  and  high-principled  mother.  "  She 
is  her  own  mistress,  so  far  as  we  are  concerned  ;  and  if  her 
own  parents  approve  of  her  choice,  the  less  we  say  about 
it  the  better.  As  respects  this  connection  of  Mordaunt's,  I 
hope  he  himself  will  admit  of  our  right  to  have  opinions." 


THE  CHAINBEARER.  39? 

u  Perfectly  so,  my  dearest  mother.  All  I  ask  of  you  is, 
to  express  no  opinion,  however,  until  you  have  seen  Ursula 
—have  become  acquainted  with  her,  and  are  qualified  to 
judge  of  her  fitness  to  be  not  only  mine,  but  any  man's 
wife.  I  ask  but  this  of  your  justice." 

"  It  is  just ;  and  I  shall  act  on  the  suggestion,"  observed 
my  father.  "You  have  a  right  to  demand  this  of  us,  Mor- 
daunt,  and  I  can  promise  for  your  mother,  as  well  as  my- 
self." 

"After  all,  Anneke,"  put  in  grandmother,  "I  am  not 
sure  we  have  no  right  to  complain  of  Miss  Bayard's  con- 
duct toward  us.  Had  she  dropped  the  remotest  hint  of 
her  being  engaged  to  this  Malbone,  I  would  never  have 
endeavored  to  lead  my  grandson  to  think  of  her  seriously 
for  one  moment." 

"Your  grandson  never  has  thought  of  her  seriously  for 
one  moment,  or  for  half  a  moment,  dearest  grandmother," 
I  cried  ,  "  so  give  your  mind  no  concern  on  that  subject. 
Nothing  of  the  sort  could  make  me  happier  than  to  know 
that  Priscilla  Bayard  is  to  marry  Frank  Malbone  ;  unless 
it  were  to  be  certain  I  am  myself  to  marry  the  latter's  half- 
sister." 

"  How  can  this  be  ? — How  could  such  a  thing  possibly 
come  to  pass,  my  child  !  I  do  not  remember  ever  to  have 
heard  of  this  person — much  less  to  have  spoken  to  you  on 
the  subject  of  such  a  connection." 

"  Oh !  dearest  grandmother,  we  truant  children  some- 
times get  conceits  of  this  nature  into  our  heads  and  hearts, 
without  stopping  to  consult  our  relatives,  as  we  ought  to 
do." 

But  it  is  useless  to  repeat  all  that  was  said  in  the  long 
and  desultory  conversation  that  followed.  I  had  no  reason 
to  be  dissatisfied  with  my  parents,  who  ever  manifested  to- 
ward me  not  only  great  discretion,  but  great  indulgence. 
I  confess,  when  a  domestic  came  to  say  that  Miss  Dus  was 
at  the  breakfast-table,  waiting  for  us  alone,  I  trembled  a 
little  for  the  effect  that  might  be  produced  on  her  ap- 
pearance by  the  scenes  she  had  lately  gone  through.  She 
had  wept  a  great  deal  in  the  course  of  the  last  week  ;  and 
when  I  last  saw  her,  which  was  the  glimpse  caught  at  the 
funeral,  she  was  pale  and  dejected  in  aspect.  A  lover  is 
so  jealous  of  even  the  impression  tjiat  his  mistress  will 
make  on  those  he  wishes  to  admire  her,  that  I  felt  partic- 
ularly uncomfortable  as  we  entered  first  the  court,  then 
the  house,  and  last  the  eating-room. 


398  THE  CHAINBEARER. 

A  spacious  and  ample  board  had  been  spread  for  the  ac- 
commodation of  our  large  party.  Anneke,  Priscilla,  Frank 
Malbone,  aunt  Mary,  and  Ursula,  were  already  seated  when 
we  entered,  Dus  occupying  the  head  of  the  table.  No  one 
had  commenced  the  meal,  nor  had  the  young  mistress  of 
the  board  even  begun  to  pour  out  the  tea  and  coffee  (for 
my  presence  had  brought  abundance  into  the  house),  but 
there  she  sat,  respectfully  waiting  for  those  to  approach 
who  might  be  properly  considered  the  principal  guests.  I 
thought  Dus  had  never  appeared  more  lovely.  Her  dress  was 
a  neatly-arranged  and  tasteful  half-mourning  ;  with  which 
her  golden  hair,  rosy  cheeks,  and  bright  eyes  contrasted 
admirably.  The  cheeks  of  Dus,  too,  had  recovered  their 
color,  and  her  eyes  their  brightness.  The  fact  was,  that 
the  news  of  her  brother's  improved  fortunes  had  even  been 
better  than  we  were  just  told.  Frank  found  letters  for 
him  at  the  'Nest,  announcing  the  death  of  his  kinsman, 
with  a  pressing  invitation  to  join  the  bereaved  parent,  then 
an  aged  and  bed-ridden  invalid,  as  his  adopted  son.  He 
was  urged  to  bring  Dus  with  him  ;  and  he  received  a  hand- 
some remittance  to  enable  him  so  to  do  without  incon- 
venience to  himself.  This  alone  would  have  brought 
happiness  back  to  the  countenance  of  the  poor  and  de- 
pendent. Dus  mourned  her  uncle  in  sincerity,  and  she 
long  continued  to  mourn  for  him  ;  but  her  mourning  wras 
that  of  the  Christian  who  hoped.  Chainbearer's  hurt  had 
occurred  several  days  before  ;  and  the  first  feeling  of  sor- 
row had  become  lessened  by  time  and  reflection.  His  end 
had  been  happy  \  and  he  was  now  believed  to  be  enjoying 
the  fruition  of  his  penitence  through  the  sacrifice  of  the 
Son  of  God. 

It  was  easy  to  detect  the  surprise  that  appeared  in  the 
countenances  of  all  my  parents,  as  Miss  Malbone  rose,  like 
one  who  was  now  confident  of  her  position  and  claims  to 
give  and  to  receive  the  salutations  that  were  proper  for  the 
occasion.  Never  did  any  young  woman  acquit  herself  bet- 
ter than  Dus,  who  courtesied  gracefully  as  a  queen  ;  while 
she  returned  the  compliments  she  received  with  the  self- 
possession  of  one  bred  in  courts.  To  this  she  was  largely 
indebted  to  nature,  though  her  schooling  had  been  good. 
Many  of  the  first  young  women  of  the  colony  had  been  her 
companions  for  years  ;  and  in  that  day,  manner  was  far 
more  attended  to  than  it  is  getting  to  be  among  us  now. 
My  mother  was  delighted,  for,  as  she  afterward  assured 
me,  her  mind  was  already  made  up  to  receive  Ursula  as  a 


THE  CHAINBEARER.  399 

daughter  ;  since  she  thought  it  due  to  honor  to  redeem  my 
plighted  faith.  General  Littlepage  might  not  have  been 
so  very  scrupulous  ;  though  even  he  admitted  the  right  of 
the  obligations  I  had  incurred  ;  but  Dus  fairly  carried  him 
by  storm.  The  tempered  sadness  of  her  mien  gave  an  ex- 
quisite finish  to  her  beauty,  rendering  all  she  said,  did,  and 
looked,  that  morning,  perfect.  In  a  word,  everybody  was 
wondering  ;  but  everybody  was  pleased.  An  hour  or  two 
later,  and  after  the  ladies  had  been  alone  together,  my  ex- 
cellent grandmother  came  to  me  and  desired  to  have  a 
little  conversation  with  me  apart.  We  found  a  seat  in 
the  arbor  of  the  court  ;  and  my  venerable  parent  com- 
menced as  follows  : — 

"Well,  Mordaunt,  my  dear,  it  is  time  that  you  should 
think  of  marrying  and  of  settling  in  life.  As  Miss  Bayard 
is  happily  engaged,  I  do  not  see  that  you  can  do  better 
than  to  offer  to  Miss  Malbone.  Never  have  I  seen  so  beau- 
tiful a  creature  ;  and  the  generous-minded  Pris  tells  me 
she  is  as  good,  and  virtuous,  and  wise  as  she  is  lovely.  She 
is  well  born  and  well  educated  ;  and  may  have  a  good  fort- 
une in  the  bargain,  if  that  old  Mr.  Malbone  is  as  rich  as 
they  tell  me  he  is,  and  has  conscience  enough  to  make  a 
just  will.  Take  my  advice,  my  dear  son,  and  marry  Ur- 
sula Malbone." 

Dear  grandmother  !  I  did  take  her  advice  ;  and  I  am 
persuaded  that,  to  her  dying  day,  she  was  all  the  more 
happy  under  the  impression  that  she  had  materially  aided 
in  bringing  about  the  connection. 

As  General  Littlepage  and  Colonel  Pollock  had  come  so 
far,  they  chose  to  remain  a  month  or  two,  in  order  to  look 
after  their  lands,  and  to  revisit  some  scenes  in  that  part  of 
the  world  in  which  both  felt  a  deep  interest.  My  mother, 
and  aunt  Mary,  too,  seemed  content  to  remain,  for  they 
remembered  events  which  the  adjacent  country  recalled  to 
their  minds  with  a  melancholy  pleasure.  In  the  meanwhile 
Frank  went  to  meet  his  cousin,  and  had  time  to  return, 
ere  our  party  was  disposed  to  break  up.  During  his  ab- 
sence everything  was  arranged  for  my  marriage  with  his 
sister.  This  event  took  place  just  two  months,  to  a  day, 
from  that  of  the  funeral  of  Chainbearer.  A  clergyman 
was  obtained  from  Albany  to  perform  the  ceremony,  as 
neither  party  belonged  to  the  Congregational  order  ;  and 
an  hour  after  we  were  united,  everybody  left  us  alone  at 
the  'Nest,  on  their  return  south.  I  say  everybody,  though 
Jaap  and  Susquesus  were  exceptions.  These  two  remained 


400  THE  CHAINBEARER. 

and  remain  to  this  hour  ;  though  the  negro  did  return  to 
Lilacsbush  and  Satanstoe  to  assemble  his  family,  and  to 
pay  occasional  visits. 

There  was  much  profound  feeling,  but  little  parade,  at 
the  wedding.  My  mother  had  got  to  love  Ursula  as  if 
she  were  her  own  child  :  and  I  had  not  only  the  pleasure, 
but  the  triumph  of  seeing  the  manner  in  which  my  be- 
trothed rendered  herself  from  day  to  day,  and  this  without 
any  other  means  than  the  most  artless  and  natural,  more 
and  more  acceptable  to  my  friends. 

"  This  is  perfect  happiness,"  said  Dus  to  me,  one  lovely 
afternoon  that  we  were  strolling  in  company  along  the 
cliff,  near  the  Nest — and  a  few  minutes  after  she  had  left 
my  mother's  arms,  who  had  embraced  and  blessed  her,  as 
a  pious  parent  does  both  to  a  well-beloved  child — "This  is 
perfect  happiness,  Mordaunt,  to  be  the  chosen  of  you,  and 
the  accepted  of  your  parents  !  I  never  knew,  until  now, 
what  it  is  to  have  a  parent.  Uncle  Chainbearer  did  all  he 
could  for  me,  and  I  shall  cherish  his  memory  to  my  latest 
breath — but  uncle  Chainbearer  could  never  supply  the 
place  of  a  mother.  How  blessed,  how  undeservedly  blessed 
does  my  lot  promise  to  become  !  You  will  give  me  not 
only  parents,  and  parents  I  can  love  as  well  as  if  they  were 
those  granted  by  nature,  but  you  will  give  me  also  two  such 
sisters  as  few  others  possess  !  " 

"And  I  give  you  all,  dearest  Dus,  encumbered  with  such 
a  husband  that  I  am  almost  afraid  you  will  fancy  the  other 
gifts  too  dearly  purchased,  when  you  come  to  know  him 
better." 

The  ingenuous,  grateful  look,  the  conscious  blush,  and 
the  thoughful,  pensive  smile,  each  and  all  said  that  my 
pleased  and  partial  listener  had  no  concern  on  that  score. 
Had  I  then  understood  the  sex  as  well  as  I  now  do,  I  might 
have  foreseen  that  a  wife's  affection  augments,  instead  of 
diminishing  ;  that  the  love  the  pure  and  .devoted  matron 
bears  her  husband  increases  with  time,  and  gets  to  be  a 
part  and  parcel  of  her  moral  existence.  I  am  no  advocate 
of  what  are  called,  strictly,  "marriages  of  reason" — I 
think  the  solemn  and  enduring  knot  should  be  tied  by  the 
hands  of  warm-hearted,  impulsive  affection,  increased  and 
strengthened  by  knowledge  and  confidential  minglings  of 
thought  and  feeling  ;  but  I  have  lived  long  enough  to  un- 
derstand that,  lively  as  are  the  passions  of  youth,  they  pro- 
duce no  delights  like  those  which  spring  from  the  trietf 
and  deep  affections  of  a  happy  married  life. 


THE  CHAINBEARER.  401 

And  we  were  married  !  The  ceremony  took  place  before 
breakfast,  in  order  to  enable  our  friends  to  reach  the  great 
highway  ere  night  should  overtake  them.  The  meal  that 
succeeded  was  silent  and  thoughtful.  Then  my  dear,  dear 
mother  took  Dus  in  her  arms,  and  kissed  and  blessed  her 
again  and  again.  My  honored  father  did  the  same,  bidding 
my  weeping  but  happy  bride  remember  that  she  was  now 
his  daughter.  "  Mordaunt  is  a  good  fellow,  at  the  bottom, 
dear,  and  will  love  and  cherish  you  as  he  has  promised," 
added  the  general,  blowing  his  nose  to  conceal  his  emo- 
tion ;  "  but  should  he  ever  forget  any  part  of  his  vows, 
come  to  me,  and  I  will  visit  him  with  a  father's  displeas- 
ure." 

"  No  fear  of  Mordaunt — no  fear  of  Mordaunt,"  put  in 
my  worthy  grandmother,  who  succeeded  in  the  temporary 
leave-taking — "  he  is  a  Littlepage,  and  all  the  Littlepages 
make  excellent  husbands.  The  boy  is  as  like  what  his 
grandfather  was,  at  his  time  of  life,  as  one  pea  is  like,  an- 
other. God  bless  you,  daughter — you  will  visit  me  at 
Satan stoe  this  fall,  when  I  shall  have  great  pleasure  in 
showing  you  my  general's  picture." 

Anneke  and  Kate,  and  Pris  Bayard  hugged  Dus  in  such 
a  \vay  that  I  was  afraid  they  would  eat  her  up,  while  Frank 
took  his  leave  of  his  sister  with  the  manly  tenderness  he 
always  showed  her.  The  fellow  was  too  happy  himself, 
however,  to  be  shedding  many  tears,  though  Dus  actually 
sobbed  on  his  bosom.  The  dear  creature  was  doubtless 
running  over  the  past,  in  her  mind,  and  putting  it  in  con- 
trast with  the  blessed  present. 

At  the  end  of  the  honey-moon,  I  loved  Dus  twice  as 
much  as  I  had  loved  her  the  hour  we  were  married.  Had 
any  one  told  me  this  was  possible,  I  should  have  derided 
the  thought ;  but  thus  it  was,  and  I  may  truly  add,  thus 
has  it  ever  continued  to  be.  At  the  end  of  that  month, 
we  left  Ravensnest  for  Lilacsbush,  when  I  had  the  pleas- 
ure of  seeing  my  bride  duly  introduced  to  that  portion  of 
what  is  called  the  world,  to  which  she  properly  belonged. 
Previously  to  quitting  the  Patent,  however,  all  my  plans 
were  made,  and  contracts  were  signed,  preparatory  to  the 
construction  of  the  house  that  my  father  had  mentioned. 
The  foundation  was  laid  that  same  season,  and  we  did 
keep  our  Christmas  holidays  in  it,  the  following  year,  by 
which  time  Dus  had  made  me  the  father  of  a  noble  boy. 

It  is  scarcely  necessary  to  say  that  Frank  and  Pris  were 
married,  as  were  Tom  and  Kate,  at  CQ  great  distance  of 
26 


402  THE  CHA1NBEARRR. 

time  after  ourselves.  Both  of  those  matches  have  turned 
out  to  be  perfectly  happy.  Old  Mr.  Malbone  did  not  sur- 
vive the  winter,  and  he  left  the  whole  of  a  very  sufficient 
estate  to  his  kinsman.  Frank  was  desirous  of  making  his 
sister  a  sharer  in  his  good  fortune,  but  I  would  not  hear 
of  it.  Dus  was  treasure  enough  of  herself,  and  wanted 
not  money  to  enhance  her  value  in  my  eyes.  I  thought 
so  in  1785,  and  I  think  so  to-day.  We  got  some  plate  and 
presents,  that  were  well  enough,  but  never  would  accept 
any  portion  of  the  property.  The  rapid  growth  of  New 
York  brought  our  vacant  lots  in  that  thriving  town  into 
the  market,  and  we  soon  became  richer  than  was  neces- 
sary to  happiness.  I  hope  the  gifts  of  Providence  have 
never  been  abused.  Of  one  thing  I  am  certain  ;  Dus  has 
ever  been  far  more  prized  by  me  than  any  other  of  my 
possessions. 

I  ought  to  say  a  word  of  Jaap  and  the  Indian.  Both 
are  still  living,  and  both  dwell  at  the  Nest.  For  the  In- 
dian I  caused  a  habitation  to  be  erected  in  a  certain  ravine, 
at  no  great  distance  from  the  house,  and  which  had  been 
the  scene  of  one  of  his  early  exploits  in  that  part  of  the 
country.  Here  he  lives,  and  has  lived. for  the  last  twenty 
years,  and  here  he  hopes  to  die.  He  gets  his  food,  blank- 
ets, and  whatever  else  is  necessary  to  supply  his  few  wants, 
at  the  Nest,  coming  and  going  at  will.  He  is  now  draw- 
ing fast  on  old  age,  but  retains  his  elastic  step,  upright 
movement,  and  vigor.  I  do  not  see  but  he  may  live  to  be 
a  hundred.  The  same  is  true  of  Jaap.  The  old  fellow 
holds  on,  and  enjoys  life  like  a  true  descendant  of  the  Af- 
ricans. He  and  Sus  are  inseparable,  and  often  stray  off 
into  the  forest  on  long  hunts,  even  in  the  winter,  return- 
ing with  loads  of  venison,  wild  turkeys,  and  other  game. 
The  negro  dwells  at  the  Nest,  but  half  his  time  he  sleeps 
in  the  wigwam,  as  we  call  the  dwelling  of  Sus.  The  two 
old  fellows  dispute  frequently,  and  occasionally  they  quar- 
rel ;  but,  as  neither  drinks,  the  quarrels  are  never  very 
long  or  very  serious.  They  generally  grow  out  of  differ- 
ences of  opinion  on  moral  philosophy,  as  connected  with 
their  respective  views  of  the  past  and  the  future. 

Lowiny  remained  with  us  as  a  maid  until  she  made  a 
very  suitable  marriage  with  one  of  my  own  tenants.  For 
a  little  while  after  my  marriage  I  thought  she  was  melan- 
choly, probably  through  regret  for  her  absent  and  dis- 
persed family  ;  but  this  feeling  soon  disappeared,  and  she 
became  contented  and  happy.  Her  good  looks  improved 


THE  CtfAINBEARER.  403 

Urider  the  influence  of  civilization,  and  I  have  the  satisfac- 
tion of  adding  that  she  never  has  had  any  reason  to  regret 
having  attached  herself  to  us.  To  this  moment  she  is  an 
out-door  dependent  and  humble  friend  of  my  wife,  and  we 
find  her  particularly  useful  in  cases  of  illness  among  our 
children. 

What  shall  I  say  of  'Squire  Newcome  ?  He  lived  to  a 
good  old  age,  dying  quite  recently  ;  and  with  many  who 
knew,  or,  rather,  who  did  not  know  him,  he  passed  for  a 
portion  of  the  salt  of  the  earth.  I  never  proceeded 
against  him  on  account  of  his  connection  with  the  squat- 
ters, and  he  lived  his  time  in  a  sort  of  lingering  uncer- 
tainty as  to  my  knowledge  of  his  tricks.  That  man  be- 
came a  sort  of  a  deacon  in  his  church,  was  more  than  once 
a  member  of  the  Assembly,  and  continued  to^be  a  favorite 
recipient  of  public  favors  down  to  his  last  moment  ;  and 
this  simply  because  his  habits  brought  him  near  to  the 
mass,  and  because  he  took  the  most  elaborate  care  never 
to  tell  them  a  truth  that  was  unpleasant.  He  once  had 
the  temerity  to  run  against  me  for  Congress,  but  that  ex- 
periment proved  to  be  a  failure.  Had  it  been  attempted 
forty  years  later,  it  might  have  succeeded  better.  Jason 
died  poor  and  in  debt,  after  all  his  knavery  and  schemes. 
Avidity  for  gold  had  overreached  itself  in  his  case,  as  it 
does  in  those  of  so  many  others.  His  descendants,  not- 
withstanding, remain  with  us  ;  and  while  they  have  suc- 
ceeded to  very  little  in  the  way  of  property,  they  are  the 
legitimate  heritors  of  their  ancestor's  vulgarity  of  mind 
and  manners — of  his  tricks,  his  dissimulations,  and  his 
frauds.  This  is  the  way  in  which  Providence  "  visits  the 
sins  of  the  fathers  upon  the  children,  unto  the  third  and 
fourth  generations." 

Little  more  remains  to  be  said.  The  owners  of  Moose- 
ridge  have  succeeded  in  selling  all  the  lots  they  wished  to 
put  into  the  market,  and  large  sums  stand  secured  on 
them,  in  the  way  of  bonds  and  mortgages.  Anneke  and 
Kate  have  received  fair  portions  of  this  property,  includ- 
ing much  that  belonged  to  Colonel  Follock,  who  now 
lives  altogether  with  my  parents.  Aunt  Mary,  I  regret  to 
say,  died  a  few  years  since,  a  victim  to  small-pox.  She 
never  married,  of  course,  and  left  her  handsome  property 
between  my  sisters  and  a  certain  lady  of  the  name  of  Ten 
Eyck,  who  needed  it,  and  whose  principal  claim  consisted 
in  her  being  a  third  cousin  of  her  former  lover,  I  believe. 
My  mother  mourned  the  death  of  her  friend  sincerely,  as  did 


404  THE  CHAINBEARER. 

we  all ;  but  we  had  the  consolation  of  believing  her  happy 
with  the  angels. 

I  caused  to  be  erected,  in  the  extensive  grounds  that 
were  laid  out  around  the  new  dwelling  at  the  Nest,  a 
suitable  monument  over  the  grave  of  Chainbearer.  It 
bore  a  simple  inscription,  and  one  that  my  children  now 
often  read  and  comment  on  with  pleasure.  We  all  speak  of 
him  as  "Uncle  Chainbearer"  to  this  hour,  and  his  grave 
is  never  mentioned  on  other  terms  than  those  of  "  Uncle 
Chainbearer's  grave."  Excellent  old  man  !  That  he  was 
not  superior  to  the  failings  of  human  nature,  need  not 
be  said  ;  but  so  long  as  he  lived,  he  lived  a  proof  of  how 
much  more  respectable  and  estimable  is  the  man  who 
takes  simplicity,  and  honesty,  and  principle,  and  truth  for 
his  guide,  than  he  who  endeavors  to  struggle  through  the 
world  by  the  aid  of  falsehood,  chicanery,  and  trick. 


THE   END. 


"All  of  the  girls  but  Mary  Warren  had  entered  the  house.      .      .      . 
She  remained  at  the  side  of  my  grandmother." 

—  The  Redskins,  page  151. 


THE   REDSKINS 


OR 


INDIAN   AND   INJIN 


BEING  THE   CONCLUSION   OF 


THE   LITTLEPAGE   MANUSCRIPTS 


BY 

J.   FENIMORE    COOPER 


;  In  every  work  regard  the  writer's  end 
None  e'er  can  compass  more  than  they  intend  " 

—POPE 


PREFACE. 


THIS  book  closes  the  series  of  the  Littlepage  Manu- 
scripts, which  have  been  given  to  the  world,  as  containing 
a  fair  account  of  the  comparative  sacrifices  of  time,  money, 
and  labor,  made  respectively  by  the  landlord  and  the  ten- 
ants, on  a  New  York  estate  ;  together  with  the  manner  in 
which  usages  and  opinions  are  changing  among  us  ;  as  well 
as  certain  of  the  reasons  of  these  changes.  The  discrim- 
inating reader  will  probably  be  able  to  trace  in  these  narra- 
tives the  progress  of  those  innovations  on  the  great  laws 
of  morals  which  are  becoming  so  very  manifest  in  connec- 
tion with  this  interest,  setting  at  naught  the  plainest  prin- 
ciples that  God  has  transmitted  to  man  for  the  government 
of  his  conduct,  and  all  under  the  extraordinary  pretence  of 
favoring  liberty !  In  this  downward  course,  our  picture 
embraces  some  of  the  proofs  of  that  looseness  of  views  on 
the  subject  of  certain  species  of  property  which  is,  in  a 
degree  perhaps,  inseparable  from  the  semi-barbarous  con- 
dition of  a  new  settlement ;  the  gradation  of  the  squatter, 
from  him  who  merely  makes  his  pitch  to  crop  a  few  fields 
in  passing,  to  him  who  carries  on  the  business  by  wholesale  ; 
and  last, "though  not  least  in  this  catalogue  of  marauders, 
the  anti-renter. 

It  would  be  idle  to  deny  that  the  great  principle  which 
lies_at  the  bottom  of  anti-rentism,  if  principle  it  can  be 
called,  is  the  assumption  of  a  claim  that  the  interests  and 
wishes  of  numbers  are  to  be  respected,  though  done  at  a 
sacrifice  of  the  clearest  rights  of  the  few.  That  this  is  not 
liberty,  but  tyranny  in  its  worst  form,  every  right-thinking 
and  right-feeling  man  must  be  fully  aware.  Every  one 
who  knows  much  of  the  history  of  the  past,  and  of  the 
influence  of  classes,  must  understand,  that  whenever  the 
educated,  the  affluent,  and  the  practised  choose  to  unite 
their  means  of  combination  and  money  to  control  the 
political  destiny  of  a  country,  they  become  irresistible; 


4  PREFA  CE. 

making  the  most  subservient  tools  of  those  very  masses 
who  vainly  imagine  they  are  the  true  guardians  of  their 
own  liberties.  The  well-known  election  of  1840  is  a  mem- 
orable instance  of  the  power  of  such  a  combination ; 
though  that  was  a  combination  formed  mostly  for  the 
mere  purposes  of  faction,  sustained  perhaps  by  the  des- 
perate designs  of  the  insolvents  of  the  country.  Such  a 
combination  was  necessarily  wanting  in  union  among  the 
affluent ;  it  had  not  the  high  support  of  principles  to  give 
it  sanctity,  and  it  affords  little  more  than  the  proof  of  the 
power  of  money  and  leisure,  when  applied  in  a  very  doubt- 
ful cause,  in  wielding  the  masses  of  a  great  nation,  to  be 
the  instruments  of  their  own  subjection.  No  well-inten- 
tioned American  legislator,  consequently,  ought  ever  to 
lose  sight  of  the  fact,  that  each  invasion  of  the  right  which 
he  sanctions  is  a  blow  struck  against  liberty  itself,  which, 
in  a  country  like  this,  has  no  auxiliary  so  certain  or  so 
powerful  as  justice. 

The  State  of  New  YoflT" contains  about  43,000  square 
miles  of  land  ;  or  something  like  27,000,000  of  acres.  In 
1783,  its  population  must  have  been  about  200,000  souls. 
With  such  a  proportion  between  people  and  surface  it  is 
unnecessary  to  prove  that  the  husbandman  was  not  quite 
as  dependent  on  the  landholder,  as  the  landholder  was  de- 
pendent on  the  husbandman.  This  would  have  been  true, 
had  the  State  been  an  island  ;  but  we  all  know  it  was  sur- 
rounded by  many  other  communities  similarly  situated, 
and  that  nothing  else  was  so  abundant  as  land.  All  no- 
tions of  exactions  and  monopolies,  therefore,  must  be  un- 
true, as  applied  to  those  two  interests  at  that  day. 

In  1786-7,  the  State  of  New  York,  then  in  possession  of 
all  powers  on  the  subject,  abolished  entails,  and  otherwise 
brought  its  law  of  real  estate  in  harmony  with  the  institu- 
tions. At  that  time,  hundreds,  perhaps  thousands,  of  the 
leases  which  have  since  become  so  obnoxious,  were  in  ex- 
istence. With  the  attention  of  the  State  drawn  directly  to 
the  main  subject,  no  one  saw  anything  incompatible  with 
the  institutions  in  them.  //  was  felt  that  the  landlords  had 
bought  the  tenants  to  occupy  their  lands  by  the  liberality  of  their 
concessions,  and  that  the  latter  were  the  obliged  parties. 
Had  the  landlords  of  that  day  endeavored  to  lease  for  one 
year,  or  for  ten  years,  no  tenants  could  have  been  found 
for  wild  lands  ;  but  it  became  a  different  thing,  when  the 
owner  of  the  soil  agreed  to  part  with  it  forever,  in  consid- 
eration of  a  very  low  rent;  granting  six  or  eight  years  free 


PREFACE.  5 

from  any  charge  whatever,  and  consenting  to  receive  the 
product  of  the  soil  itself  in  lieu  of  money.  Then,  indeed, 
men  were  not  only  willing  to  come  into  the  terms,  but 
eager;  the  best  evidence  of  which  is  the  fact,  that  the  same 
tenants  might  have  bought  land,  out  and  out,  in  every  di- 
rection around  them,  had  they  not  preferred  the  easier 
terms  of  the  leases.  Now  that  these  same  men,  or  their 
successors,  have  become  rich  enough  to  care  more  to  be 
rid  of  the  encumbrance  of  the  rent  than  to  keep  their 
money,  the  rights  of  the  parties  certainly  are  not  altered. 

In  1789,  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States  went  into 
operation  ;  New  York  being  a  party  to  its  creation  and  con- 
ditions. By  that  Constitution,  the  State  deliberately  de- 
prived itself  of  the  power  to  touch  the  covenants  of  these 
leases,  without  conceding  the  power  to  any  other  govern- 
ment ;  unless  it  might  be  through  a  change  of  the  Consti- 
tution itself.  As  a  necessary  consequence,  these  leases,  in 
a  legal  sense,  belong  to  the  institutions  of  New  York,  in- 
stead of  being  opposed  to  them.  Not  only  is  the  spirit  of 
the  institutions  in  harmony  with  these  leases,  but  so  is  the 
letter  also.  Men  must  draw  a  distinction  between  the 
"  spirit  of  the  institutions"  and  their  own  "spirits;"  the 
latter  being  often  nothing  more  than  a  stomach  that  is  not 
easily  satisfied.  It  would  be  just  as  true  to  affirm  that  do- 
mestic slavery  is  opposed  to  the  institutions  of  the  United 
States,  as  to  say  the  same  of  these  leases.  It  would  be  just 
as  rational  to  maintain,  because  A  does  not  choose  to  make 
an  associate  of  B,  that  he  is  acting  in  opposition  to  the 
"  spirit  of  the  institutions,"  inasmuch  as  the  Declaration 
of  Independence  advances  the  dogma  that  men  are  born 
equ,al,  as  it  is  to  say  it  is  opposed  to  the  same  spirit,  for  B 
to  pay  rent  to  A  according  to  his  covenant. 

It  is  pretended  that  the  durable  leases  are  feudal  in  their 
nature.  We  do  not  conceive  this  to  be  true  ;  but,  admit- 
ting it  to  be  so,  it  would  only  prove  that  feudality,  to  this 
extent,  is  a  part  of  the  institutions  of  the  State.  What  is 
more,  it  would  become  a  part  over  which  the  State  itself 
has  conceded  all  power  of  control,  beyond  that  which  it 
may  remotely  possess  as  one,  out  of  twenty-eight  commu- 
nities. As  respects  this  feudal  feature,  it  is  not  easy  to  say 
where  it  must  be  looked  for.  It  is  not  to  be  found  in  the 
simple  fact  of  paying  rent,  for  that  is  so  general  as  to  ren- 
der the  whole  country  feudal,  could  it  be  true  ;  it  cannot 
be  in  the  circumstance  that  the  rent  is  to  be  paid  <lin 
kind,"  as  it  is  called,  and  in  labor,  for  that  is  an  advantage 


6  PREFA  CE. 

to  the  tenant,  by  affording  him  the  option,  since  the  pen 
alty  of  a  failure  leaves  the  alternative  of  paying  in  money. 
It  must  be,  therefore,  that  these  leases  are  feudal  because 
they  run  forever  !  Now  the  length  of  the  lease  is  clearly 
a  concession  to  the  tenant,  and  was  so  regarded  when  re- 
ceived ;  and  there  is  not  probably  a  single  tenant,  under 
lives,  who  would  not  gladly  exchange  his  term  of  posses- 
sion for  that  of  one  of  these  detestable  durable  leases  ! 

Among  the  absurdities  that  have  been  circulated  on  this 
subject  of  feudality,  it  has  been  pretended  that  the  well- 
known  English  statute  of  quia  emptores  has  prohibited 
fines  for  alienation  ;  or  that  the  quarter-sales,  fifth-sales, 
sixth-sales,  etc.,  of  our  own  leases  were  contrary  to  the  law 
of  the  realm,  when  made.  Under  the  common  law,  in  cer- 
tain cases  of  feudal  tenures,  the  fines  for  alienation  were 
an  incident  of  the  tenure.  The  statute  of  quia  emptores 
abolished  that  general  principle,  but  it  in  no  manner  for- 
bade parties  to  enter  into  covenants  of  the  nature  of  quarter- 
sales,  did  they  see  fit.  The  common  law  gives  all  the  real 
estate  to  the  eldest  son.  Our  statute  divides  the  real  estate 
among  the  nearest  of  kin,  without  regard  even  to  sex.  It 
might  just  as  well  be  pretended  that  the  father  cannot  de- 
vise all  his  lands  to  his  eldest  son,  under  our  statute,  as  to 
say  that  the  law  of  Edward  I.  prevents  parties  from  bar- 
gaining for  quarter-sales.  Altering  a  provision  of  the 
common  law  does  not  preclude  parties  from  making  cove- 
nants similar  to  its  ancient  provisions. 

Feudal  tenures  were  originally  divided  into  two  great 
classes  ;  those  which  were  called  the  military  tenures,  or 
knight's  service,  and  soccage.  The  first  tenure  was  that 
which  became  oppressive  in  the  progress  of  society.  Soc- 
cage was  of  two  kinds  ;  free  and  villain.  The  first  has  an 
affinity  to  our  own  system,  as  connected  with  these  leases  ; 
the  last  never  existed  among  us  at  all.  When  the  knight's 
service,  or  military  tenures  of  England,  were  converted 
into  free  soccage,  in  the  reign  of  Charles  II.,  the  conces- 
sion was  considered  of  a  character  so  favorable  to  liberty 
as  to  be  classed  among  the  great  measures  of  the  time  ; 
one  of  which  was  the  habeas  corpus  act ! 

The  only  feature  of  our  own  leases,  in  the  least  approach- 
ing "villain  soccage,"  is  that  of  the  "days'  works."  But 
every  one  acquainted  with  the  habits  of  American  life,  will 
understand  that  husbandmen,  in  general,  throughout  the 
northern  States,  would  regard  it  as  an  advantage  to  be  able 
to  pay  their  debts  in  this  way  ;  and  the  law  gives  them  an 


PREFACE.  7 

option,  since  a  failure  to  pay  "in  kind,"  or  "in  work," 
merely  incurs  the  forfeiture  of  paying  what  the  particular 
thing  is  worth,  in  money.  In  point  of  fact,  money  has 
always  been  received  for  these  "days'  works,"  and  at  a 
stipulated  price. 

But,  it  is  pretended,  whatever  may  be  the  equity  of  these 
leasehold  contracts,  they  are  offensive  to  the  tenants,  and 
ought  to  be  abrogated,  for  the  peace  of  the  State.  The 
State  is  bound  to  make  all  classes  of  men  respect  its  laws, 
and  in  nothing  more  so  than  in  the  fulfilment  of  their 
legal  contracts.  The  greater  the  number  of  the  offenders, 
the  higher  the  obligation  to  act  with  decision  and  effi- 
ciency. To  say  that  these  disorganizers  ought  not  to  be 
put  down,  is  to  say  that  crime  is  to  obtain  impunity  by  its 
own  extent  ;  and  to  say  that  they  cannot  be  put  down 
"  under  our  form  of  government,"  is  a  direct  admission 
that  the  government  is  unequal  to  the  discharge  of  one  of 
the  plainest  and  commonest  obligations  of  all  civilized 
society.  If  this  be  really  so,  the  sooner  we  get  rid  of  the 
present  form  of  government  the  better.  The  notion  of 
remedying  such  an  evil  by  concession  is  as  puerile  as  it  is 
dishonest.  The  larger  the  concessions  become,  the  greater 
will  be  the  exactions  of  a  cormorant  cupidity.  As  soon  as 
quiet  is  obtained  by  these  means,  in  reference  to  the  lease- 
hold tenures,  it  will  be  demanded  by  some  fresh  combi- 
nation to  attain  some  other  end. 

When  Lee  told  Washington,  at  Monmouth,  "  Sir,  your 
troops  will  not  stand  against  British  grenadiers,"  Wash- 
ington is  said  to  have  answered,  "  Sir,  you  have  never 
tried  them."  The  same  reply  might  be  given  to  those 
miserable  traducers  of  this  republic,  who,  in  order  to  ob- 
tain votes,  affect  to  think  there  is  not  sufficient  energy  in 
its  government  to  put  down  so  barefaced  an  attempt  as 
this  of  the  anti-renters  to  alter  the  conditions  of  their  own 
leases  to  suit  their  own  convenience.  The  county  of  Dela- 
ware has,  of  itself,  nobly  given  the  lie  to  the  assertion,  the 
honest  portion  of  its  inhabitants  scattering  the  knaves  to 
the  four  winds,  the  moment  there  was  a  fair  occasion  made 
for  them  to  act.  A  single,  energetic  proclamation  from 
Albany,  calling  a  "spade  a  spade,"  and  not  affecting  to 
gloss  over  the  disguised  robbery  of  these  anti-renters,  and 
laying  just  principles  fairly  before  the  public  mind,  would 
of  itself  have  crushed  the  evil  in  its  germ.  The  people  of 
New  York,  in  their  general  capacity,  are  not  the  knaves 
their  servants  evidently  suppose. 


8  PREFA  CE. 

The  Assembly  of  New  York,  in  its  memorable  session 
of  1846,  has  taxed  the  rents  on  long  leases  ;  thus,  not  only 
taxing  the  same  property  twice,  but  imposing  the  worst 
sort  of  income-tax,  or  one  aimed  at  a  few  individuals.  It 
has  "  thimble-rigged "  in  its  legislation,  as  Mr.  Hugh 
Littlepage  not  unaptly  terms  it  ;  endeavoring  to  do  that 
indirectly,  which  the  Constitution  will  not  permit  it  to  do 
directly.  In  other  words,  as  it  can  pass  no  direct  law 
•'  impairing  the  obligation  of  contracts,"  while  it  can  regu- 
late descents,  it  has  enacted,  so  far  as  one  body  of  the 
legislature  has  power  to  enact  anything,  that  on  the  death 
of  a  landlord  the  tenant  may  convert  his  lease  into  a  mort- 
gage, on  discharging  which  he  shall  hold  his  land  in  fee  ! 

We  deem  the  first  of  these  measures  far  more  tyrannical 
than  the  attempt  of  Great  Britain  to  tax  her  colonies, 
which  brought  about  the  Revolution.  It  is  of  the  same 
general  character,  that  of  unjust  taxation  :  while  it  is  at- 
tended by  circumstances  of  aggravation  that  were  alto- 
gether wanting  in  the  policy  of  the  mother  country.  This 
is  not  a  tax  for  revenue,  which  is  not  needed  ;  but  a  tax  to 
"choke  off  "  landlords,  to  use  a  common  American  phrase. 
It  is  clearly  taxing  nothing,  or  it  is  taxing  the  same  prop- 
erty twice.  It  is  done  to  conciliate  three  or  four  thousand 
voters,  who  are  now  in  the  market,  at  the  expense  of  three 
or  four  hundred  who,  it  is  known,  are  not  to  be  bought.  It 
is  unjust  in  its  motives,  its  means  and  its  end.  The  meas- 
ure is  discreditable  to  civilization,  and  an  outrage  on  lib- 
erty. 

But,  the  other  law  mentioned  is  an  atrocity  so  grave  as 
to  alarm  every  man  of  common  principle  in  the  State,  were 
it  not  so  feeble  in  its  devices  to  cheat  the  Constitution  as 
to  excite  contempt.  This  extraordinary  power  is  exercised 
because  the  legislature  can  control  the  law  of  descents, 
though  it  cannot  "impair  the  obligation  of  contracts!" 
Had  the  law  said  at  once  that  on  the  death  of  a  landlord 
each  of  his  tenants  should  own  his  farm  in  fee,  the  ensemble 
of  the  fraud  would  have  been  preserved,  since  the  "law  of 
descents"  would  have  been  so  far  regulated  as  to  substitute 
one  heir  for  another  ;  but  changing  the  nature  of  a  con- 
tract, with  a  party  who  has  nothing  to  do  with  the  succes- 
sion at  all,  is  not  so  very  clearly  altering,  or  amending,  the 
law  of  descents  !  It  is  scarcely  necessary  to  say  that  eyery 
reputable  court  in  the  country,  whether  state  or  federal, 
would  brand  such  a  law  with  the  disgrace  it  merits. 

But  the"  worst  feature  of  this  law,  or  attempted  law,  re- 


PREFACE.  9 

mains  to  be  noticed.  It  would  have  been  a  premium  on 
murder.  Murder  has  already  been  committed  by  these 
anti-renters,  and  that  obviously  to  effect  their  ends  ;  and 
they  are  to  be  told  that  whenever  you  shoot  a  landlord,  as 
some  have  already  often  shot  at  them,  you  can  convert 
your  leasehold  tenures  into  tenures  in  fee !  The  mode  of 
valuation  is  so  obvious,  too,  as  to  deserve  a  remark.  A 
master  was  to  settle  the  valuation  on  testimony.  The  wit- 
nesses of  course  would  be  "the  neighbors,"  and  a  whole 
patent  could  swear  for  each  other  ! 

As  democrats  we  protest  most  solemnly  against  such 
barefaced  frauds,  such  palpable  cupidity  and  covetous- 
ness,  being  termed  anything  but  what  they  are.  If  they 
come  of  any  party  at  all,  it  is  the  party  of  the  devil. 
Democracy  is  a  lofty  and  noble  sentiment.  It  does  not 
rob  the  poor  to  make  the  rich  richer,  nor  the  rich  to  favor 
the  poor.  It  is  just,  and  treats  all  men  alike.  It  does  not 
"impair  the  obligations  of  contracts."  It  is  not  the  friend 
of  a  canting  legislation,  but,  meaning  right,  dare  act  di- 
rectly. Ther0  is  no  greater  delusion  than  to  suppose  that 
true  democracy  has  anything  in  common  with  injustice  or 
roguery. 

Nor  is  it  an  apology  for  anti-rentism,  in  any  of  its  as- 
pects, to  say  that  leasehold  tenures  are  inexpedient.  The 
most  expedient  thing  in  existence  is  to  do  right.  Were 
there  no  other  objection  to  this  anti-rent  movement  than 
its  corrupting  influence,  that  alone  should  set  every  wise 
man  in  the  community  firmly  against  it.  We  have  seen 
too  much  of  this  earth  to  be  so  easily  convinced  that  there 
is  any  disadvantage,  nay,  that  there  is  not  a  positive  ad- 
vantage, in  the  existence  of  large  leasehold  estates,  when 
they  carry  with  them  no  political  power,  as  is  the  fact 
here.  The  commonplace  argument  against  them,  that  they 
defeat  the  civilization  of  a  country,  is  not  sustained  by 
fact.  The  most  civilized  countries  on  earth  are  under  this 
system  ;  and  this  system,  too,  not  entirely  free  from  grave 
objections  which  do  not  exist  among  ourselves.  That  a 
poorer  class  of  citizens  have  originally  leased  than  have 
purchased  lands  in  New  York  is  probably  true  ;  and  it  is 
equally  probable  that  the  effects  of  this  poverty,  and  even 
of  the  tenure  in  the  infancy  of  a  country,  are  to  be  traced 
on  the  estates.  But  this  is  taking  a  very  one-sided  view 
of  the  matter.  The  men  who  became  tenants  in  moderate 
but  comfortable  circumstances,  would  have  been  mostly 
laborers  on  the  farms  of  others,  but  for  these  leasehold 


ro  PREFA  CE. 

tenures.  That  is  the  benefit  of  the  system  in  a  new  coim 
try,  and  the  ultra  friend  of  humanity,  who  decries  the  con- 
dition of  a  tenant,  should  remember  that  if  he  had  not 
been  in  this  very  condition,  he  might  have  been  in  a  worse. 
It  is,  indeed,  one  of  the  proofs  of  the  insincerity  of  those 
who  are  decrying  leases,  on  account  of  their  aristocratic 
tendencies,  that  their  destruction  will  necessarily  condemn 
a  numerous  class  of  agriculturists,  either  to  fall  back  into 
the  ranks  of  the  peasant  or  day-laborer,  or  to  migrate,  as 
is  the  case  with  so  many  of  the  same  class  in  New  Eng- 
land. In  point  of  fact,  the  relation  of  landlord  and  tenant 
is  one  entirely  natural  and  salutary,  in  a  wealthy  com- 
munity, and  one  that  is  so  much  in  accordance  with  the 
necessities  of  men,  that  no  legislation  can  long  prevent  it. 
A  state  of  things  which  will  not  encourage  the  rich  to  hold 
real  estate  would  not  be  desirable,  since  it  would  be  divert- 
ing their  money,  knowledge,  liberality,  feelings  and  leisure, 
from  the  improvement  of  the  soil,  to  objects  neither  so 
useful  nor  so  praiseworthy. 

The  notion  that  every  husbandman  is  to  1^  a  freeholder, 
is  as  Utopian  in  practice,  as  it  would  be  to  expect  that  all 
men  were  to  be  on  the  same  level  in  fortune,  condition, 
education,  and  habits.  As  such  a  state  of  things  as  the 
last  never  yet  did  exist,  it  was  probably  never  designed  by 
divine  wisdom  that  it  should  exist.  The  whole  structure 
of  society  must  be  changed,  even  in  this  country,  ere  it 
could  exist  among  ourselves,  and  the  change  would  not 
have  been  made  a  month  before  the  utter  impracticability 
of  such  a  social  fusion  would  make  itself  felt  by  all. 

We  have  elsewhere  imputed  much  of  the  anti-rent  feel- 
ing to  provincial  education  and  habits.  This  term  has 
given  the  deepest  offence  to  those  who  were  most  obnox- 
ious to  the  charge.  Nevertheless,  our  opinion  is  un- 
changed. We  know  that  the  distance  between  the  cata- 
ract at  Niagara  and  the  Massachusetts  line  is  a  large  hun- 
dred leagues,  and  that  it  is  as  great  between  Sandy  Hook 
and  the  45th  parallel  of  latitude.  Many  excellent  things, 
moral  and  physical,  are  to  be  found  within  these  limits, 
beyond  a  question  ;  but  we  happen  to  know  by  an  experi- 
ence that  has  extended  to  other  quarters  of  the  world,  for 
a  term  now  exceeding  forty  years,  that  more  are  to  found 
beyond  them.  If  "honorable  gentlemen  "  at  Albany  fancy 
the  reverse,  they  must  still  permit  us  to  believe  they  are 
too  much  under  the  influence  of  provincial  notions. 


THE    REDSKINS. 


CHAPTER  I. 

"  Thy  mother  was  a  piece  of  virtue,  and 
She  said— thou  wert  my  daughter  ;  and  thy  father 
Was  duke  of  Milan  ;  and  his  only  heir 
A  princess  ; — no  worse  issued." — Tempest. 

MY  uncle  Ro  and  myself  had  been  travelling  together  in 
the  East,  and  had  been  absent  from  home  fully  five  years, 
when  we  reached  Paris.  For  eighteen  months  neither  of 
us  had  seen  a  line  from  America,  when  we  drove  through 
the  barriers,  on  our  way  from  Egypt,  via  Algiers,  Mar- 
seilles, and  Lyons.  Not  once,  in  all  that  time,  had  we 
crossed  ourown  track,  in  a  way  to  enable  us  to  pick  up  a 
straggling  letter  ;  and  all  our  previous  precautions  to  have 
the  epistles  meet  us  at  different  bankers  in  Italy,  Turkey, 
and  Malta  were  thrown  away. 

My  uncle  was  an  old  traveller — I  might  almost  say,  an 
old  resident — in  Europe  ;  for  he  had  passed  no  less  than 
twenty  years  of  his  fifty-nine  off  the  American  continent. 
A  bachelor,  with  nothing  to  do  but  to  take  care  of  a  very 
ample  estate,  which  was  rapidly  increasing  in  value  by  the 
enormous  growth  of  the  town  of  New  York,  and  with 
tastes  early  formed  by  travelling,  it  was  natural  he  should 
seek  those  regions  where  he  most  enjoyed  himself.  Hugh 
Roger  Littlepage  was  born  in  1786 — the  second  son  of  my 
grandfather,  Mordaunt  Littlepage,  and  of  Ursula  Malbone, 
his  wife.  My  own  father,  Malbone  Littlepage,  was  the 
eldest  child  of  that  connection  ;  and  he  would  have  inher- 
ited the  property  of  Ravensnest,  in  virtue  of  his  birthright, 
had  he  survived  his  own  parents  ;  but,  dying  young,  I 
stepped  into  what  would  otherwise  have  been  his  succes- 
sion, in  my  eighteenth  year.  My  uncle  Ro,  however,  had 
got  both  Satanstoe  and  Lilacsbush  ;  two  country-houses 


12 

and  farms,  which,  while  they  did  not  aspire  to  the  dignity 
of  being  estates,  were  likely  to  prove  more  valuable,  in  the 
long  run,  than  the  broad  acres  which  were  intended  for 
the  patrimony  of  the  elder  brother.  My  grandfather  was 
affluent ;  for  not  only  had  the  fortune  of  the  Littlepages 
centred  in  him,  but  so  did  that  of  the  Mordaunts,  the 
wealthier  family  of  the  two,  together  with  some  exceed- 
ingly liberal  bequests  from  a  certain  Colonel  Dirck  Pol- 
lock, or  Van  Valkenburgh  ;  who,  though  only  a  very  dis- 
tant connection,  chose  to  make  my  great-grandmother's, 
or  Anneke  Mordaunt's  descendants  his  heirs.  We  all  had 
enough  ;  my  aunts  having  handsome  legacies,  in  the  way 
of  bonds  and  mortgages  on  an  estate  called  Mooseridge, 
in  addition  to  some  lots  in  town  ;  while  my  own  sister, 
Martha,  had  a  clear  fifty  thousand  dollars  in  money.  I 
had  town  lots,  also,  which  were  becoming  productive  ;  and 
a  special  minority  of  seven  years  had  made  an.  accumula- 
tion of  cash  that  was  well  vested  in  New  York  State  stock, 
and  which  promised  well  for  the  future.  I  say  a  "  special " 
minority  ;  for  both  my  father  and  grandfather,  in  placing, 
the  one,  myself  and  a  portion  of  the  property,  and  the 
other,  the  remainder  of  my  estate,  under  the  guardianship 
and  ward  of  my  uncle,  had  made  a  provision  that  I  was 
not  to  come  into  possession  until  I  had  completed  my 
twenty-fifth  year. 

I  left  college  at  twenty  ;  and  my  uncle  Ro,  for.  so  Mar- 
tha and  myself  always  called  him,  and  so  he  was  always 
called  by  some  twenty  cousins,  the  offspring  of  our  three 
aunts  ; — but  my  uncle  Ro,  when  I  was  done  with  college, 
proposed  to  finish  my  education  by  travelling.  As  this 
was  only  too  agreeable  to  a  young  man,  away  we  went, 
just  after  the  pressure  of  the  great  panic  of  1836-7  was 
over,  and  our  "  lots  "  were  in  tolerable  security,  ,and  our 
stocks  safe.  In  America  it  requires  almost  as  much  vigil- 
ance to  take  care  of  property,  as  it  does  industry  to  acquire 
it. 

Mr.  Hugh  Roger  Littlepage— by  the  way,  I  bore  the 
same  name,  though  I  was  always  called  Hugh,  while  my 
uncle  went  by  the  different  appellations  of  Roger,  Ro,  and 
Hodge,  among  his  familiars,  as  circumstances  had  rendered 
the  associations  sentimental,  affectionate,  or  manly — Mr. 
Hugh  Roger  Littlepage,  senior,  then,  had  a  system  of  his 
own  in  the  way  of  aiding  the  scales  to  fall  from  American 
eyes,  by  means  of  seeing  more  clearly  than  one  does,  or 
can,  at  home,  let  him  belong  where  he  may,  and  in  clear 


THE   REDSKINS.  13 

ing  the  specks  of  provincialism  from  off  the  diamond  of 
republican  water.  He  had  already  seen  enough  to  ascer- 
tain that  while  "  our  country,"  as  this  blessed  nation  is 
very  apt  on  all  occasions,  appropriate  or  not,  to  be  called 
by  all  who  belong  to  it,  as  well  as  by  a  good  many  who  do 
not,  could  teach  a  great  deal  to  the  old  world,  there  was  a 
possibility — just  a  possibility,  remark,  is  my  word — that  it 
might  also  learn  a  little.  With  a  view,  therefore,  of  ac- 
quiring knowledge  seriatim,  as  it  might  be,  he  was  for  be- 
ginning with  the  hornbook,  and  going  on  regularly  up  to 
the  belles-lettres  and  mathematics.  The  manner  in  which 
this  was  effected  deserves  a  notice. 

Most  American  travellers  land  in  England,  the  country 
farthest  advanced  in  material  civilization  ;  then  proceed 
to  Italy,  and  perhaps  to  Greece,  leaving  Germany,  and  the 
less  attractive  regions  of  the  north,  to  come  in  at  the  end 
of  the  chapter.  My  uncle's  theory  was,  to  follow  the  order 
of  time,  and  to  begin  with  the  ancients  and  end  with  the 
moderns  ;  though,  in  adopting  such  a  rule,  he  admitted  he 
somewhat  lessened  the  pleasure  of  the  novice  ;  since  an 
American,  fresh  from  the  fresher  fields  of  the  western  con- 
tinent, might  very  well  find  delight  in  memorials  of.  the 
past,  more  especially  in  England,  which  pall  on  his  taste, 
and  appear  insignificant,  after  he  has  become  familiar  with 
the  Temple  of  Neptune,  the  Parthenon,  or  what  is  left  of 
it,  and  the  Coliseum.  I  make  no  doubt  that  I  lost  a  great 
deal  of  passing  happiness  in  this  way,  by  beginning  at  the 
beginning,  in  Italy,  and  travelling  north. 

Such  was  our  course,  however  ;  and,  landing  at  Leghorn, 
we  did  the  peninsula  effectually  in  a  twelvemonth  ;  thence 
passed  through  Spain  up  to  Paris,  and  proceeded  on  to 
Moscow  and  the  Baltic,  reaching  England  from  Hamburg. 
When  we  had  got  through  with  the  British  isles,  the  antiq- 
uities of  which  seemed  flat  and  uninteresting  to  me,  after 
having  seen  those  that  were  so  much  more  antique,  we  re- 
turned to  Paris,  in  order  that  I  might  become  a  man  of  the 
world,  if  possible,  by  rubbing  off  the  provincial  specks  that 
had  unavoidably  adhered  to  the  American  diamond  while 
in  its  obscurity. 

My  uncle  Ro  was  fond  of  Paris,  and  he  had  actually  be- 
come the  owner  of  a  small  hotel  in  the  faubourg,  in  which 
he  retained  a  handsome  furnished  apartment  for  his  own 
use.  The  remainder  of  the  house  was  let  to  permanent 
tenants  ;  but  the  whole  of  the  first  floor,  and  of  the  entresol, 
remained  in  his  hands.  As  a  special  favor,  he  would  al- 


14  THE  REDSKINS. 

low  some  American  family  to  occupy  even  his  own  apart- 
ment — or  rather  appartement,  for  the  words  are  not  exactly 
synonymous — when  he  intended  to  be  absent  for  a  term 
exceeding  six  months,  using  the  money  thus  obtained  in 
keeping  the  furniture  in  repair,  and  his  handsome  suite  of 
rooms,  including  a  salon,  salle  a  manger,  antichambre  cabinet, 
several  chambres  a  coucher,  and  a  boudoir — yes,  a  male  bou- 
doir !  for  so  he  affected  to  call  it — in  a  condition  to  please 
even  his  fastidiousness. 

On  our  arrival  from  England,  we  remained  an  entire 
season  at  Paris,  all  that  time  rubbing  the  specks  off  the 
diamond,  when  my  uncle  suddenly  took  it  into  his  head 
that  we  ought  to  see  the  East.  He  had  never  been  further 
than  Greece,  himself  ;  and  he  now  took  a  fancy  to  be  my 
companion  in  such  an  excursion.  We  were  gone  two  years 
and  a  half,  visiting  Greece,  Constantinople,  Asia  Minor, 
the  Holy  Land,  Petra,  the  Red  Sea,  Egypt  quite  to  the 
second  cataracts,  and  nearly  the  whole  of  Barbary.  The 
latter  region  we  threw  in,  by  way  of  seeing  something  out 
of  the  common  track.  But  so  many  hats  and  travelling- 
caps  are  to  be  met  with,  nowadays,  among  the  turbans, 
that  a  well-mannered  Christian  may  get  along  almost  any- 
where without  being  spit  upon.  This  is  a  great  induce- 
ment for  travelling  generally,  and  ought  to  be  so  especially 
to  an  American,  who,  on  the  whole,  incurs  rather  more 
risk  now  of  suffering  this  humiliation  at  home,  than  he 
would  even  in  Algiers.  But  the  animus  is  everything  in 
morals. 

We  had,  then,  been  absent  two  years  and  a  half  from 
Par^  and  had  not  seen  a  paper  or  received  a  letter  from 
America  in  eighteen  months,  when  we  drove  through  the 
barrier.  Even  the  letters  and  papers  received  or  seen 
previously  to  this  last  term,  were  of  a  private  nature,  and 
contained  nothing  of  a  general  character.  The  "twenty 
millions  " — it  wras  only  the  other  day  they  were  called  the 
"twelve  millions" — but,  the  "twenty  millions,"  we  knew, 
had  been  looking  up  amazingly  after  the  temporary  de- 
pression of  the  moneyed  crisis  it  had  gone  through  ;  and 
the  bankers  had  paid  our  drafts  with  confidence,  and  with- 
out extra  charges,  during  the  whole  time  we  had  been 
absent.  It  is  true,  uncle  Ro,  as  an  experienced  traveller, 
went  well  fortified  in  the  way  of  credit — a  precaution  by 
no  means  unnecessary  with  America,  after  the  cry  that  had 
been  raised  against  us  in  the  old  world. 

And  here  I  wish  to  say  one  thing  plainly,  before  I  write 


THE   REDSKINS.  1-5 

another  line.  As  for  falling  into  the  narrow,  self-adulatory, 
provincial  feeling  of  the  American  who  has  never  left  his 
mother's  apron-string,  and  which  causes  him  to  swallow, 
open-mouthed,  all  the  nonsense  that  is  uttered  to  the  world 
in  the  columns  of  newspapers,  or  in  the  pages  of  your 
yearling  travellers,  who  go  on  " excursions"  before  they 
are  half  instructed  in  the  social  usages  and  the  distinctive 
features  of  their  own  country,  I  hope  I  shall  be  just  as 
far  removed  from  such  a  weakness,  in  any  passing  remark 
that  may  flow  from  my  pen,  as  from  the  crime  of  con- 
founding principles,  and  denying  facts,  in  a  way  to  do  dis- 
credit to  the  land  of  my  birth  and  that  of  my  ancestors.  I 
have  lived  long  enough  in  the  "  world,"  not  meaning 
thereby  the  southeast  corner  of  the  northwest  township  of 
Connecticut,  to  understand  that  we  are  a  vast  way  behind 
older  nations,  in  thought  as  well  as  deed,  in  many  things  ; 
while,  on  the  opposite  hand,  they  are  a  vast  way  behind  us 
in  others.  I  see  no  patriotism  in  concealing  a  wholesome 
truth  ;  and  least  of  all  shall  I  be  influenced  by  the  pueril- 
ity of  a  desire  to  hide  anything  of  this  nature,  because  I 
cannot  communicate  it  to  my  countrymen,  without  com- 
municating it  to  the  rest  of  the  world.  If  England  or 
France  had  acted  on  this  narrow  principle,  where  would 
have  been  their  Shakespeares,  their  Sheridans,  their  Beau- 
monts  and  Fletchers,  and  their  Molieres !  No,  no  !  great 
national  truths  are  not  to  be  treated  as  the  gossiping 
surmises  of  village  crones.  He  who  reads  what  I  write, 
therefore,  must  expect  to  find  what  I  think  of  matters  and 
things,  and  not  exactly  what  he  may  happen  to  think  on 
the  same  subject.  Any  one  is  at  liberty  to  compare  opin- 
ions with  me  ;  but  I  ask  the  privilege  of  possessing  some 
small  liberty  of  conscience  in  what  is,  far  and  near,  pro- 
claimed to  be  the  only  free  country  on  the  earth.  By  "far 
and  near,"  I  mean  from  the  St.  Croix  to  the  Rio  Grande, 
and  from  Cape  Cod  to  the  entrance  of  St.  Juan  de  Fuca, 
and  a  pretty  farm  it  makes,  the  "  interval "  that  lies  be- 
tween these  limits  !  One  may  call  it  "  far  and  near"  with- 
out the  imputation  of  obscurity,  or  that  of  vanity. 

Our  tour  was  completed,  in  spite  of  all  annoyances ;  and 
here  we  were  again,  within  the  walls  of  magnificent  Paris! 
The  postilions  had  been  told  to  drive  to  the  hotel,  in  the 
Rue  St.  Dominique  ;  and  we  sat  down  to  dinner,  an  hour 
after  our  arrival,  under  our  own  roof.  My  uncle's  tenant 
had  left  the  apartment  a  month  before,  according  to  agree- 
ment ;  and  the  porter  and  his  wife  had  engaged  a  cook, 


1 6  THE    REDSKINS. 

set  the  rooms  in  order,  and  prepared  everything  for  out 
arrival. 

u  It  must  be  owned,  Hugh,"  said  my  uncle,  as  he  finished 
his  soup  that  day,  "  one  may  live  quite  comfortably  in 
Paris,  if  he  possess  the  savoir  vivre.  Nevertheless,  I  have  a 
strong  desire  to  get  a  taste  of  native  air.  One  may  say  and 
think  what  he  pleases  about  the  Paris  pleasures,  and  the 
Paris  cuisine,  and  all  that  sort  of  thing  :  but  '  home  is  home, 
be  it  ever  so  homely.'  A  l  d'Inde  aux  truffes'  is  capital  eat- 
ing ;  so  is  a  turkey  with  cranberry  sauce.  I  sometimes  think 
I  could  fancy  even  a  pumpkin  pie,  though  there  is  not  a 
fragment  of  the  rock  of  Plymouth  in  the  granite  of  my 
frame." 

"  I  have  always  told  you,  sir,  that  America  is  a  capital 
eating  and  drinking  country,  let  it  want  civilization  in 
other  matters,  as  much  as  it  may." 

"  Capital  for  eating  and  drinking,  Hugh,  if  you  can 
keep  clear  of  the  grease,  in  the  first  place,  and  find  a  real 
cook,  in  the  second.  There  is  as  much  difference  between 
the  cookery  of  New  England,  for  instance,  and  that  of  the 
Middle  States,  barring  the  Dutch,  as  there  is  between  that 
of  England  and  Germany.  The  cookery  of  the  Middle 
States,  and  of  the  Southern  States,  too,  though  that  savors 
a  little  of  the  West  Indies — but  the  cookery  of  the  Middle 
States  is  English,  in  its  best  sense  ;  meaning  the  hearty, 
substantial,  savory  dishes  of  the  English  in  their  true  do- 
mestic life,  with  their  roast-beef  underdone,  their  beef- 
steaks done  to  a  turn,  their  chops  full  of  gravy,  their  mut- 
ton-broth, legs-of-mutton,  et  id  omne  genus.  We  have  some 
capital  things  of  our  own,  too  ;  such  as  canvas-backs, 
reedbirds,  sheepshead,  shad,  and  blackfish.  The  differ- 
ence between  New  England  and  the  Middle  States  is  still 
quite  observable,  though  in  my  younger  days  it  \vn.s  patent. 
I  suppose  the  cause  has  been  the  more  provincial  origin, 
and  the  more  provincial  habits  of  our  neighbors.  By 
George  !  Hugh,  one  could  fancy  clam-soup  just  now, 
eh!" 

"  Clam-soup,  sir,  well  made,  is  one  of  the  most  delicious 
soups  in  the  world.  If  the  cooks  of  Paris  could  get  hold 
of  the  dish,  it  would  set  them  up  for  a  whole  season." 

"  What  is  'creme  de  Bavterej  and  all  such  nicknacks,  boy, 
to  a  good  plateful  of  clam-soup?  Well  made,  as  you  say, 
— made  as  a  cook  of  Jennings's  used  to  make  it,  thirty 
years  since.  Did  I  ever  mention  that  fellow's  soup  to  you 
before,  Hugh  ? " 


THE   REDSKINS.  17 

"  Often,  sir.  I  have  tasted  very  excellent  clam-soup, 
however,  that  he  never  saw.  Of  course,  you  mean  soup 
just  flavored  by  the  little  hard-clam — none  of  your  vulgar 
potage  a  la  soft-clam  ? " 

"  Soft-clams  be  hanged  !  they  are  not  made  for  gentle- 
men to  eat.  Of  course  I  mean  the  hard-clam,  and  the 
small  clam, 

'  Here's  your  fine  clams, 
As  white  as  snow  ; 
On  Rockaway 
These  clams  do  grow.' 

The  cries  of  New  York  are  quite  going  out,  like  every- 
thing else  at  home  that  is  twenty  years  old.  Shall  I  send 
you  some  of  this  eternal poulet  a  la  Marengo?  I  wish  it 
were  honest  American  boiled  fowl,  with  a  delicate  bit  of 
shoat-pork  alongside  of  it.  I  feel  amazingly  homeish  this 
evening,  Hugh  !" 

*'  It  is  quite  natural,  my  dear  uncle  Ro  ;  and  I  own  to 
the  'soft  impeachment'  myself.  Here  have  we  both  been 
absent  from  our  native  land  five  years,  and  half  that  time 
almost  without  hearing  from  it.  We  know  that  Jacob  " 
— this  was  a  free  negro  who  served  my  uncle,  a  relic  of 
the  old  domestic  system  of  the  colonies,  whose  name  would 
have  been  Jaaf,  or  Yop,  thirty  years  before — "  has  gone  to 
our  banker's  for  letters  and  papers  ;  and  that  naturally 
draws  our  thoughts  to  the  other  side  of  the  Atlantic.  I 
dare  say  we  shall  both  feel  relieved  at  breakfast  to-mor- 
row, when  we  shall  have  read  our  respective  dispatches." 

"  Come,  let  us  take  a  glass  of  wine  together,  in  the  good 
old  York  fashion,  Hugh.  Your  father  and  I,  when  boys, 
never  thought  of  wetting  our  lips  with  the  half-glass  of 
Madeira  that  fell  to  our  share,  without  saying,  'Good 
health,  Mall!'  'Good  health,  Hodge!" 

"With  all  my  heart,  uncle  Ro.  The  custom  was  getting 
to  be  a  little  obsolete  even  before  I  left  home  ;  but  it  is 
almost  an  American  custom,  by  sticking  to  us  longer  than 
to  most  people." 

"  Henri ! " 

This  was  my  uncle's  maitre  d1  hotel,  whom  he  had  kept  at 
board-wages  the  whole  time  of  our  absence,  in  order  to 
make  sure  of  his  ease,  quiet,  taste,  skill,  and  honesty,  on 
his  return. 

"  Monsieur!" 

"  I  dare  say  " — my  uncle  spoke  French  exceedingly  well 


i8  THE   REDSKINS. 

for  a  foreigner  ;  but  it  is  better  to  translate  what  he  said 
as  we  go — "  I  dare  say  this  glass  of  inn  de  Bourgogne  is  very 
good  ;  it  looks  good,  and  it  came  from  a  wine-merchant  on 
whom  I  can  rely  ;  but  Monsieur  Hugh  and  I  are  going  to 
drink  together,  a  r Americaine,  and  I  dare  say  you  will  let 
us  have  a  glass  of  Madeira,  though  it  is  somewhat  late  in 
the  dinner  to  take  it." 

"  Tres  volontiers,  Messieurs — it  is  my  happiness  to  oblige 
you." 

Uncle  Ro  and  I  took  the  Madeira  together ;  but  I  can- 
not say  much  in  favor  of  its  quality. 

"  What  a  capital  thing  is  a  good  Newtown  pippin  !  "  ex- 
claimed my  uncle,  after  eating  a  while  in  silence.  "  They 
talk  a  great  deal  about  their  poire  beurrce,  here  at  Paris  ; 
but,  to  rny  fancy,  it  will  not  compare  with  the  Newtowners 
we  grow  at  Satanstoe,  where,  by  the  way,  the  fruit  is  rather 
better,  I  think,  than  that  one  finds  across  the  river,  at  New- 
town  itself." 

"  They  are  capital  apples,  sir  ;  and  your  orchard  at  Sa- 
tanstoe is  one  of  the  best  I  know,  or  rather  what  is  left  of 
it ;  for  I  believe  a  portion  of  your  trees  are  in  what  is  now 
a  suburb  of  Dibbletonborough  ?  " 

"  Yes,  blast  that  place  !  I  wish  I  had  never  parted  with 
a  foot  of  the  old  neck,  though  I  did  rather  make  money 
by  the  sale.  But  money  is  no  compensation  for  the  affec- 
tions." 

"  Rather  make  money,  my  dear  sir !  Pray,  may  I  ask 
what  Satanstoe  was  valued  at,  when  you  got  it  from  my 
grandfather  ?" 

"  Pretty  well  up,  Hugh  ;  for  it  was,  and  indeed  is,  a  first- 
rate  farm.  Including  sedges  and  salt-meadows,  you  will 
remember  that  there  are  quite  five  hundred  acres  of  it,  al- 
together." 

"  Which  you  inherited  in  1829  ?  " 

"  Of  course  ;  that  was  the  year  of  my  father's  death. 
Why,  the  place  was  thought  to  be  worth  about  thirty  thou- 
sand dollars  at  that  time  ;  but  land  was  rather  low.in  West- 
chester  in  1829." 

"  And  you  sold  two  hundred  acres,  including  the  point, 
the  harbor,  and  a  good  deal  of  the  sedges,  for  the  moderate 
modicum  of  one  hundred  and  ten  thousand,  cash.  A  tol- 
erable sale,  sir !  " 

"  No,  not  cash.  I  got  only  eighty  thousand  down,  while 
thirty  thousand  were  secured  by  mortgage." 

"  Which  mortgage  you  hold  yet,  I  dare  say,  if  the  truth 


THE   REDSKINS.  19 

were  told,  covering  the  whole  city  of  Dibbletonborough. 
A  city  ought  to  be  good  security  for  thirty  thousand  dol- 
lars ?  " 

"  It  is  not,  nevertheless,  in  this  case.  The  speculators 
who  bought  of  me  in  1835  laid  out  their  town,  built  a  hotel, 
a  wharf,  and  a  warehouse,  and  then  had  an  auction.  They 
sold  four  hundred  lots,  each  twenty-five  feet  by  a  hundred, 
regulation  size,  you  see,  at  an  average  of  two  hundred  and 
fifty  dollars,  receiving  one-half,  or  fifty  thousand  dollars 
down,  and  leaving  the  balance  on  mortgage.  Soon  after 
this,  the  bubble  burst,  and  the  best  lot  at  Dibbletonborough 
would  not  bring,  under  the  hammer,  twenty  dollars.  The 
hotel  and  the  warehouse  stand  alone  in  their  glory,  and 
will  thus  stand  until  they  fall,  which  will  not  be  a  thou- 
sand years  hence,  I  rather  think." 

"  And  what  is  the  condition  of  the  town-plot  ?  " 

"  Bad  enough.  The  landmarks  are  disappearing,  and  it 
would  cost  any  man  who  should  attempt  it,  the  value  of 
his  lot,  to  hire  a  surveyor  to  find  his  twenty-five  by  a  hun- 
dred." 

"  But  your  mortgage  is  good  ?" 

"  Ay,  good  in  one  sense  ;  but  it  would  puzzle  a  Phila- 
delphia lawyer  to  foreclose  it.  Why,  the  equitable  inter- 
ests in  that  town-plot  people  the  place  of  themselves.  I 
ordered  my  agent  to  commence  buying  up  the  rights,  as 
the  shortest  process  of  getting  rid  of  them  ;  and  he  told 
me  in  the  very  last  letter  I  received,  that  he  had  succeeded 
in  purchasing  the  titles  to  three  hundred  and  seventeen  of 
the  lots,  at  an  average  price  of  ten  dollars.  The  remain- 
der, I  suppose,  will  have  to  be  absorbed." 

"  Absorbed  !  That  is  a  process  I  never  heard  of,  as  ap- 
plied to  land." 

"There  is  a  good  deal  of  it  done,  notwithstanding,  in 
America.  It  is  merely  including  within  your  own  posses- 
sion, adjacent  land  for  which  no  claimant  appears.  What 
can  I  do  ?  No  owners  are  to  be  found  ;  and  then  my 
mortgage  is  always  a  title.  A  possession  of  twenty  years 
under  a  mortgage  is  as  good  as  a  deed  in  fee-simple,  with 
full  covenants  of  warranty,  barring  minors  &ud  femes  cwert." 

"You  did  better  by  Lilacsbush  ?" 

"Ah,  that  was  a  clean  transaction,  and  has  left  no  draw^ 
backs.  Lilacsbush  being  on  the  island  of  Manhattan,  one 
is  sure  there  will  be  a  town  there,  some  day  or  other.  It 
is  true,  the  property  lies  quite  eight  miles  from  City  Hall; 
nevertheless,  it  has  a  value,  and  can  always  be  sold  at 


«o  THE  REDSKINS. 

something  near  it.  Then  the  plan  of  New  York  is  made 
and  recorded,  and  one  can  find  his  lots.  Nor  can  any  man 
say  when  the  town  will  not  reach  Kingsbridge." 

"  You  got  a  round  price  for  the  bush,  too,  I  have  heard, 
sir  ? " 

"  I  got  three  hundred  and  twenty-five  thousand  dollars, 
in  hard  cash.  I  would  give  no  credit,  and  have  every 
dollar  of  the  money,  at  this  moment,  in  good  six  per  cent, 
stock  of  the  States  of  New  York  and  Ohio." 

"Which  some  persons  in  this  part  of  the  world  would 
fancy  to  be  no  very  secure  investment." 

"  More  fools  they.  America  is  a  glorious  country,  after 
all,  Hugh ;  and  it  is  a  pride  and  a  satisfaction  to  belong  to 
it.  Look  back  at  it,  as  I  can  remember  it,  a  nation  spit 
upon  by  all  the  rest  of  Christendom" 

"You  must  at  least  own,  my  dear  sir,"  I  put  in,  some- 
what pertly,  perhaps,  "the  example  might  tempt  other 
people  ;  for,  if  ever  there  was  a  nation  that  is  assiduously 
spitting  on  itself,  it  is  our  own  beloved  land." 

"  True,  it  has  that  nasty  custom  in  excess,  and  it  grows 
worse  instead  of  better,  as  the  influence  of  the  better 
mannered  and  better  educated  diminishes  ;  but  this  is  a 
spot  on  the  sun — a  mere  flaw  in  the  diamond,  that  fric- 
tion will  take  out.  But  what  a  country — what  a  glorious 
country,  in  truth,  it  is  !  You  have  now  done  the  civilized 
parts  of  the  old  world  pretty  thoroughly,  my  dear  boy,  and 
must  be  persuaded,  yourself,  of  the  superiority  of  your 
native  land." 

"  I  remember  you  have  always  used  this  language,  uncle 
Ro  ;  yet  have  you  passed  nearly  one-half  of  your  time  out 
of  that  glorious  country,  since  you  have  reached  man's 
estate." 

"  The  mere  consequence  of  accidents  and  tastes.  I  do 
not  mean  that  America  is  a  country  for  a  bachelor  to  be- 
gin with ;  the  means  of  amusement  for  those  who  have  no 
domestic  hearths,  are  too  limited  for  the  bachelor.  Nor  do 
I  mean  that  society  in  America,  in  its  ordinary  meaning, 
is  in  any  way  as  well-ordered,  as  tasteful,  as  well-mannered, 
as  agreeable,  or  as  instructive  and  useful,  as  society  in  al- 
most any  European  country  I  know.  I  have  never  sup- 
posed that  the  man  of  leisure,  apart  from  the  affections, 
could  ever  enjoy  himself  half  as  much  at  home,  as  he  may 
enjoy  himself  in  this  part  of  the  world  ;  and  I  am  willing 
to  admit  that,  intellectually,  most  gentlemen  in  a  great 
European  capital  live  as  much  in  one  day,  as  they  would 


THE  REDSKINS.  z\ 

live  in  a  week  in  such  places  as  New  York,  and  Philadel- 
phia, and  Baltimore." 

"You  do  not  include  Boston,  I  perceive,  sir." 

"Of  Boston  I  say  nothing.  They  take  the  mind  hard 
there,  and  we  had  better  let  such  a  state  of  things  alone. 
But  as  respects  a  man  or  woman  of  leisure,  a  man  or 
woman  of  taste,  or  man  or  woman  of  refinement  generally, 
I  am  willing  enough  to  admit  that,  cczteris paribus,  each  can 
find  far  more  enjoyment  in  Europe  than  in  America.  But 
the  philosopher,  the  philanthropist,  the  political  economist 
— in  a  word,  the  patriot,  may  well  exult  in  such  elements 
of  profound  national  superiority  as  may  be  found  in 
America." 

"  I  hope  these  elements  are  not  so  profound  but  they 
can  be  dug  up  at  need,  uncle  Ro  ? " 

"There  will  be  little  difficulty  in  doing  that,  my  boy. 
Look  at  the  equality  of  the  laws,  to  begin  with.  They  are 
made  on  the  principles  of  natural  justice,  and  are  intended 
for  the  benefit  of  society — for  the  poor  as  well  as  the  rich." 

"  Are  they  also  intended  for  the  rich  as  well  as  the 
poor?" 

"  Well,  I  will  grant  you,  a  slight  blemish  is  beginning 
to  appear,  in  that  particular.  It  is  a  failing  incidental  to 
humanity,  and  we  must  not  expect  perfection.  There  is 
certainly  a  slight  disposition  to  legislate  for  numbers,  in 
order  to  obtain  support  at  the  polls,  which  has  made  the 
relation  of  debtor  and  creditor  a  little  insecure,  possibly  ; 
but  prudence  can  easily  get  along  with  that.  It  is  erring 
on  the  right  side,  is  it  not,  to  favor  the  poor  instead  of  the 
rich,  if  either  is  to  be  preferred  ? " 

"  Justice  would  favor  neither,  but  treat  all  alike.  I  have 
always  heard  that  the  tyranny  of  numbers  was  the  worst 
tyranny  in  the  world." 

"  Perhaps  it  is,  where  there  is  actually  tyranny,  and  for 
a  very  obvious  reason.  One  tyrant  is  sooner  satisfied  than 
a  million,  and  has  even  a  greater  sense  of  responsibility.  I 
can  easily  conceive  that  the  Czar  himself,  if  disposed  to  be 
a  tyrant,  which  I  am  far  from  thinking  to  be  the  case  with 
Nicholas,  might  hesitate  about  doing  that,  under  his  un- 
divided responsibility,  which  one  of  our  majorities  would 
do,  without  even  being  conscious  of  the  oppression  it  exer- 
cised, or  caring  at  all  about  it.  But,  on  the  whole,  we  do 
little  of  the  last,  and  not  in  the  least  enough  to  counter- 
balance the  immense  advantages  of  the  system." 

"  I  have   heard  very  discreet  men  say  that  the  worst 


22  TffE   REDSKINS. 

symptom  of  our  system  is  the  gradual  decay  of  justice 
among  us.  The  judges  have  lost  most  of  their  influence, 
and  the  jurors  are  getting  to  be  law-makers,  as  well  as  law- 
breakers." 

"There  is  a  good  deal  of  truth  in  that,  I  will  acknowledge, 
also  ;  and  you  hear  it  asked  constantly,  in  a  case  of  any 
interest,  not  which  party  is  in  the  right,  but  who  is  on  the 
jury.  But  I  contend  for  no  perfection  ;  all  I  say  is,  that 
the  country  is  a  glorious  country,  and  that  you  and  I  have 
every  reason  to  be  proud  that  old  Hugh  Roger,  our  pred- 
ecessor and  namesake,  saw  fit  to  transplant  himself  into 
it,  a  century  and  a  half  since." 

"I  dare  say  now,  uncle  Ro,  it  would  strike  most  Euro- 
peans as  singular  that  a  man  should  be  proud  of  having 
been  born  an  American — Manhattanese,  as  you  and  I  both 
were." 

"  All  that  may  be  true,  for  there  have  been  calculated 
attempts  to  bring  us  into  discredit  of  late,  by  harping  on 
the  failure  of  certain  States  to  pay  the  interest  on 
their  debts.  But  all  that  is  easily  answered,  and  more  so 
by  you  a"nd  me  as  New  Yorkers.  There  is  not  a  nation  in 
Europe  that  would  pay  its  interest,  if  those  who  are  taxed 
to  do  so  had  the  control  of  these  taxes,  and  the  power  to 
say  whether  they  were  to  be  levied  or  not." 

"  I  do  not  see  how  that  mends  the  matter.  These  coun- 
tries tell  us  that  such  is  the  effect  of  your  system  there, 
while  we  are  too  honest  to  allow  such  a  system  to  exist  in 
this  part  of  the  world." 

"  Pooh  !  all  gammon,  that.  They  prevent  the  existence 
of  our  system  for  very  different  reasons,  and  they  coerce 
the  payment  of  the  interest  on  their  debts  that  they  may 
borrow  more.  This  business  of  repudiation,  as  it  is  called, 
however,  has  been  miserably  misrepresented  ;  and  there  is 
no  answering  a  falsehood  by  an  argument.  No  American 
State  has  repudiated  its  debt,  that  I  know  of,  though  sev- 
eral have  been  unable  to  meet  their  engagements  as  they 
have  fallen  due." 

"  Unable,  uncle  Ro  ?  " 

"  Yes,  unable — that  is  the  precise  word.  Take  Pennsyl- 
vania, for  instance  ;  that  is  one  of  the  richest  communities 
in  the  civilized  world  ;  its  coal  and  iron  alone  would  make 
any  country  affluent,  and  a  portion  of  its  agricultural 
population  is  one  of  the  most  affluent  I  know  of.  Never- 
theless, Pennsylvania,  owing  to  a  concurrence  of  events, 
could  not  pay  the  interest  on  her  debt  for  two  years  and  a 


THE  REDSKIN'S.  23 

half,  though  she  is  doing  it  now,  and  will  doubtless  con- 
tinue to  do  it.  The  sudden  breaking  down  of  that  colossal 
moneyed  institution,  the  soi-disant  Bank  of  the  United 
States,  after  it  ceased  to  be  in  reality  a  bank  of  the  govern- 
ment, brought  about  such  a  state  of  the  circulation  as 
rendered  payment,  by  any  of  the  ordinary  means  known 
to  government,  impossible.  I  know  what  I  say,  and  repeat 
impossible.  It  is  well  known  that  many  persons,  accustomed 
to  affluence,  had  to  carry  their  plate  to  the  mint,  in  order 
to  obtain  money  to  go  to  market.  Then  something  may  be 
attributed  to  the  institutions,  without  disparaging  a  peo- 
ple's honesty.  Our  institutions  are  popular,  just  as  those 
of  France  are  the  reverse  ;  and  the  people,  they  who  were 
on  the  spot — the  home  creditor,  with  his  account  unpaid, 
and  with  his  friends  and  relatives  in  the  legislature,  and 
present  to  aid  him,  contended  for  his  own  money,  before 
any  should  be  sent  abroad." 

"  Was  that  exactly  right,  sir  ?  " 

"  Certainly  not  ;  it  was  exactly  wrong,  but  very  particu- 
larly natural.  Do  you  suppose  the  king  of  France  would 
not  take  the  money  for  his  civil  list,  if  circumstances  should 
compel  the  country  to  suspend  on  the  debt  for  a  year  or 
two,  or  the  ministers  their  salaries  ?  My  word  for  it,  each 
and  all  of  them  would  prefer  themselves  as  creditors,  and 
act  accordingly.  Every  one  of  these  countries  has  suspend- 
ed in  some  form  or  other,  and  in  many  instances  balanced 
the  account  with  the  sponge.  Their  clamor  against  us  is 
altogether  calculated  with  a  view  to  political  effect." 

"  Still,  I  wish  Pennsylvania,  for  instance,  had  continued 
to  pay,  at  every  hazard." 

"It  is  well  enough  to  wish,  Hugh  :  but  it  is  wishing  for 
an  impossibility.  Then  you  and  I,  as  New  Yorkers,  have 
nothing  to  do  with  the  debt  of  Pennsylvania,  no  more  than 
London  would  have  to  do  with  the  debt  of  Dublin  or  Que- 
bec. We  have  always  paid  our  interest,  and,  what  is  more, 
paid  it  more  honestly,  if  honesty  be  the  point,  than  even 
England  has  paid  hers.  When  our  banks  suspended,  the 
State  paid  its  interest  in  as  much  paper  as  would  buy  the 
specie  in  open  market ;  whereas  England  made  paper  legal 
tender,  and  paid  the  interest  on  her  debt  in  it  for  some- 
thing like  five-and-twenty  years,  and  that,  too,  when  her 
paper  was  at  a  large  discount.  I  knew  of  one  American 
who  held  near  a  million  of  dollars  in  the  English  debt,  on 
which  he  had  to  take  unconvertible  paper  for  the  interest 
foi  a  long  series  of  years.  No,  no!  this  is  all  gammon, 


24  THE  REDSKINS. 

Hugh,  and  is  not  to  be  regarded  as  making  us  a  whit  worse 
than  our  neighbors.  The  equality  of  our  laws  is  the  fact 
in  which  I  glory  !  " 

"  If  the  rich  stood  as  fair  a  chance  as  the  poor,  Uncle 
Ro." 

"  There  is  a  screw  loose  there,  I  must  confess  ;  but  it 
amounts  to  no  great  matter." 

"  Then  the  late  bankrupt  law  ?" 

"  Ay,  that  was  an  infernal  procedure — that  much  I  will 
acknowledge,  too.  It  was  special  legislation  enacted  to 
pay  particular  debts,  and  the  law  was  repealed  as  soon 
as  it  had  done  its  duty.  That  is  a  much  darker  spot  in 
our  history  than  what  is  called  repudiation,  though  per- 
fectly honest  men  voted  for  it." 

"  Did  you  ever  hear  of  a  farce  they  got  up  about  it  at 
New  York,  just  after  we  sailed  ? " 

"  Never  ;  what  was  it,  Hugh  ?  though  American  plays 
are  pretty  much  all  farces." 

"  This  was  a  little  better  than  common,  and,  on  the 
whole,  really  clever.  It  is  the  old  story  of  Faust,  in  which 
a  young  spendthrift  sells  himself,  soul  and  body,  to  the 
devil.  On  a  certain  evening,  as  he  is  making  merry  with 
a  set  of  wild  companions,  his  creditor  arrives,  and,  insist- 
ing on  seeing  the  master,  is  admitted  by  the  servant.  He 
comes  on,  club-footed  and  behorned,  as  usual,  and  be- 
tailed,  too,  I  believe  ;  but  Tom  is  not  to  be  scared  by  tri- 
fles. He  insists  on  his  guest  being  seated,  on  his  taking 
a  glass  of  wine,  and  then  on  Dick's  finishing  his  song.  But, 
though  the  rest  of  the  company  had  signed  no  bonds  to 
Satan,  they  had  certain  outstanding  book-debts,  which 
made  them  excessively  uncomfortable  ;  and  the  odor  of 
brimstone  being  rather  strong,  Tom  arose,  approached  his 
guest,  and  desired  to  know  the  nature  of  the  particular 
business  he  had  mentioned  to  his  servant.  *  This  bond, 
sir,'  said  Satan,  significantly.  '  This  bond  ?  what  of  it, 
pray  ?  It  seems  all  right.'  *  Is  not  that  your  signature  ? ' 

*  I  admit  it.'     *  Signed  in  your  blood  ?'     'A  conceit  of  your 
own  ;  I  told  you  at  the  time  that  ink  was  just  as  good  in 
law.'     *  It  is  past  due,  seven  minutes  and  fourteen  seconds.' 

*  So  it  is,  I  declare  !  but  what  of  that  ? '     'I  demand  pay- 
ment.'    'Nonsense!  no  one  thinks  of  paying  nowadays. 
Why,  even  Pennsylvania  and  Maryland  don't  pay.'     '  I  in- 
sist on  payment.'     '  Oh  !  you  do,  do  you  ? '     Tom  draws  a 
paper  from  his  pocket,  and  adds,  magnificently,  '  There, 
then,  if  you're  so  urgent — there  is  a  discharge  under  the 


THE   REDSKIN'S.  25 

new  bankrupt  law,  signed  Smith  Thompson.'  This  knocked 
the  devil  into  a  cocked-hat  at  once." 

My  uncle  laughed  heartily  at  my  story  ;  but,  instead  of 
taking  the  matter  as  I  had  fancied  he  might,  it  made  him 
think  better  of  the  country  than  ever. 

"  Well,  Hugh,  we  have  wit  among  us,  it  must  be  con- 
fessed," he  cried,  with  the  tears  running  down  his  cheeks, 
"  if  we  have  some  rascally  laws,  and  some  rascals  to  ad- 
minister them.  But  here  comes  Jacob  with  his  letters  and 
papers — I  declare,  the  fellow  has  a  large  basketful." 

Jacob,  a  highly  respectable  black,  and  the  great-grand- 
son of  an  old  negro  named  Jaaf,  or  Yop,  who  was  then 
living  on  my  own  estate  at  Ravensnest,  had  just  then  en- 
tered, with  the  porter  and  himself  lugging  in  the  basket  in 
question.  There  were  several  hundred  newspapers,  and 
quite  a  hundred  letters.  The  sight  brought  home  and 
America  clearly  and  vividly  before  us  ;  and  having  nearly 
finished  the  dessert,  we  rose  to  look  at  the  packages.  It 
was  no  small  task  to  sort  our  mail,  there  being  so  many 
letters  and  packages  to  be  divided. 

"  Here  are  some  newspapers  I  never  saw  before,"  said 
my  uncle,  as  he  tumbled  over  the  pile ;  "  The  Guardian  of 
the  Soil — that  must  have  something  to  do  with  Oregon." 

"  I  dare  say  it  has,  sir.  Here  are  at  least  a  dozen  letters 
from  my  sister." 

"Ay,  your  sister  is  single,  and  can  still  think  of  her 
brother  ;  but  mine  are  married,  and  one  letter  a  year  would 
be  a  great  deal.  This  is  my  dear  old  mother's  hand,  how- 
ever ;  that  is  something.  Ursula  Malbone  would  never 
forget  her  child.  Well,  bon  soir,  Hugh.  Each  of  us  has 
enough  to  do  for  one  evening." 

"  Au  revoir,  sir.  We  shall  meet  at  ten  to-morrow,  when 
we  can  compare  our  news,  and  exchange  gossip." 


CHAPTER  II. 

"  Why  droops  my  lord,  like  over-ripened  corn, 
Hanging  the  head  at  Ceres'  plenteous  load  ?  " 

— King  Henry  VI. 

I  DID  not  get  into  my  bed  that  night  until  two,  nor  was 
I  out  of  it  until  half-past  nine.  It  was  near  eleven  when 
Jacob  came  to  tell  me  his  master  was  in  the  salle  a  manger. 


26  THE   REDSKINS, 

and  ready  to  eat  his  breakfast.  I  hastened  up  stairs,  sleep 
ing  in  the  entresol,  and  was  at  table  with  my  uncJe  in  three 
minutes.  I  observed,  on  entering,  that  he  was  very  grave, 
and  I  now  perceived  that  a  couple  of  letters,  and  several 
American  newspapers,  lay  near  him.  His  "  Good- morrow, 
Hugh,"  was  kind  and  affectionate  as  usual,  but  I  fancied 
it  sad. 

"  No  bad  news  from  home,  I  hope,  sir  ? "  I  exclaimed, 
under  the  first  impulse  of  feeling.  "  Martha's  last  letter  is 
of  quite  recent  date,  and  she  writes  very  cheerfully.  I 
know  that  my  grandmother  was  perfectly  well  six  weeks 
since." 

"  I  know  the  same,  Hugh,  for  I  have  a  letter  from  her- 
self, written  with  her  own  blessed  hand.  My  mother  is  in 
excellent  health  for  a  woman  of  fourscore  ;  but  she  natu- 
rally wishes  to  see  us,  and  you  in  particular.  Grand- 
children are  ever  the  pets  with  grandmothers." 

"  I  am  glad  to  hear  all  this,  sir ;  for  I  was  really  afraid, 
on  entering  the  room,  that  you  had  received  some  unpleas- 
ant news." 

"  And  is  all  your  news  pleasant,  after  so  long  a  silence  ? " 

"  Nothing  that  is  disagreeable,  I  do  assure  you.  Patt 
writes  in  charming  spirits,  and  I  dare  say  is  in  blooming 
beauty  by  this  time,  though  she  tells  me  that  she  is  gen- 
erally thought  rather  plain.  That  is  impossible  ;  for  you 
know  when  we  left  her,  a'  fifteen,  she  had  every  promise 
of  great  beauty." 

"  As  you  say,  it  is  impossible  that  Martha  Littlepage 
should  be  anything  but  handsome  ;  for  fifteen  is  an  age 
when,  in  America,  one  may  safely  predict  the  woman's  ap- 
pearance. Your  sister  is  preparing  for  you  an  agreeable 
surprise.  I  have  heard  old  persons  say  that  she  was  very 
like  my  mother  at  the  same  time  of  life  ;  and  Dus  Malbone 
was  a  sort  of  toast  once  in  the  forest." 

"  I  dare  say  it  is  all  as  you  think  ;  more  especially  as 
there  are  several  allusions  to  a  certain  Harry  Beekman  in 
her  letters,  at  which  I  should  feel  flattered,  were  I  in  Mr. 
Harry's  place.  Do  you  happen  to  know  anything  of  such 
a  family  as  the  Beekmans,  sir  ?" 

My  uncle  looked  up  in  a  little  surprise  at  this  question. 
A  thorough  New  Yorker  by  birth,  associations,  alliances 
and  feelings,  he  held  all  the  old  names  of  the  colony  and 
State  in  profound  respect ;  and  I  had  often  heard  him  sneer 
at  the  manner  in  which  the  new-comers  of  my  day,  who 
had  appeared  among  us  to  blossom  like  the  rose,  scattered 


THE  REDSKINS.  27 

their  odors  through  the  land.  It  was  but  a  natural  thing 
that  a  community  which  had  grown  in  population,  in  half 
a  century,  from  half  a  million  to  two  millions  and  a  half, 
and  that  as  much  by  immigration  from  adjoining  commu- 
nities as  by  natural  increase,  should  undergo  some  change 
of  feeling  in  this  respect  ;  but,  on  the  other  hand,  it  was 
just  as  natural  that  the  true  New  Yorker  sho4uld  not. 

"  Of  course  you  know,  Hugh,  that  it  is  an  ancient  and 
respected  name  among  us,"  answered  my  uncle,  after  he 
had  given  me  the  look  of  surprise  I  have  already  mentioned. 
"  There  is  a  branch  of  the  Beekmans,  or  Bakemans,  as  we 
used  to  call  them,  settled  near  Satanstoe  ;  and  I  dare  say 
that  your  sister,  in  her  frequent  visits  to  my  mother,  has 
met  with  them.  The  association  would  be  but  natural  ; 
and  the  other  feeling  to  which  you  allude  is,  I  dare  say, 
but  natural  to  the  association,  though  I  cannot  say  I  ever 
experienced  it." 

"You  will  still  adhere  to  your  asseverations  of  never 
having  been  the  victim  of  Cupid,  I  find,  sir." 

"Hugh,  Hugh!  let  us  trifle  no  more.  There  is  news 
from  home  that  has  almost  broken  my  heart." 

I  sat  gazing  at  my  uncle  in  wonder  and  alarm,  while  he 
placed  both  his  hands  on  his  face,  as  if  to  exclude  this 
wicked  world,  and  all  it  contained,  from  his  sight.  I  did 
not  speak,  for  I  saw  that  the  old  gentleman  was  really  af- 
fected, but  waited  his  pleasure  to  communicate  more.  My 
impatience  was  soon  relieved,  however,  as  the  hands  were 
removed,  and  I  once  more  caught  a  view  of  my  uncle's 
handsome,  but  clouded  countenance. 

"  May  I  ask  the  nature  of  this  news  ? "  I  then  ventured 
to  inquire. 

"You  may,  and  I  shall  now  tell  you.  It  is  proper,  in- 
deed, that  you  should  hear  all,  and  understand  it  all ;  for 
you  have  a  direct  interest  in  the  matter,  and  a  large  por- 
tion of  your  property  is  dependent  on  the  result.  Had  not 
the  manor  troubles,  as  they  were  called,  been  spoken  of 
before  we  left  home  ? " 

"  Certainly,  though  not  to  any  great  extent.  We  saw 
something  of  it  in  the  papers,  I  remember,  just  before  we 
went  to  Russia  ;  and  I  recollect  you  mentioned  it  as  a  dis- 
creditable affair  to  the  State,  though  likely  to  lead  to  no 
very  important  result." 

"  So  I  then  thought ;  but  that  hope  has  been  delusive. 
There  were  some  reasons  why  a  population  like  ours 
should  chafe  under  the  situation  of  the  estate  of  the  lat» 


28  THE   REDSKINS. 

Patroon  that  I  thought  natural,  though  unjustifiable  ;  for 
it  is  unhappily  too  much  a  law  of  humanity  to  do  that 
which  is  wrong,  more  especially  in  matters  connected  with 
the  pocket." 

"  I  do  not  exactly  understand  your  allusions,  sir." 

"  It  is  easily  explained.  The  Van  Rensselaer  property 
is,  in  the  first  place,  of  great  extent — the  manor,  as  it  is 
still  called  and  once  was,  spreading  east  and  west  eight- 
and-forty  miles,  and  north  and  south  twenty-four.  With  a 
few  immaterial  exceptions,  including  the  sites  of  three  or 
four  towns,  three  of  which  are  cities  containing  respect- 
ively six,  twenty,  and  forty  thousand  souls,  this  large  sur- 
face was  the  property  of  a  single  individual.  Since  his 
death,  it  has  become  the  property  of  two,  subject  to  the 
conditions  of  the  leases,  of  which  by  far  the  greater  por- 
tion are  what  are  called  durable." 

"  I  have  heard  all  this,  of  course,  sir,  and  know  some- 
thing of  it  myself.  But  what  is  a  durable  lease  ?  for  I  be- 
lieve we  have  none  of  that  nature  at  Ravensnest." 

"  No  ;  your  leases  are  all  for  three  lives,  and  most  of 
them  renewals  at  that.  There  are  two  sorts  of  *  durable 
•leases,'  as  we  term  them,  in  use  among  the  landlords  of 
New  York.  Both  give  the  tenant  a  permanent  interest,  be- 
ing leases  forever,  reserving  annual  rent,  with  the  right  to 
distrain  and  covenants  of  re-entry.  But  one  class  of  these 
leases  gives  the  tenant  a  right  at  any  time  to  demand  a 
deed  in  fee-simple,  on  the  payment  of  a  stipulated  sum  ; 
while  the  other  gives  him  no  such  privilege.  Thus  one 
class  of  these  leases  is  called  'a  durable  lease  with  a  clause 
of  redemption,'  while  the  other  is  a  simple  *  durable 
lease.'  " 

"And  are  there  any  new  difficulties  in  relation  to  the 
manor  rents?" 

"  Far  worse  than  that ;  the  contagion  has  spread,  until 
the  greatest  ills  that  have  been  predicted  from  democratic 
institutions,  by  their  worst  enemies,  seriously  menace  the 
country.  I  am  afraid,  Hugh,  I  shall  not  be  able  to  call 
New  York,  any  longer,  an  exception  to  the  evil  example 
of  a  neighborhood,  or  the  country  itself  a  glorious  country." 

"  This  is  so  serious,  sir,  that,  were  it  not  that  your  looks 
denote  the  contrary,  I  might  be  disposed  to  doubt  your 
words." 

"  I  fear  my  words  are  only  too  true.  Dunning  has  writ- 
ten me  a  long  account  of  his  own,  made  out  with  the  pre- 
cision of  a  lawyer ;  and,  in  addition,  he  has  sent  me  diver? 


THE   REDSKINS.  29 

papers,  some  of  which  openly  contend  for  what  is  substan- 
tially a  new  division  of  property,  and  what  in  effect  would 
be  agrarian  laws." 

<;  Surely,  my  dear  uncle,  you  cannot  seriously  apprehend 
anything  of  that  nature  from  our  order-loving,  law-loving, 
property-loving  Americans  ?" 

"Your  last  description  may  contain  the  secret  of  the 
whole  movement.  The  love  of  property  may  be  so  strong 
as  to  induce  them  to  do  a  great  many  things  they  ought 
not  to  do.  I  certainly  do  not  apprehend  that  any  direct 
attempt  is  about  to  be  made  in  New  York,  to  divide  its 
property  ;  nor  do  I  fear  any  open,  declared  agrarian  stat- 
ute ;  for  what  I  apprehend  is  to  come  through  indirect 
and  gradual  innovations  on  the  right,  that  will  be  made  to 
assume  the  delusive  aspect  of  justice  and  equal  rights,  and 
thus  undermine  the  principles  of  the  people,  before  they 
are  aware  of  the  dangers  themselves.  In  order  that  you 
may  not  only  understand  me,  but  may  understand  facts 
that  are  of  the  last  importance  to  your  own  pockets,  I  will 
first  tell  you  what  has  been  done,  and  then  tell  you  what  I 
fear  is  to' follow.  The  first  difficulty — or,  rather,  the  first 
difficulty  of  recent  occurrence — arose  at  the  death  of  the 
late  Patroon.  I  say  of  recent  occurrence,  since  Dunning 
writes  me  that,  during  the  administration  of  John  Jay,  an 
attempt  to  resist  the  payment  of  rent  was  made  on  the 
manor  of  the  Livingstons  ;  but  he  put  it  down  instanter" 

"  Yes,  I  should  rather  think  that  roguery  would  not  be 
apt  to  prosper,  while  the  execution  of  the  laws  was  intrust- 
ed to  such  a  man.  The  age  of  such  politicians,  however, 
seems  to  have  ended  among  us." 

"  It  did  not  prosper.  Governor  Jay  met  the  pretension 
as  we  all  know  such  a  man  would  meet  it  ;  and  the  matter 
died  away,  and  has  been  nearly  forgotten.  It  is  worthy  of 
remark,  that  he  PUT  THE  EVIL  DOWN.  But  this  is  not  the 
age  of  John  Jays.  To  proceed  to  my  narrative  :  When  the 
late  Patroon  died,  there  was  due  to  him  a  sum  of  some- 
thing like  two  hundred  thousand  dollars  of  back-rents, 
and  of  which  he  had  made  a  special  disposition  in  his  will, 
vesting  the  money  in  trustees  for  a  certain  purpose.  It 
was  the  attempt  to  collect  this  money  which  first  gave  rise 
to  dissatisfaction.  Those  who  had  been  debtors  so  long 
were  reluctant  to  pay.  In  casting  round  for  the  means  to 
escape  from  the  payment  of  their  just  debts,  these  men, 
feeling  the  power  that  numbers  ever  give  over  right  in 
America,  combined  to  resist  with  others  who  again  had  in 


30  THE   REDSKINS. 

view  a  project  to  get  rid  of  the  rents  altogether.  Out  oi 
this  combination  grew  what  have  been  called  the  '  manor 
troubles.'  Men  appeared  in  a  sort  of  mock-Indian  dress, 
calico  shirts  thrown  over  their  other  clothes,  and  with  a 
species  of  calico  masks  on  their  faces,  who  resisted  the 
bailiffs'  processes,  and  completely  prevented  the  collection 
of  rents.  These  men  were  armed,  mostly  with  rifles  ;  and 
it  was  finally  found  necessary  to  call  out  a  strong  body  of 
the  militia,  in  order  to  protect  the  civil  officers  in  the  exe- 
cution of  their  duties." 

"  All  this  occurred  before  we  went  to  the  East.  I  had 
supposed  those  anti-renters,  as  they  were  called,  had  been 
effectually  put  down." 

"  In  appearance  they  were.  But  the  very  governor  who 
called  the  militia  into  the  field,  referred  the  subject  of  the 
'griefs'  of  the  tenants  to  the  legislature,  as  if  they  were 
actually  aggrieved  citizens,  when  in  truth  it  was  the  land- 
lords, or  the  Rensselaers — for  at  that  time  the  'troubles' 
were  confined  to  their  property — who  were  the  aggrieved 
parties.  This  false  step  has  done  an  incalculable  amount 
of  mischief,  if  it  do  not  prove  the  entering  wedge  to  rive 
asunder  the  institutions  of  the  State." 

"  It  is  extraordinary,  when  such  things  occur,  that  any 
man  can  mistake  his  duty.  Why  were  the  tenants  thus 
spoken  of,  while  nothing  was  said  beyond  what  the  law 
compelled  in  favor  of  the  landlords  ? " 

"  I  can  see  no  reason  but  the  fact  that  the  Rensselaers 
were  only  two,  and  that  the  disaffected  tenants  were  prob- 
ably two  thousand.  With  all  the  cry  of  aristocracy,  and 
feudality,  and  nobility,  neither  of  the  Rensselaers,  by  the 
letter  of  the  law,  has  one  particle  more  of  political  power, 
or  political  right,  than  his  own  coachman  or  footman,  if 
the  last  be  a  white  man  ;  while,  in  practice,  he  is  in  many 
things  getting  to  be  less  protected." 

"  Then  you  think,  sir,  that  this  matter  has  gained  force 
from  the  circumstance  that  so  many  votes  depend  on  it  ? " 

"  Out  of  all  question.  Its  success  depends  on  the  viola- 
tions of  principles  that  we  have  been  so  long  taught  to 
hold  sacred,  that  nothing  short  of  the  overruling  and  cor- 
rupting influence  of  politics  would  dare  to  assail  them.  If 
there  were  a  landlord  to  each  farm,  as  well  as  a  tenant, 
universal  indifference  would  prevail  as  to  the  griefs  of  the 
tenants  ;  and  if  two  to  one  tenant,  universal  indignation  at 
their  impudence." 

"  Of  what  particular  griefs  do  the  tenants  complain  ?" 


THE  REDSKINS.  31 

"You  mean  the  Rensselaer  tenants,  I  suppose  ?  Why, 
they  complain  of  such  covenants  as  they  can,  though  theii 
deepest  affliction  is  to  be  found  in  the  fact  that  they  do 
not  own  other  men's  lands.  The  Patroon  had  quarter- 
sales  on  many  of  his  farms — those  that  were  let  in  the  last 
century." 

"  Well,  what  of  that  ?  A  bargain  to  allow  of  quarter- 
sales  is  just  as  fair  as  any  other  bargain." 

"  It  is  fairer,  in  fact,  than  most  bargains,  when  you  come 
to  analyze  it,  since  there  is  a  very  good  reason  why  it 
should  accompany  a  perpetual  lease.  Is  it  to  be  supposed 
that  a  landlord  has  no  interest  in  the  character  and  habits 
of  his  tenants?  He  has  the  closest  interest  in  it  possible, 
and  no  prudent  man  should  let  his  lands  without  holding 
some  sort  of  control  over  the  assignment  of  leases.  Now, 
there  are  but  two  modes  of  doing  this  ;  either  by  holding 
over  the  tenant  a  power  through  his  interests,  or  a  direct 
veto  dependent  solely  on  the  landlord's  will." 

"  The  last  would  be  apt  to  raise  a  pretty  cry  of  tyranny 
and  feudality  in  America  !  " 

"  Pretty  cries  on  such  subjects  are  very  easily  raised  in 
America.  More  people  join  in  them  than  understand  what 
they  mean.  Nevertheless,  it  is  quite  as  just,  when  two 
men  bargain,  that  he  who  owns  every  right  in  the  land  be- 
fore the  bargain  is  made,  should  retain  this  right  over  his 
property,  which  he  consents  to  part  with  only  with  limita- 
tions, as  that  he  should  grant  it  to  another.  These  men, 
in  their  clamor,  forget  that,  until  their  leases  were  ob- 
tained, they  had  no  right  in  their  lands  at  all,  and  that  what 
they  have  got  is  through  those  very  leases  of  which  they 
complain  ;  take  away  the  leases,  and  they  would  have  no 
rights  remaining.  Now  on  what  principle  can  honest 
men  pretend  that  they  have  rights  beyond  the  leases  ?  On 
the  supposition,  even,  that  the  bargains  are  hard,  what 
have  governors  and  legislators  to  do  with  thrusting  them- 
selves in  between  parties  so  situated,  as  special  umpires  ? 
I  should  object  to  such  umpires,  moreover,  on  the  general 
and  controlling  principle  that  must  govern  all  righteous 
arbitration — your  governors  and  legislators  are  not  im- 
partial ;  they  are  political  or  party  men,  one  may  say,  with- 
out exception  ;  and  such  umpires,  when  votes  are  in  the 
question,  are  to  be  sorely  distrusted.  I  would  as  soon 
trust  my  interests  to  the  decision  of  feed  counsel,  as  trust 
them  to  surh  judges." 

"  I  wonder  the  really  impartial  and  upright  portion  of 


32  THE   REDSKINS. 

the  community  do  not  rise  in  their  might,  and  put  this 
thing  down — rip  it  up,  root  and  branch,  and  cast  it  away, 
at  once." 

44  That  is  the  weak  point  of  our  system,  which  has  a 
hundred  strong  points,  while  it  has  this  besetting  vice. 
Our  laws  are  not  only  made,  but  they  are  administered,  on 
the  supposition  that  there  are  both  honesty  and  intelli- 
gence enough  in  the  body  of  the  community  to  see  them 
well  made,  and  well  administered.  But  the  sad  reality 
shows  that  good  men  are  commonly  passive,  until  abuses 
become  intolerable  ;  it  being  the  designing  rogue  and 
manager  who  is  usually  the  most  active.  Vigilant  philan- 
thropists do  exist,  I  will  allow  ;  but  it  is  in  such  small  num- 
bers as  to  effect  little  on  the  whole,  and  nothing  at  all  when 
opposed  by  the  zeal  of  a  mercenary  opposition.  No,  no — 
little  is  ever  to  be  expected,  in  a  political  sense,  from  the 
activity  of  virtue  ;  while  a  great  deal  may  be  looked  for 
from  the  activity  of  vice." 

"  You  do  not  take  a  very  favorable  view  of  humanity, 
sir." 

"  I  speak  of  the  world  as  I  have  found  it  in  both  hemi- 
spheres, or,  as  your  neighbor  the  magistrate  'Squire  New- 
come  has  it,  the  'four  hemispheres.'  Our  representation 
is,  at  the  best,  but  an  average  of  the  qualities  of  the  whole 
community,  somewhat  lessened  by  the  fact  that  men  of 
real  merit  have  taken  a  disgust  at  a  state  of  things  that  is 
not  very  tempting  to  their  habits  or  tastes.  As  for  a  quar- 
ter-sale, I  can  see  no  more  hardship  in  it  than  there  is  in 
paying  the  rent  itself  ;  and,  by  giving  the  landlord  this 
check  on  the  transfer  of  his  lands,  he  compels  a  compro- 
mise that  maintains  what  is  just.  The  tenant  is  not 
obliged  to  sell,  and  he  makes  his  conditions  accordingly, 
when  he  has  a  good  tenant  to  offer  in  his  stead.  When 
he  offers  a  bad  tenant,  he  ought  to  pay  for  it." 

"  Many  persons  with  us  would  think  it  very  aristocratic," 
1  cried,  laughingly,  "  that  a  landlord  should  have  it  in  his 
power  to  say,  I  will  not  accept  this  or  that  substitute  for 
yourself." 

"  It  is  just  as  aristocratic,  and  no  more  so,  than  it  would 
be  to  put  it  in  the  power  of  the  tenant  to  say  to  the  land- 
lord, you  shall  accept  this  or  that  tenant  at  my  hands. 
The  covenant  of  the  quarter-sale  gives  each  party  a  con- 
trol in  the  matter ;  and  the  result  has  ever  been  a  compro- 
mise that  is  perfectly  fair,  as  it  is  hardly  possible  that  the 
circumstance  should  have  been  overlooked  in  making  the 


THE  REDSKINS.  33 

bargain  ;  and  he  who  knows  anything  of  such  matters, 
knows  that  every  exaction  of  this  sort  is  always  considered 
m  the  rent.  As  for  feudality,  so  long  as  the  power  to 
alienate  exists  at  all  in  the  tenant,  he  does  not  hold  by  a 
feudal  tenure.  He  has  bought  himself  from  all  such  ten- 
ures by  his  covenant  of  quarter-sale ;  and  it  only  remains 
to  say  whether,  having  agreed  to  such  a  bargain  in  order 
to  obtain  this  advantage,  he  should  pay  the  stipulated 
price  or  not." 

"  I  understand  you,  sir.  It  is  easy  to  come  at  the  equity 
of  this  matter,  if  one  will  only  go  back  to  the  original  facts 
which  color  it.  The  tenant  had  no  rights  at  all  until  he 
got  his  lease,  and  can  have  no  rights  which  that  lease  does 
not  confer." 

"Then  the  cry  is  raised  of  feudal  privileges,  because 
some  of  the  Rensselaer  tenants  are  obliged  to  find  so  many 
days'  work  with  their  teams,  or  substitutes,  to  the  landlord, 
and  even  because  they  have  to  pay  annually  a  pair  of  fat 
fowls  !  We  have  seen  enough  of  America,  Hugh,  to  know 
that  most  husbandmen  would  be  delighted  to  have  the 
privilege  of  paying  their  debt  in  chickens  and  work,  in- 
stead of  in  money,  which  renders  the  cry  only  so  much  the 
more  wicked.  But  what  is  there  more  feudal  in  a  tenant's 
thus  paying  his  landlord,  than  in  a  butcher's  contracting 
to  furnish  so  much  meat  for  a  series  of  years,  or  a  mail 
contractor's  agreeing  to  carry  the  mail  in  a  four-horse 
coach  for  a  term  of  years,  eh  ?  No  one  objects  to  the  rent 
in  wheat,  and  why  should  they  object  to  the  rent  in  chick- 
ens ?  Is  it  because  our  republican  farmers  have  got  to  be 
so  aristocratic  themselves,  that  they  do  not  like  to  be 
thought  poulterers  ?  This  is  being  aristocratic  on  the 
other  side.  These  dignitaries  should  remember  that  if  it 
be  plebeian  to  furnish  fowls,  it  is  plebeian  to  receive  them  ; 
and  if  the  tenant  has  to  find  an  individual  who  has  to  sub- 
mit to  the  degradation  of  tendering  a  pair  of  fat  fowls,  the 
landlord  has  to  find  an  individual  who  has  to  submit  to 
the  degradation  of  taking  them,  and  of  putting  them 
away  in  the  larder.  It  seems  to  me  that  one  is  an  offset 
to  the  other." 

"  But  if  I  remember  rightly,  uncle  Ro,  these  little  mat- 
ters were  always  commuted  for  in  money." 

"  They  always  must  lie  at  the  option  of  the  tenant,  un- 
less the  covenants  went  to  forfeiture,  which  I  never  heard 
that  they  did  ;  for  the  failure  to  pay  in  kind  at  the  time 
stipulated,  would  only  involve  a  payment  in  money  after- 


34  THE   REDSKINS. 

ward.  The  most  surprising  part  of  this  whole  transaction 
is,  that  men  among  us  hold  the  doctrine  that  these  lease- 
hold estates  are  opposed  to  our  institutions,  when,  being 
guaranteed  by  the  institutions,  they  in  truth  form  a  part  of 
them.  Were  it  not  for  these  very  institutions,  to  which 
they  are  said  to  be  opposed,  and  of  which  they  virtually 
form  a  part,  we  should  soon  have  a  pretty  kettle  of  fish  be- 
tween landlord  and  tenant." 

"  How  do  you  make  it  out  that  they  form  a  part  of  the 
institutions,  sir  ? " 

"  Simply  because  the  institutions  have  a  solemn  profes- 
sion of  protecting  property.  There  is  such  a  parade  of 
this,  that  all  our  constitutions  declare  that  property  shall 
never  be  taken  without  due  form  of  law  ;  and  to  read  one 
of  them,  you  would  think  the  property  of  the  citizen  is 
held  quite  as  sacred  as  his  person.  Now,  some  of  these 
very  tenures  existed  when  the  State  institutions  were 
framed  ;  and,  not  satisfied  with  this,  we  of  New  York,  in 
common  with  our  sister  States,  solemnly  prohibited  our- 
selves, in  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States,  from  ever 
meddling  with  them  ;  nevertheless,  men  are  found  hardy 
enough  to  assert  that  a  thing  which  in  fact  belongs  to  the 
institutions,  is  opposed  to  them." 

"  Perhaps  they  mean,  sir,  to  their  spirit,  or  to  their  ten- 
dency." 

"  Ah  !  there  may  be  some  sense  in  that,  though  much 
less  than  the  declaimers  fancy.  The  spirit  of  institutions 
is  their  legitimate  object ;  and  it  would  be  hard  to  prove 
that  a  leasehold  tenure,  with  any  conditions  of  mere  pecu- 
niary indebtedness  whatever,  is  opposed  to  any  institutions 
that  recognize  the  full  rights  of  property.  The  obligation 
to  pay  rent  no  more  creates  political  dependency,  than  to 
give  credit  from  an  ordinary  shop  ;  not  so  much,  indeed, 
more  especially  under  such  leases  as  those  of  the  Rens- 
selaers  ;  for  the  debtor  on  a  book-debt  can  be  sued  at  any 
moment,  whereas  the  tenant  knows  precisely  when  he  has 
to  pay.  There  is  the  great  absurdity  of  those  who  decry 
the  system  as  feudal  and  aristocratic  ;  for  they  do  not  see 
that  those  very  leases  are  more  favorable  to  the  tenant  than 
any  other." 

"  I  shall  have  to  ask  you  to  explain  this  to  me,  sir,  being 
too  ignorant  to  comprehend  it." 

"  Why,  these  leases  are  perpetual,  and  the  tenant  cannot 
be  dispossessed.  The  longer  a  lease  is,  other  things  being 
equal,  the  better  it  is  for  the  tenant,  all  the  world  over 


THE   REDSKINS.  3$ 

Let  us  suppose  two  farms,  the  one  leased  for  five  years, 
and  the  other  forever.  Which  tenant  is  most  independent 
of  the  political  influence  of  his  landlord,  to  say  nothing  oi 
the  impossibility  of  controlling  votes  in  this  way  in  Amer- 
ica,~from  a  variety  of  causes  ?  Certainly  he  who  has  a 
lease  forever.  He  is  just  as  independent  of  his  landlord 
as  his  landlord  can  be  of  him,  with  the  exception  that  he 
has  rent  to  pay.  In  the  latter  case,  he  is  precisely  like  any 
other  debtor — like  the  poor  man  who  contracts  debts  with 
the  same  storekeeper  for  a  series  of  years.  As  for  the  pos- 
session of  the  farm,  which  we  are  to  suppose  is  a  desirable 
thing  for  the  tenant,  he  of  the  long  lease  is  clearly  most 
independent,  since  the  other  may  be  ejected  at  the  end  of 
each  five  years.  Nor  is  there  the  least  difference  as  to  ac- 
quiring the  property  in  fee,  since  the  landlord  may  sell 
equally  in  either  case,  if  so  disposed  ;  and  if  NOT  DISPOSED, 

NO  HONEST  MAN,  UNDER  ANY  SYSTEM,  OUGHT  TO  DO  ANYTHING 

TO  COMPEL  HIM  so  TO  DO,  directly  or  indirectly  ;  AND  NO 

TRULY  HONEST  MAN  WOULD." 

I  put  some  of  the  words  of  my  uncle  Ro  in  small  capi- 
tals, as  the  spirit  of  the  times,  not  of  the  institutions,  renders 
such  hints  necessary.  But,  to  continue  our  dialogue  : 

"  I  understand  you  now,  sir,  though  the  distinction  you 
make  between  the  spirit  of  the  institutions  and  their  tenden- 
cies is  what  I  do  not  exactly  comprehend." 

"  It  is  very  easily  explained.  The  spirit  of  the  institu- 
tions is  their  intention;  their  tendencies  are  the  natural 
direction  they  take  under  the  impulses  of  human  motives, 
which  are  always  corrupt  and  corrupting.  The  *  spirit ' 
refers  to  what  things  ought  to  be  ;  the  '  tendencies,'  to  what 
they  are,  or  are  becoming.  The  *  spirit '  of  all  political  in- 
stitutions is  to  place  a  check  on  the  natural  propensities 
of  men,  to  restrain  them,  and  keep  them  within  due  bounds  ; 
while  the  tendencies  follow  those  propensities,  and  are,  quite 
often,  in  direct  opposition  to  the  spirit.  That  this  outcry 
against  leasehold  tenures  in  America  is  following  the  ten- 
dencies of  our  institutions,  I  am  afraid  is  only  too  true  ;  but 
that  it  is  in  any  manner  in  compliance  with  their  spirit,  I 
utterly  deny." 

"  You  will  allow  that  institutions  have  their  spirit,  which 
ought  always  to  be  respected,  in  order  to  preserve  har- 
mony ? " 

"Out  of  all  question.  The  first  great  requisite  of  a  po- 
litical system  is  the  means  of  protecting  itself  ;  the  second, 
to  check  its  tendencies  at  the  point  required  by  justiceT 


36  THE   REDSKINS. 

wisdom,  and  good  faith.  In  a  despotism,  for  instance,  the 
spirit  of  the  system  is,  to 'maintain  that  one  man,  who  is 
elevated  above  the  necessities  and  temptations  of  a  nation 
— who  is  solemnly  set  apart  for  the  sole  purpose  of  govern- 
ment, fortified  by  dignity,  and  rendered  impartial  by  posi- 
tion— will  rule  in  the  manner  most  conducive  to  the  true 
interests  of  his  subjects.  It  is  just  as  much  the  theory  of 
Russia  and  Prussia  that  their  monarchs  reign  not  for  their 
own  good,  but  for  the  good  of  those  over  whom  they  are 
placed,  as  it  is  the  theory  in  regard  to  the  President  of  the 
United  States.  We  all  know  that  the  tendencies  of  a  des- 
potism are  to  abuses  of  a  particular  character  ;  and  it  is 
just  as  certain  that  the  tendencies  of  a  republic,  or  rather 
of  a  democratic  republic — for  republic  of  itself  means  but 
little,  many  republics  having  had  kings — but  it  is  just  as 
certain  that  the  tendencies  of  a  democracy  are  to  abuses 
of  another  character.  Whatever  man  touches,  he  infalli- 
bly abuses  ;  and  this  more  in  connection  with  the  exercise 
of  political  power,  perhaps,  than  in  the  management  of  any 
one  interest  of  life,  though  he  abuses  all,  even  to  religion. 
Less  depends  on  the  nominal  character  of  institutions,  per- 
haps, than  on  their  ability  to  arrest  their  own  tendencies 
at  the  point  required  by  everything  that  is  just  and  right. 
Hitherto,  surprisingly  few  grave  abuses  have  followed  from 
our  institutions  ;  but  this  matter  looks  frightfully  serious  ; 
for  I  have  not  told  you  half,  Hugh." 

"  Indeed,  sir  !  I  beg  you  will  believe  me  quite  equal  to 
hearing  the  worst." 

"  It  is  true,  anti-rentism  did  commence  on  the  estate  of 
the  Rensselaers,  and  with  complaints  of  feudal  tenures, 
and  of  days'  works,  and  fat  fowls,  backed  by  the  extrava- 
gantly aristocratic  pretension  that  a  *  manor '  tenant  was 
so  much  a  privileged  being  that  it  was  beneath  his  dignity, 
as  a  free  man,  to  do  that  which  is  daily  done  by  mail-con- 
tractors, stage-coach  owners,  victuallers,  and  even  by  them- 
selves, in  their  passing  bargains  to  deliver  potatoes,  onions, 
turkeys,  and  pork,  although  they  had  solemnly  covenanted 
with  their  landlords  to  pay  the  fat  fowls,  and  to  give  the 
days'  works.  The  feudal  system  has  been  found  to  extend 
much  further,  and  'troubles,'  as  they  are  called,  have 
broken  out  in  other  parts  of  the  State.  Resistance  to  pro- 
cess, and  a  cessation  of  the  payment  of  rents,  have  occurred 
on  the  Livingston  property,  in  Hardenberg — in  short,  in 
eight  or  ten  counties  of  the  State.  Even  among  the  bona 
fide  purchasers  on  the  Holland  Purchase,  this  resistance 


THE   REDSKINS.  37 

has  been  organized,  and  a  species  of  troops  raised,  who 
appear  disguised  and  armed  wherever  a  levy  is  to  be  made. 
Several  men  have  already  been  murdered,  and  there  is  the 
strong  probability  of  a  civil  war." 

"  In  the  name  of  what  is  sacred  and  right,  what  has  the 
government  of  the  State  been  doing  all  this  time  ?" 

"  In  my  poor  judgment,  a  great  deal  that  it  ought  not  to 
have  done,  and  very  little  that  it  ought.  You  know  the 
state  of  politics  at  home,  Hugh ;  how  important  New 
York  is  in  all  national  questions,  and  how  nearly  tied  is 
her  vote — less  than  ten  thousand  majority  in  a  canvass  of 
near  a  half  million  of  votes.  When  this  is  the  case,  the 
least-principled  part  of  the  voters  attain  an  undue  impor- 
tance— a  truth  that  has  been  abundantly  illustrated  in  this 
question.  The  natural  course  would  have  been  to  raise 
an  armed  constabulary  force,  and  to  have  kept  it  in  motion, 
as  the  anti-renters  have  kept  their  '  Injins '  in  motion, 
which  would  have  soon  tired  out  the  rebels,  for  rebels  they 
are,  who  would  thus  have  had  to  support  one  army  in  part, 
and  the  other  altogether.  Such  a  movement  on  the  part 
of  the  State,  well  and  energetically  managed,  would  have 
drawn  half  the  *  Injins  '  at  once  from  the  ranks  of  disaffec- 
tion to  those  of  authority  ;  for  all  that  most  of  these  men 
want  is  to  live  easy,  and  to  have  a  parade  of  military  move- 
ments. Instead  of  that,  the  legislature  substantially  did 
nothing,  until  blood  was  spilt,  and  the  grievance  had  got 
to  be  not  only  profoundly  disgraceful  for  such  a  State  and 
such  a  country,  but  utterly  intolerable  to  the  well-affected 
of  the  revolted  counties,  as  well  as  to  those  who  were  kept 
out  of  the  enjoyment  of  their  property.  Then,  indeed,  it 
passed  the  law  which  ought  to  have  been  passed  the  first 
year  of  the  'Injin'  system — a  law  which  renders  it  felony 
to  appear  armed  and  disguised  ;  but  Dunning  writes  me 
this  law  is  openly  disregarded  in  Delaware  and  Schoharie, 
in  particular,  and  that  bodies  of  'Injins,'  in  full  costume 
and  armed,  of  a  thousand  men,  have  appeared  to  prevent 
levies  or  sales.  Where  it  will  end  Heaven  knows  !  " 

"  Do  you  apprehend  any  serious  civil  war  ?  " 

"  It  is  impossible  to  say  where  false  principles  may  lead, 
when  they  are  permitted  to  make  head  and  to  become 
widely  disseminated,  in  a  country  like  ours.  Still,  the  dis- 
turbances, as  such,  are  utterly  contemptible,  and  could  and 
would  be  put  down  by  an  energetic  executive  in  ten  days 
after  he  had  time  to  collect  a  force  to  do  it  with.  In  some 
particulars,  the  present  incumbent  has  behaved  perfectly 


38  THE  REDSKINS. 

well  ;  while  in  others,  in  my  judgment,  he  has  inflicted  in< 
juries  on  the  right  that  it  will  require  years  to  repair,  if, 
indeed,  they  are  ever  repaired." 

"  You  surprise  me,  sir  ;  and  this  the  more  especially, 
as  I  know  you  are  generally  of  the  same  way  of  thinking, 
on  political  subjects,  with  the  party  that  is  now  in  power." 

u  Did  you  ever  know  me  to  support  what  I  conceived  to 
be  wrong,  Hugh,  on  acount  of  my  political  affinities  ? " 
asked  my  uncle,  a  little  reproachfully  as  to  manner.  "  But 
let  me  tell  you  the  harm  that  I  conceive  has  been  done  by 
all  the  governors  who  have  had  anything  to  do  with  the 
subject  ;  and  that  includes  one  of  a  party  to  which  I  am 
opposed,  and  two  that  are  not.  In  the  first  place,  they 
have  all  treated  the  matter  as  if  the  tenants  had  really 
some  cause  of  complaint  ;  when  in  truth  all  their  griefs  arise 
from  the  fact  that  other  men  will  not  let  them  have  their 
property  just  as  they  may  want  it,  and  in  some  respects  on 
their  own  terms." 

"  That  is  certainly  a  grief  not  to  be  maintained  by 
reason  in  a  civilized  country,  and  in  a  Christian  com- 
munity." 

"  Umph !  Christianity,  like  liberty,  suffers  fearfully  in 
human  hands  ;  one  is  sometimes  at  a  loss  to  recognize 
either.  I  have  seen  ministers  of  the  gospel  just  as  dogged, 
just  as  regardless  of  general  morality,  and  just  as  indififer- 
to  the  right,  in  upholding  their  parties,  as  I  ever  saw  lay- 
men ;  and  I  have  seen  laymen  manifesting  tempers,  in  this 
respect,  that  properly  belong  to  devils.  But  our  govern- 
ors have  certainly  treated  this  matter  as  if  the  tenants 
actually  had  griefs  ;  when  in  truth  their  sole  oppression  is 
in  being  obliged  to  to  pay  rents  that  are  merely  nominal, 
and  in  not  being  able  to  buy  other  men's  property  con- 
trary to  their  wishes,  and  very  much  at  their  own  prices. 
One  governor  has  even  been  so  generous  as  to  volunteer  a 
mode  of  settling  disputes  with  which,  by  the  way,  he  has 
no  concern,  there  being  courts  to  discharge  that  office, 
that  is  singularly  presuming  on  his  part,  to  say  the  least, 
and  which  looks  a  confounded  sight  more  like  aristocracy, 
or  monarchy,  than  anything  connected  with  leasehold 
tenure." 

"  Why,  what  can  the  man  have  done  ?" 

"  He  has  kindly  taken  on  himself  the  office  of  doing  that 
for  which  I  fancy  he  can  find  no  authority  in  the  institu- 
tions, or  in  their  spirit — no  less  than  advising  citizens  how 
they  way  conveniently  manage  their  own  affairs  so  as  t<> 


THE   REDSKINS.  39 

get  over  difficulties  that  he  himself  substantially  admits, 
while  giving  this  very  advice,  are  difficulties  that  the  law 
sanctions." 

"  This  is  a  very  extraordinary  interference  in  a  public 
functionary  ;  because  one  of  the  parties  to  a  contract  that 
is  solemnly  guaranteed  by  the  law,  chooses  to  complain  of 
its  nature,  rather  than  of  its  co?iditions,  to  pretend  to  throw 
the  weight  of  his  even  assumed  authority  into  the  scales 
on  either  side  of  the  question  ! " 

"  And  that  is  a  popular  government,  Hugh,  in  which  it 
tells  so  strongly  against  a  man  to  render  him  unpopular, 
that  not  one  man  in  a  million  has  the  moral  courage  to  re- 
sist public  opinion,  even  when  he  is  right.  You  have  hit 
the  nail  on  the  head,  boy  ;  it  is  in  the  last  degree  presum- 
ing, and  what  would  be  denounced  as  tyrannical  in  any 
monarch  in  Europe.  But  he  has  lived  in  vain  who  has 
not  learned  that  they  who  make  the  the  loudest  professions 
of  a  love  of  liberty,  have  little  knowledge  of  the  quality, 
beyond  submission  to  the  demands  of  numbers.  Our  ex- 
ecutive has  carried  his  fatherly  care  even  beyond  this  ;  he 
has  actually  suggested  the  terms  of  a  bargain  by  which 
he  thinks  the  difficulty  can  be  settled,  which,  in  addition 
to  the  gross  assumption  of  having  a  voice  in  a  matter  that 
in  no  manner  belongs  to  him,  has  the  palpable  demerit  of 
recommending  a  pecuniary  compromise  that  is  flagrantly 
wrong  as  a  mere  pecuniary  compromise." 

"  You  astonish  me,  sir  !  What  is  the  precise  nature  of 
his  recommendation?" 

"  That  the  Rensselaers  should  receive  such  a  sum  from 
each  tenant  as  would  produce  an  interest  equal  to  the 
value  of  the  present  rent.  Now,  in  the  first  place,  here 
is  a  citizen  who  has  got  as  much  property  as  he  wants,  and 
who  wishes  to  live  for  other  purposes  than  to  accumulate. 
This  property  is  not  only  invested  to  his  entire  satisfac- 
tion, as  regards  convenience,  security,  and  returns,  but  also 
in  a  way  that  is  connected  with  some  of  the  best  senti- 
ments of  his  nature.  It  is  property  that  has  descended 
to  him  through  ancestors  for  two  centuries  ;  property  that 
is  historically  connected  with  his  name — on  which  he  was 
born,  on  which  he  has  lived,  and  on  which  he  has  hoped  to 
die  ;  property,  in  a  word,  that  is  associated  with  all  the 
higher  feelings  of  humanity.  Because  some  interloper, 
perhaps,  who  has  purchased  an  interest  in  one  of  his  farms 
six  months  before,  feels  an  aristocratic  desire  not  to  have 
a  landlord,  and  wishes  to  own  a  farm  in  fee,  that  in  fact 


40  THE   REDSKINS. 

he  has  no  other  right  to  than  he  gets  through  his  lease, 
the  Governor  of  the  great  State  of  New  York  throws  the 
weight  of  his  official  position  against  the  old  hereditary 
owner  of  the  soil,  by  solemnly  suggesting,  in  an  official 
document  that  is  intended  to  produce  an  effect  on  public 
opinion,  that  he  should  sell  that  which  he  does  not  wish 
to  sell,  but  wishes  to  keep,  and  that  at  a  price  which  I 
conceive  is  much  below  its  true  pecuniary  value.  We 
have  liberty  with  a  vengeance,  if  these  are  some  of  its 
antics  !  " 

"What  makes  the  matter  worse,  is  the  fact  that  each  of 
the  Rensselaers  has  a  house  on  his  estate,  so  placed  as  to 
be  convenient  to  look  after  his  interest ;  which  interests 
he  is  to  be  at  the  trouble  of  changing,  leaving  him  his 
house  on  his  hands,  because,  forsooth,  one  of  the  parties 
to  a  plain  and  equitable  bargain  wishes  to  make  better 
conditions  than  he  covenanted  for.  I  wonder  what  his 
excellency  proposes  that  the  landlords  shall  do  with  their 
money  when  they  get  it  ?  Buy  new  estates,  and  build  new 
houses,  of  which  to  be  dispossessed  when  a  new  set  of  ten- 
ants may  choose  to  cry  out  against  aristocracy,  and  de- 
monstrate their  own  love  for  democracy  by  wishing  to  pull 
others  down  in  order  to  shove  themselves  into  their 
places  ?  " 

"  You  are  right  again,  Hugh  ;  but  it  is  a  besetting  vice 
of  America  to  regard  life  as  all  means,  and  as  having  no 
end,  in  a  worldly  point  of  view.  I  dare  say  men  may  be 
found  among  us  who  regard  it  as  highly  presuming  in  any 
man  to  build  himself  an  ample  residence,  and  to  announce 
by  his  mode  of  living  that  he  is  content  with  his  present 
means,  and  does  not  wish  to  increase  them,  at  the  very  mo- 
ment they  view  the  suggestions  of  the  governor  as  the 
pink  of  modesty,  and  excessively  favorable  to  equal  rights  ! 
I  like  that  thought  of  yours  about  the  house,  too  ;  in  or- 
der to  suit  the  'spirit 'of  the  New  York  institutions,  it 
would  seem  that  a  New  York  landlord  should  build  on 
wheels,  that  he  may  move  his  abode  to  a  new  State,  when 
it  suits  the  pleasure  of  his  tenants  to  buy  him  out." 

"  Do  you  suppose  the  Rensselaers  would  take  their 
money,  the  principal  of  the  rent  at  seven  per  cent,  and 
buy  land  with  it,  after  their  experience  of  the  uncertainty 
of  such  possessions  among  us  ?" 

"Not  they,"  said  my  uncle  Ro,  laughing.  "No,  no! 
they  would  sell  the  Manor-House,  and  the  Beverwyck,  for 
taverns  ;  and  then  any  one  might  live  in  them  who  would 


THE   REDSKINS.  4* 

pay  the  principal  sum  of  the  cost  of  a  dinner  ;  bag  their 
dollars,  and  proceed  forthwith  to  Wall  Street,  and  com- 
mence the  shaving  of  notes — that  occupation  having  been 
decided,  as  I  see  by  the  late  arrivals,  to  be  highly  honor- 
able and  praiseworthy.  Hitherto  they  have  been  nothing 
but  drones  ;  but,  by  the  time  they  can  go  to  the  quick 
with  their  dollars,  they  will  become  useful  members  of 
society,  and  be  honored  and  esteemed  accordingly." 

What  next  might  have  been  said  I  do  not  know,  for 
just  then  we  were  interrupted  by  a  visit  from  our  com- 
mon banker,  and  the  discourse  was  necessarily  changed. 


CHAPTER  III. 

"  Oh,  when  shall  I  visit  the  land  of  my  birth, 
The  loveliest  land  on  the  face  of  the  earth  ? 
When  shall  I  those  scenes  of  affection  explore, 
Our  forests,  our  fountains, 
Our  hamlets,  our  mountains, 
With  the  pride  of  our  mountains,  the  maid  I  adore  ?  " 

— MONTGOMERY. 

IT  was  truly  news  for  an  American,  who  had  been  so 
long  cut  off  from  intelligence  from  home,  thus  suddenly 
to  be  told  that  some  of  the  scenes  of  the  middle  ages — 
scenes  connected  with  real  wrongs  and  gross  abuses  of  hu- 
man rights — were  about  to  be  enacted  in  his  own  land  ; 
that  country  which  boasted  itself,  not  only  to  be  the  asy- 
lum of  the  oppressed,  but  the  conservator  of  the  right.  I 
was  grieved  at  what  I  had  heard,  for,  during  my  travels, 
I  had  cherished  a  much-loved  image  of  justice  and  polit- 
ical excellence,  that  I  now  began  to  fear  must  be  aban- 
doned. My  uncle  and  myself  decided  at  once  to  return 
home,  a  step  that  indeed  was  required  by  prudence.  I 
was  now  of  an  age  to  enter  into  the  full  possession  of 
my  own  property  (so  far  as  "new  laws  and  new  lords" 
would  permit) ;  and  the  letters  received  by  my  late  guar- 
dian, as  well  as  certain  newspapers,  communicated  the  un- 
pleasant fact  that  a  great  many  of  the  tenants  of  Ravens- 
nest  had  joined  the  association,  paid  tribute  for  the  sup- 
port of  "  Injins,"  and  were  getting  to  be  as  bad  as  any 
of  the  rest  of  them,  so  far  as  designs  and  schemes  to 
plunder  were  concerned,  though  they  still  paid  their  rents 


42  THE   REDSKINS. 

The  latter  circumstance  was  ascribed  by  our  agent  to  the 
fact  that  many  leases  were  about  to  fall  in,  and  it  would 
be  in  my  power  to  substitute  more  honest  and  better- 
disposed  successsors  for  the  present  occupants  of  the  sev- 
eral farms.  Measures  were  taken  accordingly  for  quitting 
Paris  as  soon  as  possible,  so  that  we  might  reach  home 
late  in  the  month  of  May. 

"  If  we  had  time,  I  would  certainly  throw  in  a  memorial 
or  two  to  the  legislature,"  observed  my  uncle,  a  day  or 
two  before  we  proceeded  to  Havre  to  join  the  packet. 
"  I  have  a  strong  desire  to  protest  against  the  invasion 
of  my  rights  as  a  freeman  that  is  connected  with  some 
of  their  contemplated  laws.  I  do  not  at  all  like  the  idea 
of  being  abridged  of  the  power  of  hiring  a  farm  for  the 
longest  time  I  can  obtain  it,  which  is  one  of  the  projects 
of  some  of  the  ultra  reformers  of  free  and  equal  New  York. 
It  is  wonderful,  Hugh,  into  what  follies  men  precipitate 
themselves  as  soon  as  they  begin  to  run  into  exaggera- 
tions, whether  of  politics,  religion,  or  tastes.  Here  are 
half  of  the  exquisite  philanthropists  who  see  a  great  evil 
affecting  the  rights  of  human  nature  in  one  man's  hiring  a 
farm  from  another  for  as  long  a  term  as  he  can  obtain  it, 
who  are  at  the  very  extreme  in  their  opinion  on  free  trade  ! 
So  free-trade  are  some  of  the  journals  which  think  it  a 
capital  thing  to  prevent  landlords  and  tenants  from  mak- 
ing their  own  bargains,  that  they  have  actually  derided 
the  idea  of  having  established  fares  for  hackney-coaches, 
but  that  it  would  be  better  to  let  the  parties  stand  in  the 
rain  and  higgle  about  the  price,  on  the  free-trade  princi- 
ple. Some  of  these  men  are  either  active  agents  in  stimu- 
lating the  legislature  to  rob  the  citizen  of  this  very  simple 
control  of  his  property,  or  passive  lookers-on  while  others 
do  it." 

"Votes,  sir,  votes." 

"  It  is  indeed  votes,  sir,  votes  ;  nothing  short  of  votes 
could  reconcile  these  men  to  their  own  inconsistencies. 
As  for  yourself,  Hugh,  it  might  be  well  to  get  rid  of  that 
canopied  pew  "• 

"  Of  what  canopied  pew  ?  I  am  sure  I  do  not  under- 
stand you." 

"Do  you  forget  that  the  family-pew  in  St.  Andrew's 
Church,  at  Ravensnest,  has  a  wooden  canopy  over  it — a 
relic  of  our  colonial  opinions  and  usages  ? " 

"  Now  you  mention  it,  I  do  remember  a  very  clumsy, 
and,  to  own  the  truth,  a  very  ugly  thing,  that  I  have  always 


THE   REDSKINS.  43 

supposed  was  placed  there,  by  those  who  built  the  church, 
by  way  of  ornament." 

""That  ugly  thing,  byway  of  ornament,  was  intended 
for  a  sort  of  canopy,  and  was  by  no  means  an  uncommon 
distinction  in  the  State  and  colony,  as  recently  as  the  close 
of  the  last  century.  The  church  was  built  at  the  expense 
of  my  grandfather,  General  Littlepage,  and  his  bosom 
friend  and  kinsman,  Colonel  Dirck  Pollock,  both  good 
Whigs  and  gallant  defenders  of  the  liberty  of  their  coun- 
try. They,  thought  it  proper  that  the  Littlepages  should 
have  a  canopied  pew,  and  that  is  the  state  in  which  they 
caused  the  building  to  be  presented  to  my  father.  The 
old  work  still  stands  ;  and  Dunning  writes  me  that,  among 
the  other  arguments  used  against  your  interests,  is  the 
fact  that  your  pew  is  thus  distinguished  from  those  of  the 
rest  of  the  congregation." 

"  It  is  a  distinction  no  man  would  envy  me,  could  it  be 
known  that  I  have  ever  thought  the  clumsy,  ill-shaped 
thing  a  nuisance,  and  detestable  as  an  ornament.  I  have 
never  even  associated  it  in  my  mind  with  personal  distinc- 
tion, but  have  always  supposed  it  was  erected  with  a  view 
to  embellish  the  building,  and  placed  over  our  pew  as  the 
spot  where  such  an  excrescence  would  excite  the  least  envy. " 

"  In  all  that,  with  one  exception,  you  have  judged  quite 
naturally.  Forty  years  ago  such  a  thing  might  have  been 
done,  and  the  majority  of  the  parishioners  would  have 
seen  in  it  nothing  out  of  place.  But  that  day  has  gone  by  ; 
and  you  will  discover  that,  on  your  own  estate,  and  in  the 
very  things  created  by  your  family  and  yourself,  you  will 
actually  have  fewer  rights  of  any  sort,  beyond  those  your 
money  will  purchase,  than  any  man  around  you.  The 
simple  fact  that  St.  Andrew's  Church  was  built  by  your 
great-grandfather,  and  by  him  presented  to  the  congre- 
gation, will  diminish  your  claim  to  have  a  voice  in  its 
affairs,  with  many  of  the  congregation." 

"This  is  so  extraordinary,  that  I  must  ask  the  reason." 

"  The  reason  is  connected  with  a  principle  so  obviously 
belonging  to  human  nature  generally,  and  to  American 
nature  in  particular,  that  I  wonder  you  ask  it.  It  is  envy. 
Did  that  pew  belong  to  the  Newcomes,  for  instance,  no 
one  would  think  anything  of  it." 

"  Nevertheless,  the  Newcomes  would  make  themselves 
ridiculous  by  sitting  in  a  pew  that  was  distinguished  from 
those  of  their  neighbors.  The  absurdity  of  the  contrast 
would  strike  every  one." 


44  THE   REDSKINS. 

"  And  it  is  precisely  because  the  absurdity  does  not  exist 
in  your  case,  that  your  seat  is  envied.  No  one  envies  ab- 
surdity. However,  you  will  readily  admit,  Hugh,  that  a 
church  and  a  church-yard  are  the  two  last  places  in  which 
human  distinction  ought  to  be  exhibited.  All  are  equal 
in  the  eyes  of  Him  we  go  to  the  one  to  worship,  and  all 
are  equal  in  the  grave.  I  have  ever  been  averse  to  every- 
thing like  worldly  distinction  in  a  congregation,  and  ad- 
mire the  usage  of  the  Romish  Church  in  even  dispensing 
with  pews  altogether.  Monuments  speak  to  the  world, 
and  have  a  general  connection  with  history,  so  that  they 
be  tolerated  to  a  certain  point,  though  notorious  liars." 

"  I  agree  with  you,  sir,  as  to  the  unfitness  of  a  church 
for  all  distinction,  and  shall  be  happy  on  every  account 
to  get  rid  of  my  canopy,  though  that  has  an  historical 
connection,  also.  I  am  quite  innocent  of  any  feeling  of 
pride  while  sitting  under  it,  though  I  will  confess  to  some 
of  shame  at  its  quizzical  shape,  when  I  see  it  has  attracted 
the  eyes  of  intelligent  strangers." 

"  It  is  but  natural  that  you  should  feel  thus  ;  for,  while 
we  may  miss  distinctions  and  luxuries  to  which  we  have 
ever  been  accustomed,  they  rarely  excite  pride  in  the  pos- 
sessor, even  while  they  awaken  envy  in  the  looker-on." 

"  Nevertheless,  I  cannot  see  what  the  old  pew  has  to  do 
with  the  rents  or  my  legal  rights." 

"  When  a  cause  is  bad,  everything  is  pressed  into  it  that 
it  is  believed  may  serve  a  turn.  No  man  who  had  a  good 
legal  claim  for  property,  would  ever  think  of  urging  any 
other  ;  nor  would  any  legislator  who  had  sound  and  suffi- 
cient reasons  for  his  measures — reasons  that  could  properly 
justify  him  before  God  and  man,  for  his  laws — have  re- 
course to  slang  to  sustain  him.  If  these  anti-renters  were 
right,  they  would  have  no  need  of  secret  combinations  or 
disguises,  blood-and-thunder  names,  and  special  agents  in 
the  legislature  of  the  land.  The  right  requires  no  false 
aid  to  make  it  appear  the  right  ;  but  the  wrong  must  get 
such  support  as  it  can  press  into  its  service.  Your  pew 
is  called  aristocratic,  though  it  confers  no  political  power ; 
it  is  called  a  patent  of  nobility,  though  it  neither  gives 
nor  takes  away,  and  it  is  hated,  and  you  with  it,  for  the  very 
reason  that  you  can  sit  in  it  and  not  make  yourself  ridicu- 
lous. I  suppose  you  have  not  examined  very  closely  the 
papers  I  gave  you  to  read  ?  " 

':  Enough  so  to  ascertain  that  they  are  filled  with  trash." 

"Worse  than   trash,  Hugh;  with  some   of   the   loosest 


THE   REDSA'IXS.  45 

principles,  and  most  atrocious  feelings,  that  degrade  poor 
human  nature.  Some  of  the  reformers  propose  that  no 
man  shall  hold  more  than  a  thousand  acres  of  land,  while 
others  lay  down  the  very  intelligible  and  distinct  principle 
that  no  man  ought  to  hold  more  than  he  can  use.  Even 
petitions  to  that  effect,  I  have  been  told,  have  been  sent  to 
the  legislature." 

"  Which  has  taken  care  not  to  allude  to  their  purport, 
either  in  debate  or  otherwise,  as  I  see  nothing  to  that  effect 
in  the  reports." 

"  Ay,  I  dare  say  the  slang-whangers  of  those  honorable 
bodies  will  studiously  keep  all  such  enormities  out  of  sight, 
as  some  of  them  doubtless  hope  to  step  into  the  shoes  of 
the  present  landlords,  as  soon  as  they  can  get  the  feet  out 
of  them  which  are  now  in.  But  these  are  the  projects  and 
the  petitions  in  the  columns  of  the  journals,  and  they  speak 
for  themselves.  Among  other  things,  they  say  it  is  nobility 
to  be  a  landlord." 

"  I  see  by  the  letter  of  Mr.  Dunning,  that  they  have  pe- 
titioned the  legislature  to  order  an  inquiry  into  my  title-. 
Now,  we  hold  from  the  crown  "- 

"  So  much  the  worse,  Hugh.  Faugh  !  hold  from  a  crown 
in  a  republican  country !  I  am  amazed  you  are  not  ashamed 
to  own  it.  Do  you  not  know,  boy,  that  it  has  been  gravely 
contended  in  a  court  of  justice  that,  in  obtaining  our  na- 
tional independence  from  the  King  of  Great  Britain,  the 
people  conquered  all  his  previous  grants,  which  ought  to 
be  declared  void  and  of  none  effect?" 

"  That  is  an  absurdity  of  which  I  had  not  heard,"  I  an- 
swered, laughing  ;  "  why,  the  people  of  New  York,  who 
held  all  their  lands  under  the  crown,  would  in  that  case 
have  been  conquering  them  for  other  persons  !  My  good 
grandfather  and  great-grandfather,  both  of  whom  actually 
fought  and  bled  in  the  revolution,  must  have  been  very 
silly  thus  to  expose  themselves  to  take  away  their  own  es- 
tates, in  order  to  give  them  to  a  set  of  immigrants  from 
New  England  and  other  parts  of  the  world." 

"Quite  justly  said,  Hugh,"  added  my  uncle,  joining  in 
the  laugh.  "  Nor  is  this  half  of  the  argument.  The  State, 
too,  in  its  corporate  character,  has  been  playing  the  swin- 
dler all  this  time.  You  may  not  know  the  fact,  but  I  as 
your  guardian  do  know,  that  the  quit-rents  reserved  by  the 
crown  when  it  granted  the  lands  of  Mooseridge  and  Ra- 
vensnest,  were  claimed  by  the  State  ;  and  that,  wanting 
money  to  save  the  people  from  taxes,  it  commuted  with 


46  THE   REDSKINS. 

us,  receiving  a  certain  gross  sum  in  satisfaction  of  all  iuture 
claims." 

"Ay,  that  I  did  not  know.     Can  the  fact  be  shown?  " 

"Certainly — it  is  well  known  to  all  old  fellows  like  my- 
self, for  it  was  a  very  general  measure,  and  very  generally 
entered  into  by  all  the  landholders.  In  our  case,  the  re- 
ceipts are  still  to  be  found  among  the  family  papers.  In 
the  cases  of  the  older  estates,  such  as  those  of  the  Van 
Rensselaers,  the  equity  is  still  stronger  in  their  favor,  since 
the  conditions  to  hold  the  land  included  an  obligation  to 
bring  so  many  settlers  from  Europe  within  a  given  time  ; 
conditions  that  were  fulfilled  at  great  cost,  as  you  may  sup- 
pose, and  on  which,  in  truth,  the  colony  had  its  foundation." 

"  How  much  it  tells  against  a  people's  honesty  to  wish 
to  forget  such  facts,  in  a  case  like  this !  " 

"  There  is  nothing  forgotten,  for  the  facts  were  probably 
never  known  to  those  who  prate  about  the  conquered 
rights  from  the  crown.  As  you  say,  however,  the  civiliza- 
tion of  a  community  is  to  be  measured  by  its  consciousness 
of  the  existence  of  all  principles  of  justice,  and  a  famili- 
arity with  its  own  history.  The  great  bulk  of  the  popula- 
tion of  New  York  have  no  active  desire  to  invade  what  is 
right  in  this  anti-rent  struggle,  having  no  direct  interests 
at  stake;  their  crime  is  a  passive  inactivity,  which  allows 
those  who  are  either  working  for  political  advancement, 
or  those  who  are  working  to  obtain  other  men's  property, 
to  make  use  of  them,  through  their  own  laws." 

"  But  is  it  not  an  embarrassment  to  such  a  region  as  that 
directly  around  Albany,  to  have  such  tenures  to  the  land, 
and  for  so  large  a  body  of  people  to  be  compelled  to  pay 
rent,  in  the  very  heart  of  the  State,  as  it  might  be,  and  in 
situations  that  render  it  desirable  to  leave  enterprise  as 
unshackled  as  possible  ?  " 

"  I  am  not  prepared  to  admit  this  much,  even,  as  a  general 
principle.  One  argument  used  by  these  anti-renters  is,  for 
instance,  that  the  patroons,  in  their  leases,  reserved  the 
mill-seats.  Now,  what  if  they  did  ?  Some  one  must  own 
the  mill-seats  ;  and  why  not  the  patroon  as  well  as  another  ? 
To  give  the  argument  any  weight,  not  as  law,  not  as  mor- 
als, but  as  mere  expediency,  it  must  be  shown  that  the 
patroons  would  not  let  these  mill-seats  at  as  low  rents  as 
any  one  else  ;  and  my  opinion  is,  that  they  would  let  them 
at  rents  of  not  half  the  amount  that  would  be  asked,  were 
they  the  property  of  so  many  individuals  scattered  up  and 
down  the  country.  But,  admitting  that  so  large  an  estate 


THE   REDSKINS.  47 

of  this  particular  sort  has  some  inconveniences  in  that  par- 
ticular spot,  can  there  be  two  opinions  among  men  of  in- 
tegrity about  the  mode  of  getting  rid  of  it  ?  Every  thing 
has  its  price,  and,  in  a  business  sense,  everything  is  entitled 
to  its  price.  No  people  acknowledge  this  more  than  the 
Americans,  or  practise  on  it  so  extensively.  Let  the  Rens- 
selaers  be  tempted  by  such  offers  as  will  induce  them  to 
sell,  but  do  not  let  them  be  invaded  by  that  most  in- 
fernal of  all  acts  of  oppression,  special  legislation,  in  order 
to  bully  or  frighten  them  from  the  enjoyment  of  what  is 
rightfully  their  own.  If  the  State  think  such  a  description 
of  property  injurious  in  its  heart,  let  the  State  imitate 
England  in  her  conduct  toward  the  slaveholders — buy 
them  out  ;  not  tax  them  out,  and  wrong  them  out,  and 
annoy  them  out.  But,  Hugh,  enough  of  this  at  present ; 
we  shall  have  much  more  than  we  want  of  it  when  we  get 
home.  Among  my  letters,  I  have  one  from  each  of  my 
other  wards." 

"'  Still  harping  on  my  daughter,'  sir!"  I  answered, 
laughing.  "  I  hope  that  the  vivacious  Miss  Henrietta 
Coldbrooke,  and  the  meek  Miss  Anne  Marston,  are  both 
perfectly  well  !  " 

"  Both  in  excellent  health,  and  both  write  charmingly. 
I  must  really  let  you  see  the  letter  of  Henrietta,  as  I  do 
think  it  is  quite  creditable  to  her  ;  I  will  step  into  my 
room  and  get  it." 

I  ought  to  let  the  reader  into  a  secret  here  that  will  have 
some  connection  with  what  is  to  follow.  A  dead-set  had 
been  made  at  me,  previously  to  leaving  home,  to  induce 
me  to  marry  either  of  three  young  ladies — Miss  Henrietta 
Coldbrooke,  Miss  Anne  Marston,  and  Miss  Opportunity 
Newcome.  The  advances  in  the  case  of  Miss  Henrietta 
Coldbrooke  and  Miss  Anne  Marston  came  from  my  uncle 
Ro,  who,  as  their  guardian,  had  a  natural  interest  in  their 
making  what  he  was  pleased  to  think  might  be  a  good 
connection  for  either  ;  while  the  advances  on  account  of 
Miss  Opportunity  Newcome  came  from  herself.  Under 
such  circumstances,  it  may  be  well  to  say  who  these  young 
ladies  actually  were. 

Miss  Henrietta  Coldbrooke  was  the  daughter  of  an 
Englishman  of  good  family,  and  some  estate,  who  had 
emigrated  to  America  and  married,  under  the  impulse  of 
certain  theories  in  politics  which  induced  him  to  imag- 
ine that  this  was  the  promised  land.  I  remember  him  as 
a  disappointed  and  dissatisfied  widower,  who  was  thought 


48  THE   REDSKINS. 

to  be  daily  growing  poorer  under  the  consequences  of  in- 
discreet  investments,  and  who  at  last  got  to  be  so  very 
English  in  his  wishes  and  longings,  as  to  assert  that  the 
common  Muscovy  was  a  better  bird  than  the  canvas-back ! 
He  died,  however,  in  time  to  leave  his  only  child  an  es- 
tate which,  under  my  uncle's  excellent  management,  was 
known  by  me  to  be  rather  more  than  one  hundred  and 
seventy-nine  thousand  dollars,  and  which  produced  a  net 
eight  thousand  a  year.  This  made  Miss  Henrietta  a  belle 
at  once  ;  but,  having  a  prudent  friend  in  my  grandmother, 
as  yet  she  had  not  married  a  beggar.  I  knew  that  uncle 
Ro  went  quite  as  far  as  was  proper,  in  his  letters,  in  the  way 
of  hints  touching  myself  ;  and  my  dear,  excellent,  honest- 
hearted,  straightforward  old  grandmother  had  once  let  fall 
an  expression,  in  one  of  her  letters  to  myself,  which  in- 
duced me  to  think  that  these  hints  had  actually  awakened 
as  much  interest  in  the  young  lady's  bosom,  as  could  well 
be  connected  with  what  was  necessarily  nothing  but  curi- 
osity. 

Miss  Anne  Marston  was  also  an  heiress,  but  on  a  very 
diminished  scale.  She  had  rather  more  than  three  thou- 
sand a  year  in  buildings  in  town,  and  a  pretty  little  sum  of 
about  sixteen  thousand  dollars  laid  by  out  of  its  savings. 
She  was  not  an  only  child,  however,  having  two  brothers, 
each  of  whom  had  already  received  as  much  as  the  sister, 
and  each  of  whom,  as  is  very  apt  to  be  the  case  with  the 
heirs  of  New  York  merchants,  was  already  in  a  fair  way  of 
getting  rid  of  his  portion  in  riotous  living.  Nothing  does 
a  young  American  so  much  good,  under  such  circum- 
stances, as  to  induce  him  l.o  travel.  It  makes  or  breaks  at 
once.  If  a  downright  fool,  he  is  plucked  by  European 
adventurers  in  so  short  a  time,  that  the  agony  is  soon  over. 
If  only  vain  and  frivolous,  because  young  and  ill-educated, 
the  latter  being  a  New  York  endemic,  but  with  some  foun- 
dation of  native  mind,  he  lets  his  whiskers  grow,  becomes 
fuzzy  about  the  chin,  dresses  better,  gets  to  be  much  bet- 
ter mannered,  soon  loses  his  taste  for  the  low  and  vulgar 
indulgences  of  his  youth,  and  cornes  out  such  a  gentleman 
as  one  can  only  make  who  has  entirely  thrown  away  the 
precious  moments  of  youth.  If  tolerably  educated  in  boy- 
hood, with  capacity  to  build  on,  the  chances  are  that  the 
scales  will  fall  from  his  eyes  very  fast  on  landing  in  the  old 
world — that  his  ideas  and  tastes  will  take  a  new  turn — 
that  he  will  become  what  nature  intended  him  for,  an 
intellectual  man  •  and  that  he  will  finally  return  home, 


THE  RE&SKiNS,  49 

conscious  alike  of  the  evils  and  blessings,  the  advantages 
and  disadvantages,  of  his  own  system  and  country — a 
wiser,  and  it  is  to  be  hoped  a  better  man.  How  the  ex- 
periment had  succeeded  with  true  Marstons,  neither  myself 
nor  my  uncle  knew  ;  for  they  had  paid  their  visit  while  we 
were  in  the  East,  and  had  already  returned  to  America. 
As  for  Miss  Anne,  she  had  a  mother  to  take  care  of  her 
mind  and  person,  though  I  had  learned  she  was  pretty, 
sensible  and  discreet. 

Miss  Opportunity  Newcome  was  a  belle  of  Ravensnest, 
a  village  on  my  own  property  ;  a  rural  beauty,  and  of 
rural  education,  virtues,  manners  and  habits.  As  Ravens- 
nest  was  not  particularly  advanced  in  civilization,  or,  to 
make  use  of  the  common  language  of  the  country,  was  not 
a  very  "  aristocratic  place,"  I  shall  not  dwell  on  her  ac- 
complishments, which  did  well  enough  for  Ravensnest, 
but  would  not  essentially  ornament  my  manuscript. 

Opportunity  was  the  daughter  of  Ovid,  who  was  the 
son  of  Jason,  of  the  house  of  Newcome.  In  using  the 
term  "  house,"  I  adopt  it  understandingly  ;  for  the  family 
had  dwelt  in  the  same  tenement,  a  leasehold  property  of 
which  the  fee  was  in  myself,  and  the  dwelling  had  been 
associated  with  the  name  of  Newcome  from  time  immemo- 
rial ;  that  is,  for  about  eighty  years.  All  that  time  had  a 
Newcome  been  the  tenant  of  the  mill,  tavern,  store,  and 
farm,  that  lay  nearest  the  village  of  Ravensnest,  or  Little 
Nest,  as  it  was  commonly  called  ;  and  it  may  not  be  im- 
pertinent to  the  moral  of  my  narrative  if  I  add  that,  for  all 
that  time,  and  for  something  longer,  had  I  and  my  ances- 
tors been  the  landlords.  I  beg  the  reader  to  bear  this  last 
fact  in  mind,  as  there  will  soon  be  occasion  to  show  that  there 
was  a  strong  disposition  in  certain  persons  to  forget  it. 

As  I  have  said,  Opportunity  was  the  daughter  of  Ovid. 
There  was  also  a  brother,  who  was  named  Seneca,  or 
Sene^y,  as  he  always  pronounced  it  himself,  the  son  of 
Ovid,  the  son  of  Jason,  the  first  of  the  name  at  Ravens- 
nest. This  Seneca  was  a  lawyer,  in  the  sense  of  a  license 
granted  by  the  Justices  of  the  Supreme  Court,  as  well  as 
by  the  Court  of  Common  Pleas,  in  and  for  the  county  of 
Washington.  As  there  had  been  a  sort  of  hereditary  edu- 
cation among  the  Newcomes  for  three  generations,  begin- 
ning with  Jason,  and  ending  with  Seneca  ;  and  as  the  lat 
ter  was  at  the  bar,  I  had  occasionally  been  thrown  into  the 
society  of  both  brother  and  sister.  The  latter,  indeed, 
used  to  be  fond  of  visiting  the  Nest,  as  my  house  was 

4 


50  THE  REDSKINS. 

familiarly  called,  Ravensnest  being  its  true  name,  whence 
those  of  the  "patent"  and  village  ;  and  as  Opportunity 
had  early  manifested  a  partiality  for  my  dear  old  grand- 
mother, and  not  less  dear  young  sister,  who  occasionally 
passed  a  few  weeks  with  me  during  the  vacations,  more 
especially  in  the  autumns,  I  had  many  occasions  of  being 
brought  within  the  influence  of  her  charms — opportunities 
that  I  feel  bound  to  state,  Opportunity  did  not  neglect.  I 
have  understood  that  her  mother,  who  bore  the  same 
name,  had  taught  Ovid  the  art  of  love  by  a  very  similar 
demonstration,  and  had  triumphed.  That  lady  was  still 
living,  and  may  be  termed  Opportunity  the  Great,  while 
the  daughter  can  be  styled  Opportunity  the  Less.  There 
was  very  little  difference  between  my  own  years  and  those 
of  the  young  lady  ;  and,  as  I  had  last  passed  through  the 
fiery  ordeal  at  the  sinister  age  of  twenty,  there  was  not 
much  danger  in  encountering  the  risk  anew,  now  I  was 
five  years  older.  But  I  must  return  to  my  uncle  and  the 
letter  of  Miss  Henrietta  Coldbrooke. 

"  Here  it  is,  Hugh,"  cried  my  guardian,  gayly  ;  "  and  a 
capital  letter  it  is  !  I  wish  I  could  read  the  whole  of  it  to 
you  ;  but  the  two  girls  made  me  promise  never  to  show 
their  letters  to  any  one,  which  could  mean  only  you,  be- 
fore they  would  promise  to  write  anything  to  me  beyond 
commonplaces.  Now,  I  get  their  sentiments  freely  and 
naturally,  and  the  correspondence  is  a  source  of  much 
pleasure  to  me.  I  think,  however,  I  might  venture  just  to 
give  you  one  extract." 

"You  had  better  not,  sir;  there  would  be  a  sort  of 
treachery  in  it,  that  I  confess  I  would  rather  not  be  acces- 
sory to.  If  Miss  Coldbrooke  does  not  wish  me  to  read  what 
she  writes,  she  can  hardly  wish  that  you  should  read  any 
of  it  to  me." 

Uncle  Ro  glanced  at  me,  and  I  fancied  he  seemed  dis- 
satisfied with  my  nonchalance.  He  read  the  letter  through 
to  himself,  however,  laughing  here,  smiling  there,  then 
muttering  "capital  !  "  "good!"  "  charming  girl !  "  "worthy 
of  Hannah  More  !  "  etc.,  etc.,  as  if  just  to  provoke  my 
curiosity.  But  I  had  no  desire  to  read  "  Hannah  More," 
as  any  young  fellow  of  five-and-twenty  can  very  well  imag- 
ine, and  I  stood  it  all  with  the  indifference  of  a  stoic.  My 
guardian  had  to  knock  under,  and  put  the  letters  in  his 
writing  desk. 

"  Well,  the  girls  will  be  glad  to  see  us,"  he  said,  after  a 
moment  of  reflection,  "  and  not  a  little  surprised.  In  my 


THE  REDSKINS.  51 

very  last  letter  to  my  mother,  I  sent  them  word  that  we 
should  not  be  home  until  October  ;  and  now  we  shall  see 
them  as  early  as  June,  at  least." 

"  Patt  will  be  delighted,  I  make  no  doubt  As  for  the 
other  two  young  ladies,  they  have  so  many  friends  and 
relations  to  care  for,  that  I  fancy  our  movements  give 
them  no  great  concern." 

"Then  you  do  both  injustice,  as  their  letters  would 
prove.  They  take  the  liveliest  interest  in  our  proceed- 
ings, and  speak  of  my  return  as  if  they  look  for  it  with  the 
greatest  expectation  and  joy." 

I  made  my  uncle  Ro  a  somewhat  saucy  answer ;  but  fair 
dealing  compels  me  to  record  it. 

"  I  dare  say  they  do,  sir,"  was  my  reply  ;  "  but  what 
young  lady  does  not  look  with  '  expectation  and  joy  '  for  the 
return  of  a  friend,  who  is  known  to  have  a  long  purse, 
from  Paris  ? " 

"  Well,  Hugh,  you  deserve  neither  of  those  dear  girls  ; 
and,  if  I  can  help  it,  you  shall  have  neither." 

"  Thank'ee,  sir  !  " 

"  Poh  !  this  is  worse  than  silly — it  is  rude.  I  dare  say 
neither  would  accept  you,  were  you  to  offer  to-morrow." 

"  I  trust  not,  sir,  for  her  own  sake.  It  would  be  a  sin- 
gularly palpable  demonstration  were  either  to  accept  a 
man  she  barely  knew,  and  whom  she  had  not  seen  since 
she  was  fifteen." 

Uncle  Ro  laughed,  but  I  could  see  he  was  confoundedly 
vexed  ;  and,  as  I  loved  him  with  all  my  heart,  though  I  did 
not  love  j^iatch-making,  I  turned  the  discourse,  in  a  pleas- 
ant way,  on  our  approaching  departure. 

"  I'll  tell  you  what  I'll  do,  Hugh,"  cried  my  uncle,  who 
was  a  good  deal  of  a  boy  in  some  things,  for  the  reason,  I 
suppose,  that  he  was  an  old  bachelor  ;  "  I'll  just  have  wrong 
names  entered  on  board  the  packet,  and  we'll  surprise  all 
our  friends.  Neither  Jacob  nor  your  man  will  betray  us, 
we  know ;  and,  for  that  matter,  we  can  send  them  both 
home  by  the  way  of  England.  Each  of  us  has  trunks  in 
London  to  be  looked  after,  a  /I  let  the  two  fellows  go  by 
the  way  of  Liverpool.  That  is  a  good  thought,  and  oc- 
curred most  happily." 

"  With  all  my  heart,  sir.  My  fellow  is  of  no  more  use  to 
me  at  sea  than  an  automaton  would  be,  and  I  shall  be  glad  to 
get  rid  of  his  rueful  countenance.  He  is  a  capital  servant 
on  terra  firma,  but  a  perfect  Niobe  on  the  briny  main." 

The  thing  was  agreed  on  ;  and,  a  day  or  two  afterward, 


52  THE   A 

both  our  body-servants,  that  is  to  say,  Jacob  the  black  and 
Hubert  the  German,  were  on  their  way  to  England.  My 
uncle  let  his  apartment  again,  for  he  always  maintained  1 
should  wish  to  bring  my  bride  to  pass  a  winter  in  it  ;  and 
we  proceeded  to  Havre  in  a  sort  of  incognito.  There  was 
little  danger  of  our  being  known  on  board  the  packet,  and 
we  had  previously  ascertained  that  there  was  not  an  ac- 
quaintance of  either  in  the  ship.  There  was  a  strong  fam- 
ily resemblance  between  my  uncle  and  myself,  and  we 
passed  for  father  and  son  in  the  ship,  as  old  Mr.  Davidson 
and  young  Mr.  Davidson,  of  Maryland — or  Myr-r-land,  as 
it  is  Doric  to  call  that  State.  We  had  no  concern  in  this 
part  of  the  deception,  unless  abstaining  from  calling  my 
supposed  father  "uncle,"  as  one  would  naturally  do  in 
strange  society,  can  be  so  considered. 

The  passage  itself — by  the  way,  I  wish  all  landsmen 
would  be  as  accurate  as  I  am  here,  and  understand  that 
a  "  voyage  "  means  "out  "and  "home,"  or  "thence  "and 
"back  again,"  while  a  "passage"  means  from  place  to 
place — but  our  passage  was  pregnant  with  no  events  worth 
recording.  We  had  the  usual  amount  of  good  and  bad 
weather,  the  usual  amount  of  eating  and  drinking,  and  the 
usual  amount  of  ennui.  The  latter  circumstance,  perhaps, 
contributed  to  the  digesting  of  a  further  scheme  of  my 
uncle's,  which  it  is  now  necessary  to  state. 

A  reperusal  of  his  letters  and  papers  had  induced  him 
to  think  the  anti-rent  movement  a  thing  of  more  gravity, 
even,  than  he  had  at  first  supposed.  The  combination  on 
the  part  of  the  tenants,  we  learned  also  from  an  intelligent 
New  Yorker  who  was  a  fellow-passenger,  extended  much 
further  than  our  accounts  had  given  us  reason  to  believe  ; 
and  it  was  deemed  decidedly  dangerous  for  landlords,  in 
many  cases,  to  be  seen  on  their  own  estates.  Insult,  per- 
sonal degradation,  or  injury,  and  even  death,  it  was  thought, 
might  be  the  consequences  in  many  cases.  The  blood  act- 
ually spilled  had  had  the  effect  to  check  the  more  violent 
demonstrations,  it  is  true  ;  but  the  latent  determination  to 
achieve  their  purposes  was  easily  to  be  traced  among  the 
tenants,  in  the  face  of  all  their  tardy  professions  of  mod- 
eration, and  a  desire  for  nothing  but  what  was  right.  In 
this  case,  what  was  right  was  the  letter  and  spirit  of  the 
contracts  ;  and  nothing  was  plainer  than  the  fact  that  these 
were  not  what  was  wanted. 

Professions  pass  for  nothing,  with  the  experienced,  when 
connected  with  a  practice  that  flatly  contradicts  them.  It 


THE  REDSKINS.  53 

was  only  too  apparent  to  all  who  chose  to  look  into  the 
matter,  and  that  By  evidence  which  could  not  mislead,  that 
the  great  body  of  the  tenants  in  various  counties  of  New 
York  were  bent  on  obtaining  interests  in  their  farms  that 
were  not  conveyed  by  their  leases,  without  the  consent  of 
their  landlords,  and  insomuch  that  they  were  bent  on  do- 
ing that  which  should  be  discountenanced  by  every  honest 
man  in  the  community.  The  very  fact  that  they  supported, 
or  in  any  manner  connived  at,  the  so-called  "Injin"  sys- 
tem, spoke  all  that  was  necessary  as  to  their  motives  ;  and, 
when  we  come  to  consider  that  these  "  Injins  "  had  already 
proceeded  to  the  extremity  of  shedding  blood,  it  was  suf- 
ficiently plain  that  things  must  soon  reach  a  crisis. 

My  uncle  Roger  and  myself  reflected  on  all  these  mat- 
ters calmly,  and  decided  on  our  course,  I  trust,  with  pru- 
dence. As  that  decision  has  proved  to  be  pregnant  with 
consequences  that  are  likely  to  affect  my  future  life,  I 
shall  now  briefly  give  an  outline  of  what  induced  us  to 
adopt  it. 

It  was  all-important  for  us  to  visit  Ravensnest  in  person, 
while  it  might  be  hazardous  to  do  so  openly.  The  Nest 
house  stood  in  the  very  centre  of  the  estate,  and,  ignorant 
as  we  were  of  the  temper  of  the  tenants,  it  might  be  indis- 
creet to  let  our  presence  be  known  ;  and  circumstances 
favored  our  projects  of  concealment.  We  were  not  ex- 
pected to  reach  the  country  at  all  until  autumn,  or  "fall," 
as  that  season  of  the  year  is  poetically  called  in  America  ; 
and  this  gave  us  the  means  of  reaching  the  property  unex- 
pectedly, and,  as  we  hoped,  undetected.  Our  arrange- 
ment, then,  was  very  simple,  and  will  be  best  related  in 
the  course  of  the  narrative. 

The  packet  had  a  reasonably  short  passage,  as  we  were 
twenty-nine  days  from  land  to  land.  It  was  on  a  pleasant 
afternoon  in  May  when  the  hummock-like  heights  of  Neve- 
sink  were  first  seen  from  the  deck  ;  and  an  hour  later  we 
came  in  sight  of  the  tower-resembling  sails  of  the  coasters 
which  were  congregating  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  low 
point  of  land  that  is  so  very  appropriately  called  Sandy 
Hook.  The  light-houses  rose  out  of  the  water  soon  after, 
and  objects  on  the  shore  of  New  Jersey  next  -came  grad- 
ually out  of  the  misty  background,  until  we  got  near 
enough  to  be  boarded,  first  by  the  pilot,  and  next  by  the 
news-boat  ;  the  first  preceding  the  last,  for  a  wonder,  news 
usually  being  far  more  active,  in  this  good  republic,  than 
watchfulness  to  prevent  evil.  My  uncle  Ro  gave  the  crew 


54  THE  REDSKINS. 

of  this  news-boat  a  thorough  scrutiny,  and,  finding  no 
one  on  board  her  whom  he  had  ever  before  seen,  he  ba»- 
gained  for  a  passage  up  to  town. 

We  put  our  feet  on  the  Battery  just  as  the  clocks  of  New 
York  were  striking  eight.  A  custom-house  officer  had  ex- 
amined our  carpet-bags  and  permitted  them  to  pass,  and 
we  had  disburdened  ourselves  of  the  effects  in  the  ship, 
by  desiring  the  captain  to  attend  to  them.  Each  of  us  had 
a  town-house,  but  neither  would  go  near  his  dwelling  ; 
mine  being  only  kept  up  in  winter,  for  the  use  of  my  sis- 
ter and  aunt,  who  kindly  took  charge  of  her  during  the 
season,  while  my  uncle's  was  opened  principally  for  his 
mother.  At  that  season,  we  had  reason  to  think  neither 
was  tenanted  but  by  one  or  two  old  family  servants  ;  and 
it  was  our  cue  also  to  avoid  them.  But  "Jack  Dunning," 
as  my  uncle  always  called  him,  was  rather  more  of  a  friend 
than  of  an  agent  ;  and  he  had  a  bachelor  establishment  in 
Chambers  Street  that  was  precisely  the  place  we  wanted. 
Thither,  then,  we  proceeded,  taking  the  route  of  Greenwich 
Street,  fearful  of  meeting  some  one  in  Broadway  by  whom 
we  might  be  recognized. 


CHAPTER   IV. 

Cit.   l '  Speak,  speak. ' ' 

i  Cit.    "  You  are  all  resolved  rather  to  die  than  to  famish  ?  " 
Cit.    "  Resolved,  resolved." 

i  Cit.    "  First  you  know,  Caius  Marcus  is  chief  enemy  to  the  people." 
Cit.    "We  know' t,  we  know' t." 

i  Cit.    "  Let's  kill  him,  and  we'll  have  corn  at  our  price. 
Is't  a  verdict?" — Coriolanus. 

THE  most  inveterate  Manhattanese,  if  he  be  anything  of 
a  man  of  the  world,  must  confess  that  New  York  is,  after 
all,  but  a  rag-fair  sort  of  a  place,  so  far  as  the  eye  is  con- 
cerned. I  was  particularly  struck  with  this  fact,  even  at 
that  hour,  as  we  went  stumbling  along  over  an  atrociously 
bad  sidewalk,  my  eyes  never  at  rest,  as  any  one  can  imagine, 
after  five  years  of  absence.  I  could  not  help  noting  the 
incongruities  ;  the  dwellings  of  marble  in  close  proximity 
with  miserable,  low  constructions  in  wood  ;  the  wretched 
pavements  ;  and,  above  all,  the  country  air  of  a  town  of 
near  four  hundred  thousand  souls:  I  verv  well  know  that 


THE  REDSKINS.  55 

many  of  the  defects  are  to  be  ascribed  to  the  rapid  growth 
uf  the  place,  which  gives  it  a  sort  of  hobble-de-hoy  look  ; 
but,  being  a  Manhattanese  by  birth,  I  thought  I  might 
just  as  well  own  it  all  at  once,  if  it  were  only  for  the  infor- 
mation of  a  particular  portion  of  my  townsmen,  who  may 
.have  been  under  a  certain  delusion  on  the  subject.  As  for 
comparing  the  bay  of  New  York  with  that  of  Naples  on 
the  score  of  beauty,  I  shall  no  more  be  guilty  of  any  such 
folly,  to  gratify  the  cockney  feelings  of  Broadway  and 
Bond  Street,  than  I  should  be  guilty  of  the  folly  of  com- 
paring the  commerce  of  the  ancient  Parthenope  with  that 
of  old  New  York,  in  order  to  excite  complacency  in  the 
bosom  of  some  bottegajo  in  the  Toledo,  or  on  the  Chiaja. 
Our  fast-growing  Manhattan  is  a  great  town  in  its  way — a 
wonderful  place — without  a  parallel,  I  do  believe,  on  earth, 
as  a  proof  of  enterprise  and  of  the  accumulation  of  busi- 
ness ;  and  it  is  not  easy  to  make  such  a  town  appear  ridic- 
ulous by  any  jibes  and  innuendoes  that  relate  to  the  positive 
things  of  this  world,  though  nothing  is  easier  than  to  do  it 
for  itself  by  setting  up  to  belong  to  the  sisterhood  of  such 
places  as  London,  Paris,  Vienna,  and  St.  Petersburg.- 
There  is  too  much  of  the  American  notion  of  the  omnipo- 
tence of  numbers  among  us  Manhattanese,  which  induces 
us  to  think  that  the  higher  rank  in  the  scale  of  places  is  to 
be  obtained  by  majorities.  No,  no  ;  let  us  remember  the 
familiar  axiom  of  "  ne  sutor  ultra  crepidum"  New  York  is 
just  the  queen  of  "  business,"  but  not  yet  the  queen  of  the 
world.  Every  man  who  travels  ought  to  bring  back  some- 
thing to  the  common  stock  of  knowledge  ;  and  I  shall  give 
a  hint  to  my  townsmen,  by  which  I  really  think  they  may 
be  able  to  tell  for  themselves,  as  by  feeling  a  sort  of  moral 
pulse,  when  the  town  is  rising  to  the  level  of  a  capital. 
When  simplicity  takes  the  place  of  pretension,  is  one  good 
rule  ;  but,  as  it  may  require  a  good  deal  of  practice,  or 
native  taste,  to  ascertain  this  fact,  I  will  give  another  that 
is  obvious  to  the  senses,  which  will  at  least  be  strongly 
symptomatic  ;  and  that  is  this  :  when  squares  cease  to  be 
called  parks ;  when  horse-bazaars  and  fashionable  streets 
are  not  called  Tattersalls  and  Bond  Street ;  when  Washing- 
ion  market  is  rechristened  Bear  market,  and  Franklin  and 
Fulton,  and  other  great  philosophers  and  inventors,  are 
plucked  of  the  unmerited  honors  of  having  shambles 
named  after  them  ;  when  commercial  is  not  used  as  a  prefix 
to  emporium  ;  when  people  can  return  from  -abroad  with- 
out being  asked  "  if  they  are  reconciled  to  their  country  ?" 


56  THE  REDSKINS. 

and  strangers  are  not  interrogated  at  the  second  question, 
"  how  do  you  like  our  city  ?  "  then  may  it  be  believed  that 
the  town  is  beginning  to  go  alone,  and  that  it  may  set  up 
for  itself. 

Although  New  York  is,  out  of  all  question,  decidedly 
provincial,  laboring  under  the  peculiar  vices  of  provincial, 
habits  and  provincial  modes  of  thinking,  it  contains  many 
a  man  of  the  world,  and  some,  too,  who  have  never  quitted 
their  own  fireside.  Of  this  very  number  was  the  Jack 
Dunning,  as  my  uncle  Ro  called  him,  to  whose  house  in 
Chambers  Street  we  were  now  proceeding. 

"  If  we  were  going  anywhere  but  to  Dunning's,"  said  my 
uncle,  as  we  turned  out  of  Greenwich  Street,  "  I  should 
have  no  fear  of  being  recognized  by  the  servants  ;  for  no 
one  here  thinks  of  keeping  a  man  six  months.  Dunning, 
however,  is  of  the  old  school,  and  does  not  like  new  faces ; 
so  he  will  have  no  Irishman  at  his  door,  as  is  the  case  with 
two  out  of  three  of  the  houses  at  which  one  calls  nowa- 
days." 

In  another  minute  we  were  at  the  bottom  of  Mr.  Dun- 
ning's "  stoup  " — what  an  infernal  contrivance  it  is  to  get 
in  and  out  at  the  door  by,  in  a  hotty-cold  climate  like  ours  ! 
—but  there  we  were,  and  I  observed  that  my  uncle  hesitated. 

" Parlez  au  SUISSE,"  said  I  ;  "ten  to  one  he  is  fresh  from 
some  Bally-this,  or  Bally-that." 

"  No,  no  ;  it  must  be  old  Garry,  the  nigger" — my  uncle 
Ro  was  of  the  old  school  himself,  and  would say  "  nigger" 
— "Jack  can  never  have  parted  with  Garry." 

"  Garry  "  was  the  diminutive  of  Garret,  a  somewhat  com- 
mon Dutch  Christian  name  among  us. 

We  rang,  and  the  door  opened — in  about  five  minutes. 
Although  the  terms  "  aristocrat "  and  "  aristocracy  "  are 
much  in  men's  mouths  in  America  just  now,  as  well  as  those 
of  "feudal"  and  the  "middle  ages,"  and  this,  too,  as  ap- 
plied to  modes  of  living  as  well  as  to  leasehold  tenures, 
there  is  but  one  porter  in  the  whole  country  ;  and  he  be- 
longs to  the  White  House,  at  Washington.  I  am  afraid 
even  that  personage,  royal  porter  as  he  is,  is  often  out  of 
the  way ;  and  the  reception  he  gives  when  he  is  there,  is 
not  of  the  most  brilliant  and  princely  character.  When  we 
had  waited  three  minutes,  my  uncle  Ro  said  : 

"  I  am  afraid  Garry  is  taking  a  nap  by  the  kitchen  fire; 
I'll  try  him  again." 

Uncle  Ro  did  try  again,  and,  two  minutes  later,  the  doo/ 
opened. 


THE  REDSKINS.  57 

"  What  is  your  pleasure  ?"  demanded  the  Suissc,  with  a 
strong  brogue. 

My  uncle  started  back  as  if  he  had  met  a  sprite  ;  but  he 
asked  if  Mr.  Dunning  was  at  home. 

"  He  is,  indeed,  sir." 

"  Is  he  alone,  or  is  he  with  company  ?  " 

"  He  is,  indeed." 

"  But  what  is  he  indeed  ?" 

44  He  is  that!' 

"  Can  you  take  the  trouble  to  explain  which  lhat  it  is  ? 
Has  he  company,  or  is  he  alone  ?" 

"  Just  that,  sir.  Walk  in,  and  he'll  be  charmed  to  see 
you.  A  fine  gentleman  is  his  honor,  and  pleasure  it  is  to 
live  with  him,  I'm  sure  ! " 

"  How  long  is  it  since  you  left  Ireland,  my  friend  ?" 

"  Isn't  it  a  mighty  bit,  now,  yer  honor  !  "  answered  Bar- 
ney, closing  the  door.  "  T'irteen  weeks,  if  it's  one  day." 

"  Well,  go  ahead,  and  show  us  the  way.  This  is  a  bad 
omen,  Hugh,  to  find  that  Jack  Dunning,  of  all  men  in  the 
country,  should  have  changed  his  servant — good,  quiet, 
lazy,  respectable,  old,  gray-headed  Garry,  the  nigger —for 
such  a  bog-trotter  as  that  fellow,  who  climbs  those  stairs 
;is  if  accustomed  only  to  ladders." 

Dunning  was  in  his  library  on  the  second  floor,  where 
he  passed  most  of  his  evenings.  His  surprise  was  equal  to 
that  which  my  uncle  had  just  experienced,  when  he  saw 
us  two  standing  before  him.  A  significant  gesture,  how- 
ever, caused  him  to  grasp  his  friend  and  client's  hand  in 
silence  ;  and  nothing  was  said  until  the  Swiss  had  left  the 
room,  although  the  fellow  stood  with  the  door  in  his  hand 
a  most  inconvenient  time,  just  to  listen  to  what  might  pass 
between  the  host  and  his  guests.  At  length  we  got  rid  of 
him,  honest,  well-meaning  fellow  that  he  was  after  all  ; 
and  the  door  was  closed. 

"  My  last  letters  have  brought  you  home,  Roger?"  said 
Jack,  the  moment  he  could  speak  ;  for  feeling,  as  well  as 
caution,  had  something  to  do  with  his  silence. 

"They  have,  indeed.  A  great  change  must  have  come 
over  the  country,  by  what  I  hear ;  and  one  of  the  very 
worst  symptoms  is  that  you  have  turned  away  Garry,  and 
got  an  Irishman  in  his  place." 

"  Ah !  old  men  must  die,  as  well  as  old  principles,  T 
find.  My  poor  fellow  went  off  in  a  fit,  last  week,  and  I 
took  that  Irishman  2&  &  pis  aller .  After  losing  poor  Garry 
who  was  born  a  slave  in  my  father's  house,  I  became  in 


58  THE  REDSKINS. 

different,  and  accepted  the  first  comer. from  the  intelligence 
office." 

"  We  must  be  careful,  Dunning,  not  to  give  up  too  soon. 
But  hear  my  story,  and  then  to  other  matters." 

My  uncle  then  explained  his  wish  to  be  incognito,  and 
his  motive.  Dunning  listened  attentively,  but  seemed  un- 
certain whether  to  dissent  or  approve.  The  matter  was 
discussed  briefly,  and  then  it  was  postponed  for  further 
consideration. 

"  But  how  comes  on  this  great  moral  dereliction,  called 
anti-rentism  ?  Is  it  on  the  wane,  or  the  increase?" 

"On  the  wane  to  the  eye,  perhaps  ;  but  on  the  increase 
so  far  as  principles,  the  rights,  and  facts,  are  concerned. 
The  necessity  of  propitiating  votes  is  tempting  politicians 
of  all  sides  to  lend  themselves  to  it ;  and  there  is  immi- 
nent danger  now  that  atrocious  wrongs  will  be  committed 
under  the  form  of  law." 

"  In  what  way  can  the  law  touch  an  existing  contract  ? 
The  Supreme  Court  of  the  United  States  will  set  that 
right." 

"  That  is  the  only  hope  of  the  honest,  let  me  tell  you. 
It  is  folly  to  expect  that  a  body  composed  of  such  men  as 
usually  are  sent  to  the  State  Legislature  can  resist  the 
temptation  to  gain  power  by  conciliating  numbers.  That 
is  out  of  the  question.  Individuals  of  these  bodies  may  re- 
sist ;  but  the  tendency  there  will  be  as  against  the  few, 
and  in  favor  of  the  many,  bolstering  their  theories  by  clap- 
traps and  slang  political  phrases.  The  scheme  to  tax  the 
rents,  under  the  name  of  quit-rents,  will  be  resorted  to,  in 
the  first  place." 

"  That  will  be  a  most  iniquitous  proceeding,  and  would 
justify  resistance  just  as  much  as  our  ancestors  were  justi- 
fied in  resisting  the  taxation  of  Great  Britain." 

"  It  would  more  so,  for  here  we  have  a  written  covenant 
to  render  taxation  equal.  The  landlord  already  pays  one 
tax  on  each  of  these  farms — a  full  and  complete  tax,  that 
is  reserved  from  the  rent  in  the  original  bargain  with  the 
tenant ;  and  now  the  wish  is  to  tax  the  rents  themselves  ; 
and  this  not  to  raise  revenue,  for  that  is  confessedly  not 
wanted,  but  most  clearly  with  a  design  to  increase  the  in- 
ducements for  the  landlords  to  part  with  their  property. 
If  that  can  be  done,  the  sales  will  be  made  on  the  prin- 
ciple that  none  but  the  tenant  must  be,  as  indeed  no  one 
else  can  be,  the  purchaser  ;  and  then  we  shall  see  a  queer 
exhibition — men  parting  with  their  property  under  the 


THE  REDSKINS.  59 

pressure  of  a  clamor  that  is  backed  by  as  much  law  as  can 
be  pressed  into  its  service,  with  a  monopoly  of  price  on 
the  side  of  the  purchaser,  and  all  in  a  country  professing 
the  most  sensitive  love  of  liberty,  and  where  the  prevail- 
ing class  of  politicians  are  free-trade  men  ? " 

"There  is  no  end  of  these  inconsistencies  among  poli- 
ticians." 

"  There  is  no  end  of  knavery  when  men  submit  to 
'  noses,'  instead  of  principles.  Call  things  by  their  right 
names,  Ro,  as  they  deserve  to  be.  This  matter  is  so  plain, 
that  he  who  runs  can  read." 

"  But  will  this  scheme  of  taxation  succeed  ?  It  does  not 
affect  us,  for  instance,  as  our  leases  are  for  three  lives." 

"  Oh  !  that  is  nothing  ;  for  you  they  contemplate  a  law 
that  will  forbid  the  letting  of  land,  for  the  future,  for  a 
period  longer  than  five  years.  Hugh's  leases  will  soon  be 
falling  in,  and  then  he  can't  make  a  slave  of  any  man  for  a 
longer  period  than  five  years." 

"  Surely  no  one  is  so  silly  as  to  think  of  passing  such  a 
law,  with  a  view  to  put  down  aristocracy,  and  to  benefit 
the  tenant  !  "  I  cried,  laughing. 

"  Ay,  you  may  laugh,  young  sir,"  resumed  Jack  Dun- 
ning ;  "  but  such  is  the  intention.  I  know  very  well  what 
will  be  your  course  of  reasoning  ;  you  will  say,  the  longer 
the  lease  the  better  for  the  tenant,  if  the  bargain  be  rea- 
sonably good  ;  and  landlords  cannot  ask  more  for  the  use 
of  their  lands  than  they  are  really  worth  in  this  country, 
there  happening  to  be  more  land  than  there  are  men  to 
work  it.  No,  no  ;  landlords  rather  get  less  for  their  lands 
than  they  are  worth,  instead  of  more,  for  that  plain  reason. 
To  compel  the  tenant  to  take  a  lease,  therefore,  for  a  term 
as  short  as  five  years,  is  to  injure  him,  you  think  ;  to  place 
him  more  at  the  control  of  his  landlord,  through  the  little 
interest  connected  with  the  cost  and  trouble  of  moving, 
and  through  the  natural  desire  he  may  possess  to  cut  the 
meadows  he  has  seeded,  and  to  get  the  full  benefit  of  ma- 
nure he  has  made  and  carted.  I  see  how  you  reason, 
young  sir  ;  but  you  are  behind  the  age — you  are  sadly  be- 
hind the  age." 

"The  age  is  a  queer  one,  if  I  am  !  All  over  the  world 
it  is  believed  that  long  leases  are  favors,  or  advantages,  to 
tenants  ;  and  nothing  can  make  it  otherwise,  c&teris pari- 
bus.  Then  what  good  will  the  tax  do,  after  violating  right 
and  moral  justice,  if  not  positive  law,  to  lay  it  ?  On  a 
hundred  dollars  of  rent,  I  should  have  to  pay  some  fifty- 


60  THE    REDSKINS. 

five  cents  of  taxes,  as  I  am  assessed  on  other  things  ax 
Ravensnest  ;  and  does  anybody  suppose  I  will  give  up  an 
estate  that  has  passed  through  five  generations  of  my 
family,  on  account  of  a  tribute  like  that !  " 

"  Mighty  well,  sir — mighty  well,  sir  !  This  is  fine  talk  ; 
but  I  would  advise  you  not  to  speak  of  your  ancestors  at  all. 
Landlords  can't  name  their  ancestors  with  impunity  just 
now7." 

"  I  name  mine  only  as  showing  a  reason  for  a  natural 
regard  for  my  paternal  acres." 

"  That  you  might  do,  if  you  were  a  tenant ;  but  not  as  a 
landlord.  In  a  landlord  it  is  aristocratic  and  intolerable 
pride,  and  to  the  last  degree  offensive — as  Dogberry  says, 
'tolerable  and  not  to  be  endured.'  " 

"  But  it  is  a  fact,  and  it  is  natural  one  should  have  some 
feelings  connected  with  it." 

"  The  more  it  is  a  fact,  the  less  it  will  be  liked.  People 
associate  social  position  with  wealth  and  estates,  but  not 
with  farms  ;  and  the  longer  one  has  such  things  in  a  family, 
the  worse  for  them  ! " 

"  I  do  believe,  Jack,"  put  in  my  uncle  Ro,  "  that  the 
rule  which  prevails  all  over  the  rest  of  the  world  is  reversed 
here,  and  that  with  us  it  is  thought  a  family's  claim  is  les 
sened,  and  not  increased,  by  time." 

"  To  be  sure  it  is  !  "  answered  Dunning,  without  giving 
me  a  chance  to  speak.  "  Do  you  know  that  you  wrote  me 
a  very  silly  letter  once,  from  Switzerland,  about  a  family 
called  De  Blonay,  that  had  been  seated  on  the  same  rock, 
in  a  little  castle,  some  six  or  eight  hundred  years,  and  the 
sort  of  respect  and  veneration  the  circumstance  awakened  ! 
Well,  all  that  was  very  foolish,  as  you  will  find  when  you 
pay  your  incognito  visit  to  Ravensnest.  I  will  not  antici- 
pate the  result  of  your  schooling  ;  but,  go  to  school." 

"  As  the  Rensselaers  and  other  great  landlords,  who  have 
estates  on  durable  leases,  will  not  be  very  likely  to  give 
them  up,  except  on  terms  that  will  suit  themselves,  for  a 
tax  as  insignificant  as  that  mentioned  by  Hugh,"  said  my 
uncle,  "  what  does  the  Legislature  anticipate  from  passing 
the  law  ? " 

"  That  its  members  will  be  called  the  friends  of  the 
people,  and  not  the  friends  of  the  landlords.  Would  any 
man  tax  his  friends,  if  he  could  help  it  ? " 

"  But  what  will  that  portion  of  the  people  who  compose 
the  anti-renters  gain  by  such  a  measure  ?  " 

"Nothing;  and  their  complaints  will  be  just  as  loud, 


THE   REDSKINS.  Ot 

and  their  longings  as  active,  as  ever.  Nothing  that  can 
have  any  effect  on  what -they  wish  will  be  accomplished  by 
any  legislation  in  the  matter.  One  committee  of  the  As- 
sembly has  actually  reported,  you  may  remember,  that  the 
State  might  assume  the  lands,  and  sell  them  to  the  tenants, 
or  some  one  else  ;  or  something  of  the  sort." 

"  The  Constitution  of  the  United  States  must  be  Hugh's 
aegis." 

""  And  that  alone  will  protect  him,  let  me  tell  you.  But 
for  that  noble  provision  of  the  Constitution  of  the  Federal 
Government,  his  estate  would  infallibly  go  for  one-half  of 
its  true  value.  There  is  no  use  in  mincing  things,  or  in 
affecting  to  believe  men  more  honest  than  they  are — AN 

INFERNAL  FEELING  OF  SELFISHNESS  IS  SO  MUCH  TALKED  OF, 
AND  CITED,  AND  REFERRED  TO,  ON  ALL  OCCASIONS,  IN  THIS 
COUNTRY,  THAT  A  MAN  ALMOST  RENDERS  HIMSELF  RIDICULOUS 
WHO  APPEARS  TO  REST  ON  PRINCIPLE." 

"  Have  you  heard  what  the  tenants  of  Ravensnest  aim 
at,  in  particular  ?" 

"They  want  to  get  Hugh's  lands,  that's  all;  nothing 
more,  I  can  assure  you." 

"  On  what  conditions,  pray  ?  "  demanded  I. 

"As  you  Might  of  chaps,'  to  use  a  saying  of  their  own. 
Some  even  profess  a  willingness  to  pay  a  fair  price." 

"But  I  do  not  wish  to  sell  for  even  a  fair  price.  I  have 
no  desire  to  part  with  property  that  is  endeared  to  me  by 
family  feeling  and  association.  I  have  an  expensive  house 
and  establishment  on  my  estate,  which  obtains  its  princi- 
pal value  from  the  circumstance  that  it  is  so  placed  that  I 
can  look  after  my  interests  with  the  least  inconvenience  to 
myself.  What  can  I  do  with  the  money  but  buy  another 
estate  ?  and  I  prefer  this  that  I  have." 

"  Poh  !  boy,  you  can  shave  notes,  you'll  recollect,"  said 
Uncle  Ro,  dryly.  "  The  calling  is  decided  to  be  honor- 
able by  the  highest  tribunal  ;  and  no  man  should  be  above 
his  business." 

"You  have  no  right,  sir,  in  a  free  country,"  returned  the 
caustic  Jack  Dunning,  "  to  prefer  one  estate  to  another, 
more  especially  when  other  people  want  it.  Your  lands  are 
leased  to  honest,  hard-working  tenants,  who  can  eat  their 
dinners  without  silver  forks,  and  whose  ancestors" — 

"  Stop  !  "  I  cried,  laughing  ;  "  1  bar  all  ancestry.  No  man 
1ms  a  right  to  ancestry  in  a  free  country,  you'll  remember  !  " 

"  That  means  landlord  ancestry  ;  as  for  tenant  ancestry, 
one  can  have  a  pedigree  as  long  as  the  Maison  de  Levis. 


62  THE   REDSKIN'S. 

No,  sir  ;  every  tenant  you  have  has  every  right  to  demand 
that  his  sentiment  of  family  feeling  should  be  respected. 
His  father  planted  that  orchard,  and  he  loves  the  apples 
better  than  any  other  apples  in  the  world  "— 

"And  my  father  procured  the  grafts,  and  made  him  a 
present  of  them." 

"  His  grandfather  cleared  that  field,  and  converted  its 
ashes  into  pots  and  pearls  " — 

"  And  my  grandfather  received  that  year  ten  shillings  of 
rent,  for  land  off  which  his  received  two  hundred  and  fifty 
dollars  for  his  ashes." 

"  His  great-grandfather,  honest  and  excellent  man — nay, 
superhonest  and  confiding  creature — first  '  took  up  '  the 
land  when  a  wilderness,  and  with  his  own  hands  felled  the 
timber,  and  sowed  the  wheat." 

"  And  got  his  pay  twentyfold  for  it  all,  or  he  would  not 
have  been  fool  enough  to  do  it.  I  had  a  great-grandfather, 
too  ;  and  I  hope  it  will  not  be  considered  aristocratic  if  I 
venture  to  hint  as  much.  He — a  dishonest,  pestilent  knave, 
no  doubt — leased  that  very  lot  for  six  years  without  any 
rent  at  all,  in  order  that  the  *  poor  confiding  creature ' 
might  make  himself  comfortable,  before  he  commenced 
paying  his  sixpence  or  shilling  an  acre  rent  for  the  re- 
mainder of  three  lives,  with  a  moral  certainty  of  getting  a 
renewal  on  the  most  liberal  terms  known  to  a  new  country  ; 
and  who  knew,  the  whole  time,  he  could  buy  land  in  fee, 
within  ten  miles  of  his  door,  but  who  thought  this  a  better 
bargain  than  that.'" 

"  Enough  of  this  folly,"  cried  Uncle  Ro,  joining  in  the 
laugh;  "we  all  know  that  in  our  excellent  America,  he 
who  has  the  highest  claims  to  anything  must  affect  to  have 
the  least,  to  stifle  the  monster  envy  ;  and  being  of  one 
mind  as  to  principles,  let  us  come  to  facts.  What  of  the 
girls,  Jack,  and  of  my  honored  mother?" 

"She,  noble  heroic  woman  !  she  is  at  Ravensnest  at  this 
moment ;  and  as  the  girls  would  not  permit  her  to  go 
alone,  they  are  all  with  her." 

"And  did  you,  Jack  Dunning,  suffer  them  to  go  unat- 
tended into  a  part  of  the  country  that  is  in  open  rebellion  ?" 
demanded  my  uncle,  reproachfully. 

"  Come,  come  !  Hodge  Littlepage,  this  is  very  sublime 
as  a  theory,  but  not  so  clear  when  reduced  to  practice.  I 
did  not  go  with  Mrs.  Littlepage  and  her  young  fry,  for  the 
good  and  substantial  reason  that  I  did  not  wish  to  be 
'  tarred  and  feathered.'  " 


THE   REDSKINS.  .  63 

;<  So  you  leave  them  to  run  the  risk  of  being  'tarred  and 
feathered  '  in  your  stead  ?  "' 

"  Say  what  you  will  about  the  cant  of  freedom  that  is 
becoming  so  common  among  us,  and  from  which  we  were 
once  so  free  ;  say  what  you  will,  Ro,  of  the  inconsistency 
of  those  who  raise  the  cry  of  'feudality,'  and  'aristocracy,' 
and  '  nobility,'  at  the  very  moment  they  are  manifesting  a 
desire  for  exclusive  rights  and  privileges  in  their  own  per- 
sons ;  say  what  you  will  of  dishonesty,  envy,  that  promi- 
nent American  vice,  knavery,  covetousness,  and  selfishness, 
and  I  will  echo  all  you  can  utter  ;  but  do  not  say  that  a 
woman  can  be  in  serious  danger  among  any  material  body 
of  Americans,  even  if  anti-renters  and  mock-redskins  in  the 
bargain." 

"  I  believe  you  are  right  there,  Jack,  on  reflection.  Par- 
don my  warmth  ;  but  I  have  lately  been  living  in  the  Old 
World,  and  in  a  country  in  which  women  were  not  long 
since  carried  to  the  scaffold  on  account  of  their  politics." 

"  Because  they  meddled  with  politics.  Your  mother  is 
in  no  serious  danger,  though  it  needs  nerve  in  a  woman  to 
be  able  to  think  so.  There  are  few  women  in  the  State, 
and  fewer  of  her  time  of  life  anywhere,  that  would  do  what 
she  has  done  ;  and  I  give  the  girls  great  credit  for  sticking 
by  her.  Half  the  young  men  in  town  are  desperate  at  the 
thought  of  three  such  charming  creatures  thus  exposing 
themselves  to  insult.  Your  mother  has  only  been  sued." 

"  Sued  !  Whom  does  she  owe,  or  what  can  she  have 
done  to  have  brought  this  indignity  on  her?" 

"  You  know,  or  ought  to  know,  how  it  is  in  this  country, 
Littlepage  ;  we  must  have  a  little  law,  even  when  most 
bent  on  breaking  it.  A  downright,  straightforward  rascal, 
who  openly  sets  law  at  defiance,  is  a  wonder.  Then  we 
have  a  great  talk  of  liberty,  when  plotting  to  give  it  the 
deepest  stab  ;  and  religion  even  gets  to  share  in  no  small 
portion  of  our  vices.  Thus  it  is  that  the  anti-renters  have 
dragged  in  the  law  in  aid  of  their  designs.  I  understand 
one  of  the  Rensselaers  has  been  sued  for  money  borrowed 
in  a  ferryboat  to  help  him  across  a  river  under  his  own 
door,  and  for  potatoes  bought  by  his  wife  in  the  streets  of 
Albany ! " 

"  But  neither  of  the  Rensselaers  need  borrow  money  to 
cross  the  ferry,  as  the  ferrymen  would  trust  him  ;  and  no 
lady  of  the  Rensselaer  family  ever  bought  potatoes  in  the 
streets  of  Albany,  I'll  answer  for  it." 

"  You  have  brought  back  some  knowledge  from  you 


64  THE  REDSKINS. 

travels,  I  find!"  said  Jack  Dunning,  with  comic  gravity. 
"  Your  mother  writes  me  that  she  has  been  sued  for  twenty- 
seven  pairs  of  shoes  furnished  her  by  a  shoemaker  whom 
she  never  saw,  or  heard  of,  until  she  received  the  sum- 
mons !  " 

"  This,  then,  is  one  of  the  species  of  annoyances  that  has 
been  adopted  to  bully  the  landlords  out  of  their  property  ?  " 

"  It  is  ;  and  if  the  landlords  have  recourse  even  to  the 
covenants  of  their  leases,  solemnly  and  deliberately  made, 
and  as  solemnly  guaranteed  by  a  fundamental  law,  the  cry 
is  raised  of  *  aristocracy  '  and  '  oppression  '  by  these  very 
men,  and  echoed  by  many  of  the  creatures  who  get  seats 
in  high  places  among  us — or  what  would  be  high  places,  if 
filled  with  men  worthy  of  their  trusts." 

"  I  see  you  do  not  mince  your  words,  Jack." 

"Why  should  I  ?  Words  are  all  that  is  left  me.  I  am  of 
no  more  weight  in  the  government  of  this  State  than  that 
Irishman  who  let  you  in  just  now  will  be  five  years  hence 
— less,  for  he  will  vote  to  suit  a  majority  ;  and  as  I  shall 
vote  understandingly,  my  vote  will  probably  do  no  one  any 
good." 

Dunning  belonged  to  a  school  that  mingles  a  good  deal 
of  speculative  and  impracticable  theory  with  a  great  deal 
of  sound  and  just  principles  ;  but  who  render  themselves 
useless  because  they  will  admit  of  no  compromises.  He 
did  not  belong  to  the  class  of  American  doctrinaires,  how- 
ever, or  to  those  who  contend — no,  not  contend,  for  no  one 
does  that  any  longer  in  this  country,  whatever  may  be  his 
opinion  on  the  subject — but  those  who  think  that  political 
power,  as  in  the  last  resort,  should  be  the  property  of  the 
few,  for  he  was  willing  New  York  should  have  a  very 
broad  constituency.  Nevertheless,  he  was  opposed  to  the 
universal  suffrage,  in  its  wide  extent,  that  does  actually 
exist ;  as  I  suppose  quite  three-fourths  of  the  whole  popu- 
lation are  opposed  to  it,  in  their  hearts,  though  no  politi- 
cal man  of  influence,  now  existing,  has  the  moral  calibre 
necessary  to  take  the  lead  in  putting  it  down.  Dunning 
deferred  to  principles,  and  not  to  men.  He  well  knew 
that  an  infallible  whole  was  not  to  be  composed  of  fallible 
parts  ;  and  while  he  thought  majorities  ought  to  determine 
many  things,  that  there  are  rights  and  principles  that  are 
superior  to  even  such  unanimity  as  man  can  manifest,  and 
much  more  to  their  majorities.  But  Dunning  had  no 
selfish  views  connected  with  his  political  notions,  wanting 
no  office,  and  feeling  no  motive  to  affect  that  which  he 


neither  thought  nor  wished.  He  never  had  quitted  home, 
or  it  is  highly  probable  his  views  of  the  comparative  abuses 
of  the  different  systems  that  prevail  in  the  world  would 
have  been  essentially  modified.  Those  he  saw  had  un- 
avoidably a  democratic  source,  there  being  neither  mon- 
arch nor  aristocrat  to  produce  any  other  ;  and,  under  such 
circumstances,  as  abuses  certainly  abound,  it  is  not  at  all 
surprising  that  he  sometimes  a  little  distorted  facts  and 
magnified  evils. 

"And  my  noble,  high-spirited,  and  venerable  mother  has 
actually  gone  to  the  Nest  to  face  the  enemy  ! "  exclaimed 
my  uncle,  after  a  thoughtful  pause. 

"She  has,  indeed  ;  and  the  noble,  high-spirited,  though 
not  venerable,  young  ladies  have  gone  with  her,"  returned 
Mr.  Dunning,  in  his  caustic  way. 

"  All  three,  do  you  mean  ?  " 

"  Every  one  of  them — Martha,  Henrietta,  and  Anne." 

"  I  am  surprised  that  the  last  should  have  done  so.  Anne 
Marston  is  such  a  meek,  quiet,  peace-loving  person,  that  I 
should  think  she  would  have  preferred  remaining,  as  she 
naturally  might  have  done,  without  exciting  remark,  with 
her  own  mother." 

"  She  has  not,  nevertheless.  Mrs.  Littlepage  would  brave 
the  anti-renters ,  and  the  three  maidens  would  be  her 
companions.  I  dare  say,  Ro,  you  know  how  it  is  with  the 
gentle  sex,  when  they  make  up  their  minds?" 

"  My  girls  are  all  good  girls,  and  have  given  me  very 
little  trouble,"  answered  my  uncle,  complacently. 

"  Yes,  I  dare  say  that  may  be  true.  You  have  only  been 
absent  from  home  five  years  this  trip." 

"  An  attentive  guardian,  notwithstanding,  since  I  left  you 
as  a  substitute.  Has  my  mother  written  to  you  since  her 
arrival  among  the  hosts  of  the  Philistines  ?" 

"  She  has,  indeed,  Littlepage,"  answered  Dunning, 
gravely  ;  "  I  have  heard  from  her  three  times,  for  she 
writes  to  urge  my  not  appearing  on  the  estate.  I  did  in- 
tend to  pay  her  a  visit ;  but  she  tells  me  that  it  might  lead 
to  a  violent  scene,  and  can  do  no  good.  As  the  rents  will 
not  be  due  until  autumn,  and  Master  Hugh  is  now  of  age, 
and  was  to  be  here  to  look  after  his  own  affairs,  I  have 
seen  no  motive  for  incurring  the  risk  of  the  tarring  and 
feathering.  We  American  lawyers,  young  gentleman,  wear 
no  wigs." 

"  Does  my  mother  write  herself,  or  employ  another  ?"  in- 
quired my  uncle,  with  interest. 


66  THE  REDSKINS. 

"  She  honors  me  with  her  own  hand.  Your  mother  writes 
much  better  than  you  do  yourself,  Roger." 

'  That  is  owing  to  her  once  having  carried  chain,  as  she 
would  say  herself.  Has  Martha  written  to  you  ?  " 

"  Of  course.  Sweet  little  Patty  and  I  are  bosom  friends, 
as  you  know." 

"And  does  she  say  anything  of  the  Indian  and  the  negro?" 

"Jaaf  and  Susquesus  ?  To  be  sure  she  does.  Both  are 
living  still,  and  both  are  well.  I  saw  them  myself,  and 
even  ate  of  their  venison,  so  lately  as  last  winter." 

"  Those  old  fellows  must  have  each  lived  a  great  deal 
more  than  his  century,  Jack.  They  were  with  my  grand- 
father in  the  old  French  war,  as  active,  useful  men — older 
than  my  grandfather ! " 

"Ay  !  a  nigger  or  a  redskin,  before  all  others,  for  hold- 
ing on  to  life,  when  they  have  been  temperate.  Let  me 
see — that  expedition  of  Abercrombie's  was  about  eighty 
years  since  ;  why,  these  fellows  must  be  well  turned  of 
their  hundred,  though  Jaap  is  rather  the  oldest,  judging 
from  appearances." 

"  I  believe  no  one  knows  the  age  of  either.  A  hundred 
each  has  been  thought  now  for  many  years.  Susquesus 
was  surprisingly  active,  too,  when  I  last  saw  him — like  a 
healthy  man  of  eighty." 

"  He  has  failed  of  late,  though  he  actually  shot  a  deer, 
as  I  told  you,  last  winter.  Both  the  old  fellows  stray 
down  to  the  Nest,  Martha  writes  me;  and  the  Indian  is 
highly  scandalized  at  the  miserable  imitations  of  his  race 
that  are  now  abroad.  I  have  even  heard  that  he  and  Yop 
have  actually  contemplated  taking  the  field  against  them. 
Seneca  Newcome  is  their  especial  aversion." 

"  How  is  Opportunity?"  I  inquired.  "Does  she  take 
any  part  in  this  movement  ? " 

"  A  decided  one,  I  hear.  She  is  anti-rent,  while  she 
wishes  to  keep  on  good  terms  with  her  landlord  ;  and  that 
is  endeavoring  to  serve  God  and  Mammon.  She  is  not 
the  first,  however,  by  a  thousand,  that  wears  two  faces  in 
this  business." 

"  Hugh  has  a  deep  admiration  of  Opportunity,"  observed 
my  uncle,  "  and  you  had  needs  be  tender  in  your  strict^ 
ures.  The  modern  Seneca,  I  take  it,  is  dead  against  us  ? " 

"  Seneky  wishes  to  go  to  the  legislature,  and  of  course 
he  is  on  the  side  of  votes.  Then  his  brother  is  a  tenant  at 
the  mill,  and  naturally  wishes  to  be  the  landlord.  He  is 
also  interested  in  the  land  himself.  One  thing  has  struck 


THE   REDSKINS.  6? 

me  in  this  controversy  as  highly  worthy  of  notice  ;  and  it 
is  the  na'ivete  with  which  men  reconcile  the  obvious  long- 
ing of  covetousness  with  what  they  are  pleased  to  fancy 
the  principles  of  liberty  !  When  a  man  has  worked  a  farm 
a  certain  number  of  years,  he  boldly  sets  up  the  doctrine 
that  the  fact  itself  gives  him  a  high  moral  claim  to  posses 
it  forever.  A  moment's  examination  will  expose  the  fal 
lacy  by  which  these  sophists  apply  the  flattering  unctioi 
to  their  souls.  They  work  their  farms  under  a  lease,  anc 
in  virtue  of  its  covenants.  Now,  in  a  moral  sense,  all  that 
time  can  do  in  such  a  case,  is  to  render  these  covenants 
the  more  sacred,  and  consequently  more  binding  ;  but 
these  worthies,  whose  morality  is  all  on  one  side,  imagine 
that  these  time-honored  covenants  give  them  a  right  to 
fly  from  their  own  conditions  during  their  existence,  and 
to  raise  pretensions  far  exceeding  anything  they  them- 
selves confer,  the  moment  they  cease." 

"  Poh,  poh  !  Jack  ;  there  is  no  need  of  refining  at  all,  to 
come  at  the  merits  of  such  a  question.  This  is  a  civilized 
country,  or  it  is  not.  If  it  be  a  civilized  country,  it  will 
respect  the  rights  of  property,  and  its  own  laws  ;  and  if 
the  reverse,  it  will  not  respect  them.  As  for  setting  up 
the  doctrine,  at  this  late  day,  when  millions  and  millions 
are  invested  in  this  particular  species  of  property,  that  the 
leasehold  tenure  is  opposed  to  the  spirit  of  institutions  of 
which  it  has  substantially  formed  a  part,  ever  since  those 
institutions  have  themselves  had  an  existence,  it  requires 
a  bold  front,  and  more  capacity  than  any  man  at  Albany 
possesses,  to  make  the  doctrines  go  down.  Men  may  run 
off  with  the  notion  that  the  tendencies  to  certain  abuses, 
which  mark  every  system,  form  their  spirit  ;  but  this  is  a 
fallacy  that  a  very  little  thought  will  correct.  Is  it  true 
that  proposals  have  actually  been  made,  by  these  pretend- 
ers to  liberty,  to  appoint  commissioners  to  act  as  arbitra- 
tors between  the  landlords  and  tenants,  and  to  decide 
points  that  no  one  has  any  right  to  raise  ?  " 

"  True  as  Holy  Writ ;"  and  a  regular  «  Star  Chamber ' 
tribunal  it  would  be  !  It  is  wonderful,  after  all,  how  ex- 
tremes do  meet  ! " 

"  That  is  as  certain  as  the  return  of  the  sun  after  night. 
But  let  us  now  talk  of  our  project,  Jack,  and  of  the  means 
of  getting  among  these  self-deluded  men — deluded  by 
their  own  covetousness— without  being  discovered  ;  for  I 
am  determined  to  see  them,  and  to  judge  of  their  motives 
and  conduct  for  myself." 


68  THE  REDSKINS. 

"  Take  care  of  the  tar-barrel,  and  of  the  pillow-case  of 
feathers,  Roger !  " 

"  I  shall  endeavor  so  to  do." 

We  then  discussed  the  matter  before  us  at  length  and 
leisurely.  I  shall  not  relate  all  that  was  said,  as  it  would 
be  going  over  the  same  ground  twice,  but  refer  the  reader 
to  the  regular  narrative.  At  the  usual  hour,  we  retired  to 
our  beds,  retaining  the  name  of  Davidson,  as  convenient 
and  prudent.  Next  day  Mr.  John  Dunning  busied  himself 
in  our  behalf,  and  made  himself  exceedingly  useful  to  us. 
In  his  character  of  an  old  bachelor,  he  had  many  acquaint- 
ances at  the  theatre  ;  and  through  his  friends  of  the  green- 
room he  supplied  each  of  us  with  a  wig.  Both  my  uncle 
and  myself  spoke  German  reasonably  well,  and  our  orig- 
inal plan  was  to  travel  in  the  character  of  immigrant  trinket 
and  essence  pedlers.  But  I  had  a  fancy  for  a  hand-organ 
and  a  monkey  ;  and  it  was  finally  agreed  that  Mr.  Hugh 
Roger  Littlepage,  senior,  was  to  undertake  this  adventure 
with  a  box  of  cheap  watches  and  gilded  trinkets  ;  while 
Mr.  Hugh  Roger  Littlepage,  junior,  was  to  commence  his 
travels  at  home,  in  the  character  of  a  music-grinder.  Mod- 
esty will  not  permit  me  to  say  all  I  might,  in  favor  of  my 
own  skill  in  music  in  general ;  but  I  sang  well  for  an 
amateur,  and  played  both  on  the  violin  and  flute,  far  bet- 
ter than  is  common. 

Everything  was  arranged  in  the  course  of  the  following 
day,  our  wigs  of  themselves  completely  effecting  all  the 
disguises  that  were  necessary.  As  for  my  uncle,  he  was 
nearly  bald,  and  a  wig  was  no  great  encumbrance  ;  but  my 
shaggy  locks  gave  me  some  trouble.  A  little  clipping, 
however,  answered  the  turn  ;  and  I  had  a  hearty  laugh  at 
myself,  in  costume,  that  afternoon,  before  Dunning's  dress- 
ing-room glass.  We  got  round  the  felony  law,  about  being 
armed  and  disguised,  by  carrying  no  weapons  but  our  tools 
in  the  way  of  trade. 


THE   REDSKIN'S.  69 


CHAPTER  V. 

*G  And  she  hath  smiles  to  earth  unknown — 
Smiles,  that  with  motion  of  their  own 
Do  spread,  and  sink,  and  rise  : 
That  come  and  go  with  endless  play 
And  ever,  as  they  pass  away, 
Are  hidden  in  her  eyes." — WORDSWORTH. 

I  WAS  early  in  costume  the  following  morning.  I  ques- 
tion if  my  own  mother  could  have  known  me,  had  she  lived 
long  enough  to  see  the  whiskers  sprout  on  my  cheeks,  and 
to  contemplate  my  countenance  as  a  man.  I  went  into 
Dunning's  library,  drew  the  little  hurdy-gurdy  from  its 
hiding-place,  slung  it,  and  began  to  play  "St.  Patrick's  Day 
in  the  Morning,"  with  spirit,  and,  1  trust  I  may  add,  with  exe- 
cution. I  was  in  the  height  of  the  air,  when  the  door  opened, 
and  Barney  thrust  his  high-cheeked-bone  face  into  the 
room,  his  mouth  as  wide  open  as  that  of  a  frozen  porker. 

"Where  the  divil  did  ye  come  from  !"  demanded  the 
new  footman,  with  the  muscles  of  that  vast  aperture  of 
his  working  from  grin  to  grim,  and  grim  to  grin  again. 
"  Yee's  wilcome  to  the  tchune  ;  but  how  comes  ye  here  ?" 

"  I  coomes  vrora  Halle,  in  Preussen.  Vat  isht  your 
vaterland  ?" 

"  Bee  yees  a  Jew  ?  " 

"Nein — I  isht  a  goot  Christian.  Vilt  you  haf  Yankee 
Tootle  ? " 

"  Yankee  T'under  !  Ye'll  wake  up  the  masther,  and  he'll 
be  displaise'd,  else  ye  might  work  on  that  tchune  till  the 
end  of  time.  That  I  should  hear  it  here,  in  my  own  liber- 
ary,  and  ould  Ireland  t'ree  thousand  laigues  away!" 

A  laugh  from  Dunning  interrupted  the  dialogue,  when 
Barney  vanished,  no  doubt  anticipating  some  species  of 
American  punishment  for  a  presumed  delinquency.  Wheth- 
er the  blundering,  well-meaning,  honest  fellow  really  as- 
certained who  we  were  that  breakfasted  with  his  master, 
I  do  not  know  ;  but  we  got  the  meal  and  left  the  house 
without  seeing  his  face  again,  Dunning  having  a  young 
yellow  fellow  to  do  the  service  of  the  table. 

I  need  scarcely  say  that  I  felt  a  little  awkward  at  finding 
myself  in  the  streets  of  New  York  in  such  a  guise  ;  but  the 
gravity  and  self-possession  of  my  uncle  were  a  constant 
source  of  amusement  to  me.  He  actually  sold  a  watch  on 


70  TUP:  REDSKINS. 

the  wharf  before  the  boat  left  it,  though  I  imputed  his  suc- 
cess tp  the  circumstance  that  his  price  was  what  a  brother 
dealer,  who  happened  to  be  trading  in  the  same  neighbor- 
hood, pronounced  "  onconscionably  low."  We  took  a 
comfortable  state-room  between  us,  under  the  pretence  of 
locking  up  our  property,  and  strolled  about  the  boat,  gap- 
ing and  looking  curious,  as  became  our  class. 

'*  Here  are  at  least  a  dozen  people  that  I  know,"  said  my 
uncle,  as  we  were  lounging  around — loafing  around  is  the 
modern  Doric — about  the  time  that  the  boat  was  paddling 
past  Fort  Washington  ;  "  I  have  reconnoitred  in  all  quar- 
ters, and  find  quite  a  dozen.  I  have  been  conversing  with 
an  old  school-fellow,  and  one  with  whom  I  have  ever  lived 
in  tolerable  intimacy,  for  the  last  ten  minutes,  and  find  my 
broken  English  and  disguise  are  perfect.  I  am  confident 
my  dear  mother  herself  would  not  recognize  me." 

"We  can  then  amuse  ourselves  with  my  grandmother 
and  the  young  ladies,"  I  answered,  "  when  we  reach  the 
Nest.  For  my  part,  it  strikes  me  that  we  had  better  keep 
our  own  secret  to  the  last  moment." 

"  Hush!  As  I  live,  there  is  Seneca  Newcome  this  mo- 
ment !  He  is  coming  this  way,  and  we  must  be  Germans 
again." 

Sure  enough,  there  was  'Squire  Seneky,  as  the  honest 
farmers  around  the  Nest  call  him  ;  though  many  of  them 
must  change  their  practices,  or  it  will  shortly  become  so 
absurd  to  apply  the  term  "  honest"  to  them,  that  no  one 
will  have  the  hardihood  to  use  it.  Newcome  came  slowly 
toward  the  forecastle,  on  which  we  were  standing  ;  and  my 
uncle  determined  to  get  into  conversation  with  him,  as  a 
means  of  further  proving  the  virtue  of  our  disguises,  as 
well  as  possibly  of  opening  the  way  to  some  communica- 
tions that  might  facilitate  our  visit  to  the  Nest.  With  this 
view,  the  pretended  pedler  drew  a  watch  from  his  pocket, 
and  offering  it  meekly  to  the  inspection  of  the  quasi  law- 
yer, he  said — 

"  Puy  a  vatch,  shentlemans  ?" 

"  Hey  !  what  ?  Oh  a  watch,"  returned  Seneca,  in  that 
high,  condescending,  vulgar  key,  with  which  the  salt  of  the 
earth  usually  affect  to  treat  those  they  evidently  think 
much  beneath  them  in  intellect,  station,  or  some  other 
great  essential,  at  the  very  moment  they  are  bursting  with 
envy,  and  denouncing  as  aristocrats  all  who  are  above 
them.  "  Hey  !  a  watch  is  it  ?  What  countryman  are  you, 
friend?" 


THE   REDSKINS,  71 

"A  Charmans — ein  Teutscher." 

"A  German — ine  Tycher  is  the  place  you  come  from,  I 

? " 
Nein — ein  Teutscher  isht  a  Charman." 

"  Oh,  yes  !  I  understand.  How  long  have  you  been  in 
Ameriky  ?" 

"  Twelf  moont's." 

"  Why,  that's  most  long  enough  to  make  you  citizens. 
Where  do  you  live?" 

"  Nowhere  ;  I  lifs  jest  asht  it  happens — soometimes  here, 
ant  soometimes  dere." 

"Ay,  ay!  I  understand — no  legal  domicile,  but  lead  a 
wandering  life.  Have  you  many  of  these  watches  for 
sale  ? " 

"  Yees — I  haf  asht  many  as  twenty.  Dey  are  as  sheep  as 
dirt,  and  go  like  pig  clocks." 

"And  what  may  be  your  price  for  this  ?" 

"  Dat  you  can  haf  for  only  eight  tollars.  Effery  poty 
wilt  say  it  is  golt,  dat  doesn't  know  petter." 

"  Oh  !  it  isn't  gold  then— I  swan  !  " — what  this  oath  meant 
I  never  exactly  knew,  though  I  suppose  it  to  be  a  Puritan 
mode  of  saying  "  I  swear  !  "  the  attempts  to  cheat  the  devil 
in  this  way  being  very  common  among  their  pious  de- 
scendants, though  even  "  Smith  Thompson  "  himself  can 
do  no  man  any  good  in  such  a  case  of  conscience — "  I 
swan !  you  come  plaguy  near  taking  even  me  in  !  Will 
you  come  down  from  that  price  any  ?" 

"  If  you  wilt  gif  me  some  atfice,  perhaps  I  may.  You 
look  like  a  goot  shentlemans,  and  one  dat  woultn't  sheat  a 
poor  Charmans  ;  ant  effery  poty  wants  so  much  to  sheat  de 
poor  Charmans,  dat  I  will  take  six,  if  you  will  drow  in 
some  atfice." 

"  Advice  ?  You  have  come  to  the  right  man  for  that  ? 
Walk  a  little  this  way,  where  we  shall  be  alone.  What  is 
the  natur'  of  the  matter — action  on  the  case,  or  a  tort  ?  " 

"Nein,  nein  !  it  isht  not  law  dat  I  wants,  put  atfice." 

"  Well,  but  advice  leads  to  law,  ninety-nine  times  in  a 
hundred." 

"  Ya,  ya,"  answered  the  pedler,  laughing  ;  "  dat  may  be 
so  ;  put  it  isht  not  vat  I  vants — I  vants  to  know  vere  a 
Charman  can  trafel  wit'  his  goots  in  de  country,  and  not 
in  de  pig  towns." 

"  I  understand  you — six  dollars,  hey  !  That  sounds  high 
for  such  a  looking  watch  " — he  had  just  before  mistaken  it 
for  gold — "  but  I'm  always  the  poor  man's  friend,  and  de< 


72  THE   REDSKINS. 

spise  aristocracy  " — what  Seneca  hated  with  the  strongest 
hate  he  ever  fancied  he  despised  the  most,  and  by  aristoc- 
racy he  merely  understood  gentlemen  and  ladies,  in  the 
true  signification  of  the  words — "why.  I'm  always  ready 
to  help  along  the  honest  citizen.  If  you  could  make  -up 
your  mind,  now,  to  part  with  this  one  watch  for  nawthin', 
I  think  I  could  tell  you  a  part  of  the  country  where  you 
might  sell  the  other  nineteen  in  a  week." 

"  Goot !  "  exclaimed  my  uncle,  cheerfully.  "  Take  him 
— he  ist  your  broberty,  and  wilcome.  Only  show  me  de 
town  where  I  canst  sell  de  nineteen  udders." 

Had  my  uncle  Ro  been  a  true  son  of  peddling,  he  would 
have  charged  a  dollar  extra  on  each  of  the  nineteen,  and 
made  eleven  dollars  by  his  present  liberality. 

"  It  is  no  town  at  all — only  a  township,"  returned  the 
liberal  Seneca.  "  Did  you  expect  it  would  be  a  city  ?" 

"  Vat  cares  I  ?  I  woult  radder  sell  my  vatches  to  goot, 
honest  country  men,  dan  asht  to  de  best  burghers  in  de 
land." 

"  You're  my  man  !  The  right  spirit  is  in  you.  I  hope 
you're  no  patroon — no  aristocrat  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know  vat  isht  badroon,  or  vat  isht  arishtocrat." 

"  No  !  You  are  a  happy  man  in  your  ignorance.  A  pa- 
troon is  a  nobleman  who  owns  another  man's  land  ;  and 
an  aristocrat  is  a  body  that  thinks  himself  better  than  his 
neighbors,  friend." 

"  Well,  den,  I  isht  no  badroon,  for  I  don't  own  no  land 
at  all,  not  even  mine  own  ;  and  I  ishn't  petter  asht  no  poty 
at  all." 

"  Yes,  you  be  ;  you've  only  to  think  so,  and  you'll  be  the 
greatest  gentleman  of  'em  all." 

u  Well,  den,  I  will  dry  and  dink  so,  and  pe  petter  asht  de 
greatest  shentlemans  of  dem  all.  But  dat  won't  do,  nud- 
der,  as  dat  vilt  make  me  petter  dan  you  ;  for  you  are  one 
of  de  greatest  of  dem  all,  shentlemans." 

"  Oh  !  as  for  me,  let  me  alone.  I  scorn  being  on  their 
level.  I  go  for  'down  with  the  rents!'  and  so'll  you,  too, 
afore  you've  been  a  week  in  our  part  of  the  country." 

"  Vat  isht  de  rent  dat  you  vants  to  git  down  ? " 

"It's  a  thing  that's  opposed  to  the  spirit  of  the  institu- 
tions, as  you  can  see  by  my  feelin's  at  this  very  moment. 
But  no  matter  ?  I'll  keep  the  watch,  if  you  say  so,  and 
show  you  the  way  into  that  part  of  the  country,  as  your  pay." 

''Agreed,  shentlemans,  Vat  I  vants  is  atfice,  and  vat  you 
vants  is  a  watch," 


THE   REDSKINS.  73 

Here  uncle  Ro  laughed  so  much  like  himself,  when  he 
ought  clearly  to  have  laughed  in  broken  English,  that  I 
was  very  much  afraid  he  might  give  the  alarm  to  our  com- 
panion ;  but  he  did  not.  From  that  time  the  best  relation 
existed  between  us  and  Seneca,  who,  in  the  course  of  the 
day,  recognized  us  by  sundry  smiles  and  winks,  though  I 
could  plainly  see  he  did  not  like  the  anti-aristocratic  prin- 
ciple sufficiently  to  wish  to  seem  too  intimate  with  us. 
Before  we  reached  the  islands,  however,  he  gave  us  direc- 
tions where  to  meet  him  in  the  morning,  and  we  parted, 
when  the  boat  stopped  alongside  of  the  pier  at  Albany 
that  afternoon,  the  best  friends  in  the  world. 

"  Albany  !  dear,  good  old  Albany  !  "  exclaimed  my  uncle 
Ro,  as  we  stopped  on  the  draw  of  the  bridge  to  look  at  the 
busy  scene  in  the  basin,  where  literally  hundreds  of  canal- 
boats  were  either  lying  to  discharge  or  to  load,  or  were 
coming  and  going,  to  say  nothing  of  other  craft  :  "dear, 
good  old  Albany !  you  are  a  town  to  which  I  ever  return 
with  pleasure,  for  you  at  least  never  disappoint  me.  A 
first-rate  country-place  you  are  ;  and,  though  I  miss  your 
quaint  old  Dutch  church,  and  your  rustic-looking  old 
English  church  from  the  centre  of  your  principal  street, 
almost  every  change  you  make  is  respectable.  I  know 
nothing  that  tells  so  much  against  you  as  changing  the 
name  of  Market  Street  by  the  paltry  imitation  of  Broad- 
way ;  but,  considering  that  a  horde  of  Yankees  have  come 
down  upon  you  since  the  commencement  of  the  present 
century,  you  are  lucky  that  the  street  was  not  called  the  Ap- 
pian  Way.  But,  excellent  old  Albany  !  whom  even  the  cor- 
ruptions of  politics  cannot  change  in  the  core,  lying  against 
the  hill-side,  and  surrounded  with  thy  picturesque  scenery, 
there  is  an  air  of  respectability  about  thee  that  I  admire, 
and  a  quiet  prosperity  that  I  love.  Yet,  how  changed  since 
my  boyhood  !  Thy  simple  stoops  have  all  vanished  ;  thy. 
gables  are  disappearing  ;  marble  and  granite  are  rising  in 
thy  streets,  too,  but  they  take  honest  shapes,  and  are  free 
from  the  ambition  of  mounting  on  stilts  ;  thy  basin  has 
changed  the  whole  character  of  thy  once  semi-sylvan, 
semi-commercial  river  ;  but  it  gives  to  thy  young  manhood 
an  appearance  of  abundance  and  thrift  that  promise  well 
for  thy  age  !  " 

The  reader  may  depend  on  it  that  I  laughed  heartily  at 
this  rhapsody  ;  for  I  could  hardly  enter  into  my  uncle's 
feelings.  Albany  is  certainly  a  very  good  sort  of  a  place, 
and  relatively  a  more  respectable-looking  town  than  the 


74  THE   REDSKINS. 

"commercial  emporium,"  which,  after  all,  externally,  is  a 
mere  huge  expansion  of  a  very  marked  mediocrity,  with 
the  pretension  of  a  capital  in  its  estimate  of  itself.  But 
Albany  lays  no  claim  to  be  anything  more  than  a  provin- 
cial town,  and  in  that  class  it  is  highly  placed.  By  the 
way,  there  is  nothing  in  which  "our  people,"  to  speak  idio- 
matically, more  deceive  themselves,  than  in  their  estimate 
of  what  composes  a  capital.  It  would  be  ridiculous  to  sup- 
pose that  the  representatives  of  such  a  government  as  this 
could  impart  to  any  place  the  tone,  opinions,  habits  and 
manners  of  a  capital,  for,  if  they  did,  they  would  impart  it 
on  the  novel  principle  of  communicating  that  which  they 
do  not  possess  in  their  own  persons.  Congress  itself, 
though  tolerably  free  from  most  shackles,  including  those 
of  the  Constitution,  is  not  up  to  that.  In  my  opinion,  a 
man  accustomed  to  the  world  might  be  placed  blindfolded 
in  the  most  finished  quarter  of  New  York,  and  the  place 
has  new  quarters  in  which  the  incongruities  I  have  already 
mentioned  do  not  exist,  and,  my  life  on  it,  he  could  pro- 
nounce, as  soon  as  the  bandage  was  removed,  that  he  was 
not  in  a  town  were  the  tone  of  a  capital  exists.  The  last 
thing  to  make  a  capital  is  trade.  Indeed,  the  man  who 
hears  the  words  "  business  "  and  "the  merchants  "  ringing 
in  his  ears,  may  safely  conclude,  de  facto,  that  he  is  not  in  a 
capital.  Now  a  New  York  village  is  often  much  less  rus- 
tic than  the  villages  of  the  most  advanced  country  of 
Europe  ;  but  a  New  York  town  is  many  degrees  below  any 
capital  of  a  large  state  in  the  old  world. 

Will  New  York  ever  be  a  capital  ?  Yes — out  of  all  ques- 
tion, yes.  But  the  day  will  not  come  until  after  the  sud- 
den changes  of  condition  which  immediately  and  so  natur- 
ally succeeded  the  Revolution,  have  ceased  to  influence 
ordinary  society,  and  those  above  again  impart  to  those 
below  more  than  they  receive.  This  restoration  to  the 
natural  state  of  things  must  take  place  as  soon  as  society 
gets  settled  ;  and  there  will  be  nothing  to  prevent  a  town 
living  under  our  own  institutions — spirit,  tendencies  and 
all — -from  obtaining  the  highest  tone  that  ever  yet  pre- 
vailed in  a  capital.  The  folly  is  in  anticipating  the  natural 
course  of  events.  Nothing  will  more  hasten  these  events, 
however,  than  a  literature  that  is  controlled,  not  by  the 
lower,  but  by  the  higher  opinion  of  the  country  ;  which 
literature  is  yet,  in  a  great  degree,  to  be  created. 

I  had  dispensed  with  the  monkey,  after  trying  to  get 
along  with  the  creature  for  an  hour  or  two,  and  went 


THE   REDSKIXS.  75 

around  only  with  my  music.  I  would  rather  manage  an 
army  of  anti-renters  than  one  monkey.  With  the  hurdy- 
gurdy  slung  around  my  neck,  therefore,  I  followed  my 
uncle,  who  actually  sold  another  watch  before  we  reached 
a  tavern.  Of  course  we  did  not  presume  to  go  to  Congress 
Hall,  or  the  Eagle,  for  we  knew  we  should  not  be  admit- 
ted. This  was  the  toughest  part  of  our  adventures.  I  am 
of  opinion  my  uncle  made  a  mistake ;  for  he  ventured  to  a 
second-class  house,  under  the  impression  that  one  of  the 
sort  usually  frequented  by  men  of  our  supposed  stamp 
might  prove  too  coarse  for  us  altogether.  I  think  we 
should  have  been  better  satisfied  with  the  coarse  fare  of  a 
coarse  tavern,  than  with  the  shabby-genteel  of  the  house 
we  blundered  into.  In  the  former,  everything  would  have 
reminded  us,  in  a  way  we  expected  to  be  reminded,  that 
we  were  out  of  the  common  track  ;  and  we  might  have 
been  amused  with  the  change,  though  it  is  one  singularly 
hard  to  be  endured.  I  remember  to  have  heard  a  young 
man,  accustomed  from  childhood  to  the  better  habits  of 
the  country,  but  who  went  to  sea,  a  lad  before  the  mast, 
declare  that  the  coarseness  of  his  shipmates — and  there  is 
no  vulgarity  about  a  true  sailor,  even  when  coarsest — gave 
him  more  trouble  to  overcome,  than  all  the  gales,  physical 
sufferings,  labor,  exposures  and  dangers,  put  together.  I 
must  confess,  I  have  found  it  so,  too,  in  my  little  experi- 
ence. While  acting  as  a  strolling  musician,  I  could  get 
along  with  anything  better  than  the  coarse  habits  which  I 
encountered  at  the  table.  Your  silver-forkisms,  and  your 
purely  conventional  customs,  as  a  matter  of  course,  no  man 
of  the  world  attaches  any  serious  importance  to  ;  but  there 
are  conventionalities  that  belong  to  the  fundamental  prin- 
ciples of  civilized  society,  which  become  second  nature, 
and  with  which  it  gets  to  be  hard,  indeed,  to  dispense.  I 
shall  say  as  little  as  possible  of  the  disagreeables  of  my  new 
trade,  therefore,  but  stick  to  the  essentials. 

The  morning  of  the  day  which  succeeded  that  of  our  ar- 
rival at  Albany,  my  uncle  Ro  and  I  took  our  seats  in  the 
train,  intending  to  go  to  Saratoga,  via  Troy.  I  wonder  the 
Trojan  who  first  thought  of  playing  this  travestie  on  Ho- 
mer, did  not  think  of  calling  the  place  Troyville,  or  Troy- 
borough  !  That  would  have  been  semi- American,  at  least, 
whereas  the  present  appellation  is  so  purely  classical  !  It 
is  impossible  to  walk  through  the  streets  of  this  neat  and 
flourishing  town,  which  already  counts  its  twenty  thousand 
souls,  and  not  have  the  images  of  Achilles  and  Hector,  and 


76  THE  REDSKINS. 

Priam,  and  Hecuba,  pressing  on  the  imagination  a  little 
uncomfortably  Had  the  place  been  called  Try,  the  name 
would  have  been  a  sensible  one  ;  for  it  is  trying  all  it  can 
to  get  the  better  of  Albany  ;  and,  much  as  I  love  the  latter 
venerable  old  town,  I  hope  Troy  may  succeed  in  its  trying 
to  prevent  the  Hudson  from  being  bridged.  By  the  way, 
I  will  here  remark,  for  the  benefit  of  those  who  have  never 
seen  any  country  but  their  own,  that  there  is  a  view  on  the 
road  between  Schenectady  and  this  Grecian  place,  just 
where  the  heights  give  the  first  full  appearance  of  the  val 
ley  of  the  Hudson,  including  glimpses  of  Waterford,  Lan- 
singburg  and  Albany,  with  a  full  view  of  both  Troys, 
which  gives  one  a  better  idea  of  the  affluence  of  European 
scenery  than  almost  any  other  spot  I  can  recall  in  America. 
To  my  hurdy-gurdy  : 

I  made  my  first  essay  as  a  musician  in  public  beneath 
the  windows  of  the  principal  inn  of  Troy.  I  cannot  say 
much  in  favor  of  the  instrument,  though  I  trust  the  play- 
ing itself  was  somewhat  respectable.  This  I  know  full 
well,  that  I  soon  brought  a  dozen  fair  faces  to  the  windows 
of  the  inn,  and  that  each  was  decorated  with  a  smile. 
Then  it  \vas  that  I  regretted  the  monkey.  Such  an  open- 
ing could  not  but  awaken  the  dormant  ambition  of  even  a 
"patriot"  of  the  purest  water,  and  I  will  own  I  was 
gratified. 

Among  the  curious  who  thus  appeared,  were  two  whom 
I  at  once  supposed  to  be  father  and  daughter.  The  former 
was  a  clergyman,  and,  as  I  fancied  by  something  in  his  air 
of  '''the  Church,"  begging  pardon  of  those  who  take  offence 
at  this  exclusive  title,  and  to  whom  I  will  just  give  a  hint 
in  passing.  Any  one  at  all  acquainted  with  mankind,  will 
at  once  understand  that  no  man  who  is  certain  of  possess- 
ing any  particular  advantage,  ever  manifests  much  sensi- 
bility because  another  lays  claim  to  it  also.  In  the  constant 
struggles  of  the  jealous,  for  instance,  on  the  subject  of  that 
universal  source  of  jealous  feeling,  social  position,  that 
man  or  woman  who  is  conscious  of  claims  never  troubles 
himself  or  herself  about  them.  For  them  the  obvious  fact 
is  sufficient.  If  it  be  answered  to  this  that  the  pretension 
of  "the  Church"  is  exclusive,  I  shall  admit  it  is,  and  "con- 
clusive" too.  It  is  not  exclusive,  however,  in  the  sense 
urged,  since  no  one  denies  that  there  are  many  branches 
to  "  the  Church,"  although  those  branches  do  not*  embrace 
everything.  I  would  advise  those  who  take  offence  at 
"our"  styling  "ourselves"  "the  Church,"  to  style  them 


THE   REDSKINS.  77 

selves  "the  Church,"  just  as  they  call  all  their  parsons 
bishops,  and  see  who  will  care  about  it.  That  is  a  touch- 
stone which  will  soon  separate  the  true  metal  from  the 
alloy. 

My  parson,  I  could  easily  see,  was  a  Church  clergyman 
— not  a  meeting-house  clergyman.  How  I  ascertained  that 
fact  at  a  glance,  I  shall  not  reveal  ;  but  I  also  saw  in  his 
countenance  some  of  that  curiosity  which  marks  simplicity 
of  character  :  it  was  not  a  vulgar  feeling,  but  one  which 
induced  him  to  beckon  me  to  approach  a  little  nearer.  I 
did  so,  when  he  invited  me  in.  It  was  a  little  awkward,  at 
first,  I  must  acknowledge,  to  be  beckoned  about  in  this 
manner  ;  but  there  was  something  in  the  air  and  counte- 
nance of  the  daughter  that  induced  me  not  to  hesitate 
about  complying.  I  cannot  say  that  her  beauty  was  so 
very  striking,  though  she  was  decidedly  pretty  ;  but  the 
expression  of  her  face,  eyes,  smile,  and  all  put  together, 
was  so  singularly  sweet  and  feminine,  that  I  felt  impelled 
by  a  sympathy  I  shall  not  attempt  to  explain,  to  enter  the 
house,  and  ascend  to  the  door  of  a  parlor  that  I  saw  at  once 
was  public,  though  it  then  contained  no  one  but  my  proper 
hosts. 

"Walk  in,  young  man,"  said  the  father  in  a  benevolent 
tone  of  voice.  "I  am  curious  to  see  that  instrument;  and 
my  daughter  here,  who  has  a  taste  for  music,  wishes  it  as 
much  as  I  do  myself.  What  do  you  call  it." 

"  Hurty-gurty,"  I  answered. 

"  From  what  part  of  the  world  do  you  come,  my  young 
friend  ?  "  continued  the  clergyman,  raising  his  meek  eyes 
to  mine  still  more  curiously, 

"Vrom  Charmany ;  vrom  Preussen,  vere  did  reign  so 
late  de  good  Koenig  Wilhelm." 

"What  does  he  say,  Molly?" 

So  the  pretty  creature  bore  the  name  of  Mary.  I  liked 
the  Molly,  too  ;  it  was  a  good  sign,  as  none  but  the  truly 
respectable  dare  use  such  familiar  appellations  in  these 
ambitious  times.  Molly  sounded  as  if  these  people  had 
the  aplomb  of  position  and  conscious  breeding.  Had  they 
been  vulgar,  it  would  have  been  Mollissa. 

"  It  is  not  difficult  to  translate,  father,"  answered  one  of 
the  sweetest  voices  that  had  ever  poured  its  melody  on  my 
ear,  and  which  was  rendered  still  more  musical  by  the 
slight  laugh  that  mingled  with  it.  "  He  says  he  is  from 
Germany — from  Prussia,  where  the  good  King  William 
lately  reigned." 


78  THE  REDSKIN'S. 

I  liked  the  u  father,"  too — that  sounded  refreshing,  after 
passing  a  night  among  a  tribe  of  foul-nosed  adventurers  in 
humanity,  every  one  of  whom  had  done  his  or  her  share 
toward  caricaturing  the  once  pretty  appellatives  of  "  pa  " 
and  "ma."  A  young  lady  may  still  say  "papa,"  or  even 
"  mamma,"  though  it  were  far  better  that  she  said  " father" 
and  "  mother  ;  "  but  as  for  "  pa  "  and  "  ma,"  they  are  now 
done  with  in  respectable  life.  They  will  not  even  do  for 
the  nursery. 

"  And  this  instrument  is  a  hurdy-gurdy  ?"  continued  the 
clergyman.  "What  have  we  here — the  name  spelt  on  it  ?" 

"Dat  isht  de  maker's  name — Hochstiel  fecit" 

"  Fecit  ?"  repeated  the  clergyman  ;  "is  that  German?" 

"Nein — dat  isht  Latin  ;  facto,  fed,  factum,  facere — -fectt 
fecisti)  FECIT.  It  means  make,  I  suppose  you  know." 

The  parson  looked  at  me  and  at  my  dress  and  figure  with 
open  surprise,  and  smiled  as  his  eye  glanced  at  his  daugh- 
ter. If  asked  why  I  made  this  silly  display  of  lower-form 
learning,  I  can  only  say  that  I  chafed  at  being  fancied  a 
mere  every-day  street  musician,  that  had  left  his  monkey 
at  home,  by  the  charming  girl  who  stood  gracefully  bend- 
ing over  her  father's  elbow,  as  the  latter  examined  the  in- 
scription that  was  stamped  on  a  small  piece  of  ivory  which 
had  been  let  into  the  instrument.  I  could  see  that  Mary 
shrunk  back  a  little  under  the  sensitive  feeling,  so  natural 
to  her  sex,  that  she  was  manifesting  too  much  freedom  of 
manner  for  the  presence  of  a  youth  who  wras  nearer  to  her 
own  class  than  she  could  have  supposed  it  possible  for  a 
player  on  the  hurdy-gurdy  to  be.  A  blush  succeeded  ;  but 
the  glance  of  the  soft  blue  eye  that  instantly  followed, 
seemed  to  set  all  at  rest,  and  she  leaned  over  her  father's 
elbow  again. 

"You  understand  Latin,  then  ?"  demanded  the  parent, 
examining  me  over  his  spectacles  from  head  to  foot. 

"  A  leetle,  sir — just  a  ferry  leetle.  In  my  coontry,  efery 
mans  isht  obliget  to  be  a  soldier  some  time,  and  them  t'at 
knows  Latin  can  be  made  sergeants  and  corporals." 

"  That  is  Prussia,  is  it  ? " 

"Ya — Preussen,  vere  so  late  did  reign  de  goot  Koenig 
Wilhelm." 

"  And  is  Latin  much  understood  among  you  ?  I  have 
heard  that,  in  Hungary,  most  well-informed  persons  even 
speak  the  tongue." 

"  In  Charmany  it  isht  not  so.  We  all  1'arnts  somet'ing 
but  not  all  dost  1'arn  eferyt'ing." 


THE  REDSKINS.  79 

I  could  see  a  smile  struggling  around  the  sweet  lips  of 
that  dear  girl,  after  I  had  thus  delivered  myself,  as  I  fan- 
cied, with  a  most  accurate  inaccuracy  ;  but  she  succeeded 
in  repressing  it,  though  those  provoking  eyes  of  hers  con- 
tinued to  laugh,  much  of  the  time  our  interview  lasted. 

"  Oh  !  I  very  well  know  that  in  Prussia  the  schools  are 
quite  good,  and  that  your  government  pays  great  attention 
to  the" wants  of  all  classes,"  rejoined  the  clergyman  ;  "but 
I  confess  some  surprise  that  you  should  understand  any- 
thing of  Latin.  Now,  even  in  this  country,  where  we  boast 
so  much"- 

"Ye-e-s,"  I  could  not  refrain  from  drawling  out,  "dey 
does  poast  a  great  teal  in  dis  coontry  ! " 

Mary  actually  laughed  ;  whether  it  was  at  my  words,  or 
at  the  somewhat  comical  manner  I  had  assumed — a  man- 
ner in  which  simplicity  was  tant  soit  peu  blended  with 
irony — I  shall  not  pretend  to  say.  As  for  the  father,  his 
simplicity  was  of  proof  ;  and,  after  civilly  waiting  until  my 
interruption  was  done,  he  resumed  what  he  had  been  on 
the  point  of  saying. 

"I  was  about  to  add,"  continued  the  clergyman,  "that 
even  in  this  country,  where  we  boast  so  much  " — the  little 
minx  of  a  daughter  passed  her  hand  over  her  eyes,  and 
fairly  colored  with  the  effort  she  made  not  to  laugh  again 
— "  of  the  common  schools,  and  of  their  influence  on  the 
public  mind,  it  is  not  usual  to  find  persons  of  your  condi- 
tion who  understand  the  dead  languages." 

"  Ye-e-e-s,"  I  replied  ;  "  it  isht  my  condition  dat  misleats 
you,  sir.  Mine  fat'er  wast  a  shentlemans,  and  he  gifet  me 
as  goot  an  etication  as  de  Koenig  did  gif  to  de  Kron  Prinz." 

Here,  my  desire  to  appear  well  in  the  eyes  of  Mary 
caused  me  to  run  into  another  silly  indiscretion.  How  I 
was  to  explain  the  circumstance  of  the  son  of  a  Prussian 
gentleman,  whose  father  had  given  him  an  education  as 
good  as  that  which  the  king  of  his  country  had  given  to 
its  crown  prince,  being  in  the  streets  of  Troy,  playing  on  a 
hurdy-gurdy,  was  a  difficulty  I  did  not  reflect  on  for  a  mo- 
ment. The  idea  of  being  thought  by  that  sweet  girl  a  mere 
uneducated  boor,  was  intolerable  to  me ;  and  I  threw  it  off 
by  this  desperate  falsehood — false  in  its  accessories,  but 
true  in  its  main  facts — as  one  would  resent  an  insult. 
Fortune  favored  me,  however,  far  more  than  I  had  any 
right  to  expect. 

There  is  a  singular  disposition  in  the  American  charac- 
ter to  believe  every  well-mannered  European  at  least  a 


8o  THE  REDSKINS. 

count.  I  do  not  mean  that  those  who  have  seen  the  world 
are  not  like  other  persons  in  this  respect;  but  a  very  great 
proportion  of  the  country  never  has  seen  any  other  world 
than  a  world  of  "  business."  The  credulity  on  this  subject 
surpasseth  belief  ;  and,  were  I  to  relate  facts  of  this  nature 
that  might  be  established  in  a  court  of  justice,  the  very 
parties  connected  with  them  would  be  ready  to  swear  that 
they  are  caricatures.  Now,  well-mannered  I  trust  I  am, 
and,  though  plainly  dressed  and  thoroughly  disguised, 
neither  my  air  nor  attire  was  absolutely  mean.  As  my 
clothes  were  new,  I  was  neat  in  my  appearance  ;  and  there 
were  possibly  some  incongruities  about  the  last,  that  might 
have  struck  eyes  more  penetrating  than  those  of  my  com- 
panions. I  could  see  that  both  father  and  daughter  felt  a 
lively  interest  in  me,  the  instant  I  gave  them  reason  to  be- 
lieve I  was  one  of  better  fortunes.  So  many  crude  notions 
exist  among  us  on  the  subject  of  convulsions  and  revolu- 
tions in  Europe,  that  I  dare  say,  had  I  told  any  improbable 
tale  of  the  political  condition  of  Prussia,  it  would  have 
gone  down  ;  for  nothing  so  much  resembles  the  ignorance 
that  prevails  in  America,  generally,  concerning  the  true 
state  of  things  in  Europe,  as  the  ignorance  that  prevails  in 
Europe,  generally,  concerning  the  true  state  of  things  in 
America.  As  for  Mary,  her  soft  eyes  seemed  to  me  to  be 
imbued  with  thrice  their  customary  gentleness  and  com- 
passion, as  she  recoiled  a  step  in  native  modesty,  and  gazed 
at  me,  when  I  had  made  my  revelation. 

"If  such  is  the  case,  my  young  friend,"  returned  the 
clergyman,  with  benevolent  interest,  "you  ought,  and  might 
easily  be  placed  in  a  better  position  than  this  you  are  now 
in.  Have  you  any  knowledge  of  Greek  ?  " 

"  Certainly — Greek  is  moch  study  in  Charmany." 

"  In  for  a  penny,  in  for  a  pound,"  I  thought. 

"And  the  modern  languages — do  you  understand  any  of 
them?" 

"  I  speaks  de  five  great  tongues  of  Europe,  more  ast  less 
well  ;  and  I  read  dem  all,  easily." 

"  The  five  tongues  !  "  said  the  clergyman,  counting  on  his 
fingers  ;  "what  can  they  be,  Mary  ?" 

"  French,  and  German,  and  Spanish,  and  Italian,  I  sup- 
pose, sir." 

"  These  make  but  four.  What  can  be  the  fifth,  my  dear  ?  " 

"De  yoong  laty  forgets  de  Englisch.  De  Englisch  is 
das  funf." 

"  Oh  !  yes,  the  English  ! "  exclaimed  the   pretty  creat- 


THE   REDSKIN'S.  8 1 

ure,  pressing  her  lips  together  to  prevent  laughing  in  my 
face. 

"  True — I  had  forgotten  the  English,  not  being  accus- 
tomed to  think  of  it  as  a  a^ere  European  tongue.  I  sup- 
pose, young  man,  you  naturally  speak  the  English  less 
fluently  than  any  other  of  your  five  languages  ?  " 

"Ya!" 

Again  the  smile  struggled  to  the  lips  of  Mary. 

"  I  feel  a  deep  interest  in  you  as  a  stranger,  and  am  sorry 
we  have  only  met  to  part  so  soon.  Which  way  shall  you 
be  likely  to  direct  your  steps,  my  Prussian  young  friend  ? " 

"  I  go  to  a  place  which  is  callet  Ravensnest — goot  place 
to  sell  vatch,  dey  tells  me." 

"  Ravensnest  !  "  exclaimed  the  father. 

"  Ravensnest !  "  repeated  the  daughter,  and  that  in  tones 
which  put  the  hurdy-gurdy  to  shame. 

"  Why,  Ravensnest  is  the  place  where  I  live,  and  the 
parish  of  which  I  am  the  clergyman — the  Protestant  Epis- 
copal clergyman,  I  mean." 

This,  then,  was  the  Rev.  Mr.  Warren,  the  divine  who  had 
been  called  to  our  church  the  very  summer  I  left  home, 
and  who  had  been  there  ever  since  !  My  sister  Martha  had 
written  me  much  concerning  these  people,  and  I  felt  as  if 
I  had  known  them  for  years.  Mr.  Warren  was  a  man  of 
good  connections,  and  some  education,  but  of  no  fortune 
whatever,  who  had  gone  into///*?  Church — it  was  the  church 
of  his  ancestors,  one  of  whom  had  actually  been  an  Eng- 
lish bishop,  a  century  or  twro  ago — from  choice,  and  con- 
trary to  the  wishes  of  his  friends.  As  a  preacher,  his  success 
had  never  been  great ;  but  for  the  discharge  of  his  duties 
no  man  stood  higher,  and  no  man  was  more  respected. 
The  living  of  St.  Andrew's,  Ravensnest,  would  have  been 
poor  enough,  had  it  depended  on  the  contributions  of  the 
parishioners.  These  last  gave  about  one  hundred  and  fifty 
dollars  a  year,  for  their  share  of  the  support  of  a  priest. 
I  gave  another  hundred,  as  regularly  as  clock-work,  and 
had  been  made  to  do  so  throughout  a  long  minority  ;  and  my 
grandmother  and  sister  made  up  another  fifty  between 
them.  But  there  was  a  glebe  of  fifty  acres  of  capital  land, 
a  wood-lot,  and  a  fund  of  two  thousand  dollars  at  interest  ; 
the  whole  proceeding  from  endowments  made  by  my  grand- 
father, during  his  lifetime.  Altogether,  the  living  may 
have  been  worth  a  clear  five  hundred  dollars  a  year^in  ad- 
dition to  a  comfortable  house,  hay,  wood,  vegetables, 
pasture,  and  some  advantages  in  the  way  of  small  crops. 
6 


12  THE  REDSKINS, 

Few  country  clergymen  were  better  off  than  the  rector  of 
St.  Andrew's,  Ravensnest,  and  all  as  a  consequence  of  the 
feudal  and  aristocratic  habits  of  the  Littlepages,  though  I 
say  it,  perhaps,  who  might  better  not,  in  times  like  these. 

My  letters  had  told  me  that  the  Rev.  Mr.  Warren  was  a 
widower  ;  that  Mary  was  his  only  child  ;  that  he  was  a 
truly  pious,  not  a  sham-pious,  and  really  zealous  clergy- 
man ;  a  man  of  purest  truth,  whose  word  was  gospel — of 
great  simplicity  and  integrity  of  mind  and  character ;  that 
he  never  spoke  evil  of  others,  and  that  a  complaint  of  this 
world  and  its  hardships  seldom  crossed  his  lips.  He  loved 
his  fellow-creatures,  both  naturally  and  on  principle ; 
mourned  over  the  state  of  the  diocese,  and  greatly  pre- 
ferred piety  even  to  high-churchism.  High-churchman 
he  was,  nevertheless  ;  though  it  was  not  a  high-church- 
manship  that  outweighed  the  loftier  considerations  of  his 
Christian  duties,  and  left  him  equally  without  opinions  of 
his  own  in  matters  of  morals,  and  without  a  proper  re- 
spect, in  practice,  for  those  that  he  had  solemnly  vowed  to 
maintain. 

His  daughter  was  described  as  a  sweet-tempered,  arch, 
modest,  sensible,  and  well-bred  girl,  that  had  received  a 
far  better  education  than  her  father's  means  would  have 
permitted  him  to  bestow,  through  the  liberality  and  affec- 
tion of  a  widowed  sister  of  her  mother's,  who  was  affluent, 
and  had  caused  her  to  attend  the  same  school  as  that  to 
which  she  had  sent  her  own  daughters.  In  a  word,  she 
was  a  most  charming  neighbor  ;  and  her  presence  at  Ra- 
vensnest had  rendered  Martha's  annual  visits  to  the  ''old 
house"  (built  in  1785)  not  only  less  irksome,  but  actually 
pleasant.  Such  had  been  my  sister's  account  of  the  War- 
rens and  their  qualities,  throughout  a  correspondence  of 
five  years.  I  have  even  fancied  that  she  loved  this  Mary 
Warren  better  than  she  loved  any  of  her  uncle's  wards, 
herself  of  course  excepted. 

The  foregoing  flashed  through  my  mind,  the  instant  the 
clergyman  announced  himself  ;  but  the  coincidence  of  our 
being  on  the  way  to  the  same  part  of  the  country,  seemed 
to  strike  him  as  forcibly  as  it  did  myself.  What  Mary 
thought  of  the  matter,  I  had  no  means  of  ascertaining. 

"This  is  singular  enough,"  resumed  Mr.  Warren.  "What 
has  directed  your  steps  toward  Ravensnest  ?" 

"  Dey  tell  mine  ooncle  'tis  goot  place  to  sell  moch 
vatch." 

"  You  have  an  uncle,  then  ?      Ah  !  I  see  him  there  in 


THE  REDSKINS.  83 

the  street,  showing  a  watch  at  this  moment  to  a  gentle- 
man. Is  your  uncle  a  linguist,  too,  and  has  he  been  as 
well  educated  as  you  seem  to  be  yourself  ? " 

"Certain — he  moch  more  of  a  shentleman  dan  ast  de 
shentleman  to  whom  he  now  sell  vatch." 

"  These  must  be  the  very  persons,"  put  in  Mary,  a  little 
eagerly,  "  of  whom  Mr.  Newcome  spoke,  as  the  " — the  dear 
girl  did  not  like  to  say  pedlers,  after  what  I  had  told 
them  of  my  origin  ;  so  she  added — "  dealers  in  watches 
and  trinkets,  who  intended  to  visit  our  part  of  the  coun- 
try." 

"  You  are  right,  my  dear,  and  the  whole  matter  is  now 
clear.  Mr.  Newcome  said  he  expected  them  to  join  us  at 
Troy,  when  we  should  proceed  in  the  train  together  as  far 
as  Saratoga.  But  here  comes  Opportunity  herself,  and 
her  brother  cannot  be  far  off." 

At  that  moment,  sure  enough,  my  old  acquaintance,  Op- 
portunity Newcome,  came  into  the  room,  a  public  parlor, 
with  an  air  of  great  self-satisfaction,  arid  a  nonchalance  of 
manner  that  was  not  a  little  more  peculiar  to  herself  than 
it  is  to  most  of  her  caste.  I  trembled  for  my  disguise, 
since,  to  be  quite  frank  on  a  very  delicate  subject,  Oppor- 
tunity had  made  so  very  dead  a  set  at  me — "  setting  a  cap  " 
is  but  a  pitiful  phrase  to  express  the  assault  I  had  to  with- 
stand— as  scarcely  to  leave  a  hope  that  her  feminine 
instinct,  increased  and  stimulated  with  the  wish  to  be  mis- 
tress of  the  Nest  house,  could  possibly  overlook  the  thou- 
sand and  one  personal  peculiarities  that  must  still  remain 
about  one  whose  personal  peculiarities  she  had  made  her 
particular  study. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

"  Oh,  sic  a  geek  she  gave  her  head, 
And  sic  a  toss  she  gave  her  feather ; 
Man,  saw  ye  ne'er  a  bonnier  lass 
Before/  among  the  blooming  heather  ?  " 

— ALLAN  CUNNINGHAM. 

"  AH  !  here  are  some  charming  French  vignettes  !  "  cried 
Opportunity,  running  up  to  a  table  where  lay  some  inferior 
colored  engravings,  that  were  intended  to  represent  the 
cardinal  virtues,  under  the  forms  of  tawdry  female  beau- 
ties. The  workmanship  was  French,  as  were  the  inscrip- 


84  THE  REDSKINS. 

lions.  Now,  Opportunity  knew  just  enough  French  to 
translate  these  inscriptions,  simple  and  school-girl  as  they 
were,  as  wrong  as  they  could  possibly  be  translated,  under 
the  circumstances. 

"La  Vertue"  cried  Opportunity,  in  a  high,  decided  way, 
as  if  to  make  sure  of  an  audience,  "  The  Virtue  ;  La  Soli- 
tude" pronouncing  the  last  word  in  a  desperately  English 
accent,  "  The  Solitude  ;  La  Charite,  The  Charity.  It  is 
really  delightful,  Mary,  as  'Sarah  Soothings'  would  say,  to 
meet  with  these  glimmerings  of  taste  in  this  wilderness  of 
the  world." 

I  wondered  who  the  deuce  "  Sarah  Soothings  "  could  be, 
but  afterward  learned  this  was  the  nom-de-guerre  of  a  female 
contributor  to  the  magazines,  who,  I  dare  say,  silly  as  she 
might  be,  was  never  silly  enough  to  record  the  sentiments 
Opportunity  had  just  professed  to  repeat.  As  for  The  la 
Charite,  and  The  la  Vertue,  they  did  not  in  the  least  surprise 
me  ;  for  Martha,  the  hussy,  often  made  herself  merry  by 
recording  that  young  lady's  tours  de  force  in  French.  On 
one  occasion  I  remember  she  wrote  me,  that  when  Oppor- 
tunity wished  to  say,  On  est  venu  me  chercher,  instead  of  say- 
ing "  I  am  come  for,'"  in  homely  English,  which  would  have 
been  the  best  of  all,  she  had  flown  off  in  the  high  flight  of 
"  Je  suis  venue  pour" 

Mary  smiled,  for  she  comprehended  perfectly  the  differ- 
ence between  la  Solitude  and  the  Solitude  ;  but  she  said 
nothing.  I  must  acknowledge  that  I  was  so  indiscreet  as 
to  smile  also,  though  Opportunity's  back  being  turned 
toward  us,  these  mutual  signs  of  intelligence  that  escaped 
us  both  through  the  eyes,  opened  a  species  of  communica- 
tion that,  to  me  at  least,  was  infinitely  agreeable. 

Opportunity,  having  shown  the  owner  of  the  strange 
figure  at  which  she  had  just  glanced  on  entering  the  room, 
that  she  had  studied  French,  now  turned  to  take  a  better 
look  at  him.  I  have  reason  to  think  my  appearance  did 
not  make  a  very  happy  impression  on  her  ;  for  she  tossed 
her  head,  drew  a  chair,  seated  herself  in  the  manner  most 
opposed  to  the  descent  of  down,  and  opened  her  budget 
of  news,  without  the  least  regard  to  my  presence,  and  ap- 
parently with  as  little  attention  -to  the  wishes  and  tastes  of 
her  companions.  Her  accent,  and  jumping,  hitching  mode 
of  speaking,  with  the  high  key  in  which  she  uttered  her 
sentiments,  too,  all  grated  on  my  ears,  which  had  become 
a  little  accustomed  to  different  habits,  in  young  ladies  in 
particular,  in  the  other  hemisphere.  I  confess  myself  to 


THE   REDSKINS.  8$ 

be  one  of  those  who  regard  an  even,  quiet,  graceful  mode 
of  utterance,  as  even  a  greater  charm  in  a  woman  than 
beauty.  Its  effect  is  more  lasting,  and  seems  to  be  directly 
connected  with  the  character.  Mary  Warren  not  only 
pronounced  like  one  accustomed  to  good  society  ;  but  the 
modulations  of  her  voice,  which  was  singularly  sweet  by 
nature,  were  even  and  agreeable,  as  is  usual  with  well-bred 
women,  and  as  far  as  possible  from  the  jerking,  fluttering, 
now  rapid,  now  drawling  manner  of  Opportunity.  Per- 
haps, in  this  age  of  "  loose  attire,"  loose  habits,  and  free- 
and-easy  deportment,  the  speech  denotes  the  gentleman, 
or  the  lady,  more  accurately  than  any  other  off-hand  test. 

"  Sen  is  enough  to  wear  out  anybody's  patience  !  "  ex- 
claimed Opportunity.  "We 'must  quit  Troy  in  half  an 
hour  ;  and  I  have  visits  that  I  ought  to  pay  to  Miss  Jones, 
and  Miss  White,  and  Miss  Black,  and  Miss  Green,  and 
Miss  Brown,  and  three  or  four  others  ;  and  I  can't  get  him 
to  come  near  me." 

"  Why  not  go  alone  ?"  asked  Mary,  quietly.  "  It  is  but 
a  step  to  two  or  three  of  the  houses,  and  you  cannot  possi- 
bly lose  your  way.  I  will  go  with  you,  if  you  desire  it." 

"  Oh  !  lose  my.  way  ?  no,  indeed  !  I  know  it  too  well 
for  that.  I  wasn't  educated  in  Troy,  not  to  know  some- 
thing of  the  streets.  But  it  looks  so,  to  see  a  young  lady 
walking  in  the  streets  without  a  beau  !  I  never  wish  to 
cross  a  room  in  company  without  a  beau  :  much  less  to 
cross  a  street.  No  ;  if  Sen  don't  come  in  soon,  I  shall  miss 
seeing  every  one  of  my  friends,  and  that  will  be  a  desper- 
ate disappointment  to  us  all  ;  but  it  can't  be  helped  ;  walk 
without  a  beau  I  will  not,  if  I  never  see  one  of  them  again." 

"  Will  you  accept  of  me,  Miss  Opportunity  ? "  asked 
Mr.  Warren.  "  It  will  afford  me  pleasure  to  be  of  service 
to  you." 

"  Lord  !  Mr.  Warren,  you  don't  think  of  setting  up  for 
a  beau  at  your  time  of  life,  do  you  ?  Everybody  would  see 
that  you're  a  clergyman,  and  I  might  just  as  well  go  alone. 
No,  if  Sen  don't  come  in  at  once,  I  must  lose  my  visits  ; 
and  the  young  ladies  will  be  so  put  about  it,  I  know  !  Ara- 
minta  Maria  wrote  me,  in  the  most  particular  manner, 
never  to  go  through  Troy  without  stopping  to  see  her,  if  I 
didn't  see  another  mortal  ;  and  Kather//2<?  Clotilda  has  as 
much  as  said  she  would  never  forgive  me  if  I  passed 
her  door.  But  Seneca  cares  no  more  for  the  friendship  of 
young  ladies,  than  he'  does  " — Miss  Newcome  pronounced 
this  word  "doos,"  notwithstanding  her  education,  as  she 


86  THE   REDSKINS. 

did  "  been,"  "  ben,"  and  fifty  others  just  as  much  out  of  the 
common  way — "  But  Seneca  cares  no  more  for  the  friend- 
ship  of  young  ladies,  than  he  does  for  the  young  patroon. 
I  declare,  Mr.  Warren,  I  belive  Sen  will  go  crazy  unless 
the  anti-renters  soon  get  the  best  of  it  ;  he  does  nothing 
but  think  and  talk  of  '  rents,'  and  '  aristocracy,'  and  '  poodle 
usages,'  from  morning  till  night." 

We  all  smiled  at  the  little  mistake  of  Miss  Opportu- 
nity, but  it  was  of  no  great  consequence  ;  and  I  dare  say 
she  knew  what  she  meant  as  well  as  most  others  who  use 
the  same  term,  though  they  spell  it  more  accurately. 
"  Poodle  usages"  are  quite  as  applicable  to  anything  now 
existing  in  America,  as  "feudal  usages." 

"  Your  brother  is,  then,  occupied  with  a  matter  of  the 
last  importance  to  the  community  of  which  he  is  a  mem- 
ber," answered  the  clergyman,  gravely.  "-On  the  termi- 
nation of  this  anti-rent  question  hangs,  in  my  judgment,  a 
vast  amount  of  the  future  character,  and  much  of  the  fut- 
ure destiny,  of  New  York." 

"  I  wonder,  now  ?  I'm  surprised  to  hear  you  say  this, 
Mr.  Warren,  for  generally  you're  thought  to  be  unfriendly 
to  the  movement.  Sen  says,  however,  that  everything 
looks  well,  and  that  he  believes  the  tenants  will  get  their 
lands  throughout  the  State  before  they've  done  with  it. 
He  tells  me  we  shall  have  Injins  enough  this  summer  at 
Ravensnest.  The  visit  of  old  Mrs.  Littlepage  has  raised 
a  spirit  that  will  not  easily  be  put  down,  he  says." 

"And  why  should  the  visit  of  Mrs.  Littlepage  to  the 
house  of  her  grandson,  and  to  the  house  built  by  her  own 
husband,  and  in  which  she  passed  the  happiest  days  of 
her  life,  'raise  a  spirit,'  as  you  call  it,  in  any  one  in  that 
part  of  the  country  ?  " 

"  Oh  !  you're  Episcopal,  Mr.  Warren  ;  and  we  all  know 
how  the  Episcopals  feel  about  such  matters.  But,  for  my 
part,  I  don't  think  the  Littlepages  are  a  bit  better  than  the 
Newcornes,  though  I  won't  liken  them  to  some  I  could 
name  at  Ravensnest  ;  but  I  don't  think  they  are  any  better 
than  you,  yourself  ;  and  why  should  they  ask  so  much 
more  of  the  law  than  other  folks  ?  " 

"  I  am  not  aware  that  they  do  ask  more  of  the  law  than 
others  ;  and,  if  they  do,  I'm  sure  they  obtain  less.  The 
law  in  this  country  is  virtually  administered  by  jurors,  who 
take  good  care  to  graduate  justice,  so  far  as  they  can,  by 
a  scale  suited  to  their  own  opinions,  and,  quite  often, 
to  their  prejudices.  As  the  last  are  so  universally  opposed 


THE  REDSKINS.  87 

to  persons  in  Mrs.  Littlepage's  class  in  life,  if  there  be  a 
chance  to  make  her  suffer,  it  is  pretty  certain  it  will  be 
improved." 

"  Sen  says  he  can't  see  why  he  should  pay  rent  to  a 
Littlepage,  any  more  than  a  Littlepage  should  pay  rent  to 
him." 

"  I  am  sorry  to  hear  it,  since  there  is  a  very  sufficient 
reason  for  the  former,  and  no  reason  at  all  for  the  latter. 
Your  brother  uses  the  land  of  Mr.  Littlepage,  and  that  is 
the  reason  why  he  should  pay  him  rent.  If  the  case  were/' 
reversed,  then,  indeed,  Mr.  Littlepage  should  pay  rent 
to  your  brother." 

"  But  what  reason  is  there  that  these  Littlepages  should 
go  on  from  father  to  son,  from  generation  to  generation, 
as  our  landlords,  when  we're  just  as  good  as  they  ?  It's 
time  there  was  some  change.  Besides,  only  think,  we've 
been  at  the  mills,  now,  hard  upon  eighty  years,  grandpa 
having  first  settled  there  ;  and  we  have  had  them  very 
mills,  now,  for  three  generations  among  us." 

"  High  time,  therefore,  Opportunity,  that  there  should 
be  some  change,"  put  in  Mary,  with  a  demure  smile. 

"  Oh  !  you're  so  intimate  with  Marthy  Littlepage,  I'm 
not  surprised  at  anything  you  think  or  say.  But  reason  is 
reason  for  all  that.  I  haven't  the  least  grudge  in  the  world 
against  young  Hugh  Littlepage  ;  if  foreign  lands  haven't 
spoilt  him,  as  they  say  they're  desperate  apt  to  do,  he's  an 
agreeable  young  gentleman,  and  I  can't  say  that  he  used 
to  think  himself  any  better  than  other  folks." 

"  I  should  say  none  of  the  family  are  justly  liable  to  the 
charge  of  so  doing,"  returned  Mary. 

"Well,  I'm  amazed  to  hear  you  say  that,  Mary  Warren. 
To  my  taste,  Marthy  Littlepage  is  as  disagreeable  as  she 
can  be.  If  the  anti-rent  cause  had  nobody  better  than  she 
is  to  oppose  it,  it  would  soon  triumph." 

"  May  I  ask,  Miss  Newcome,  what  particular  reason  you 
have  for  so  thinking  ?  "  asked  Mr.  Warren,  who  had  kept  his 
eye  on  the  young  lady  the  whole  time  she  had  been  thus 
running  on,  with  an  interest  that  struck  me  as  somewhat 
exaggerated,  when  one  remembered  the  character  of  the 
speaker,  and  the  value  of  her  remarks. 

"  I  think  so,  Mr.  Warren,  because  everybody  says  so," 
was  the  answer.  "  If  Marthy  Littlepage  don't  think  her- 
self better  than  other  folks,  why  don't  she  act  like  other 
folks  ?  Nothing  is  good-enough  for  her  in  her  own  con- 
ceit." 


88  THE  REDSKINS. 

Poor  little  Patt,  who  was  the  very  beau  ideal  of  nature 
and  simplicity,  as  nature  and  simplicity  manifest  them- 
selves under  the  influence  of  refinement  and  good-breed- 
ing, was  here  accused  of  fancying  herself  better  than  this 
ambitious  young  lady,  for  no  other  reason  than  the  fact  of 
the  little  distinctive  peculiarities  of  her  air  and  deportment, 
which  Opportunity  had  found  utterly  unattainable,  after 
one  or  two  efforts  to  compass  them.  In  this  very  fact  is 
the  secret  of  a  thousand  of  the  absurdities  and  vices  that 
are  going  up  and  down  the  land  at  this  moment,  like  rag- 
ing lions,  seeking  whom  they  may  devour.  Men  often 
turn  to  their  statute-books  and  constitution  to  find  the 
sources  of  obvious  evils,  that,  in  truth,  have  their  origin  in 
some  of  the  lowest  passions  of  human  nature.  The  en- 
trance of  Seneca  at  that  moment,  however,  gave  a  new 
turn  to  the  discourse,  though  it  continued  substantially  the 
same.  I  remarked  that  Seneca  entered  with  his  hat  on, 
and  that  he  kept  his  head  covered  during  most  of  the  in- 
terview that  succeeded,  notwithstanding  the  presence  of 
the  two  young  ladies  and  the  divine.  As  for  myself,  I  had 
been  so  free  as  to  remove  my  cap,  though  many  might 
suppose  it  was  giving  myself  airs,  while  others  would  have 
imagined  it  was  manifesting  a  degree  of  respect  to  human 
beings  that  was  altogether  unworthy  of  freemen.  It  is 
getting  to  be  a  thing  so  particular  and  aristocratic  to  take 
off  the  hat  on  entering  a  house,  that  few  of  the  humbler 
democrats  of  America  now  ever  think  of  it ! 

As  a  matter  of  course,  Opportunity  upbraided  her  de- 
linquent brother  for  not  appearing  sooner  to  act  as  her 
beau  ;  after  which,  she  permitted  him  to  say  a  word  for 
himself.  That  Seneca  was  in  high  good-humor  was  easily 
enough  to  be  seen  ;  he  even  rubbed  his  hands  together  in 
the  excess  of  his  delight. 

"Something  has  happened  to  please  Sen,"  cried  the  sis- 
ter, her  own  mouth  on  a  broad  grin,  in  her  expectation  of 
coming  in  for  a  share  of  the  gratification.  "  I  wish  you 
would  get  him  to  tell  us  what  it  is,  Mary  ;  he'll  tell  you 
anything." 

I  cannot  describe  how  harshly  this  remark  grated  on  my 
nerves.  The  thought  that  Mary  Warren  could  consent  to 
exercise  even  the  most  distant  influence  over  such  a  man 
as  Seneca  Newcome  was  to  the  last  degree  unpleasant  to 
me,  and  I  could  have  wished  that  she  would  openly  and 
indignantly  repel  the  notion.  But  Mary  Warren  treated 
the  whole  matter  very  much  as  a  person  who  was  accus- 


THE  REDSKIXS.  89 

tomed  to  such  remarks  would  be  apt  to  do.  I  cannot  say 
that  she  manifested  either  pleasure  or  displeasure  ;  but  a 
cold  indifference  was,  if  anything,  uppermost  in  her  man- 
ner. Possibly,  I  should  have  been  content  with  this  ;  but  I 
found  it  very  difficult  to  be  so.  Seneca,  however,  did  not 
wait  for  Miss  Warren  to  exert  her  influence  to  induce  him 
to  talk,  but  appeared  well  enough  disposed  to  do  it  of  his 
own  accord. 

"  Something  has  happened  to  please  me,  I  must  own," 
he  answered  ;  "  and  I  would  as  lief  Mr.  Warren  should 
know  what  it  is,  as  not.  Things  go  ahead  finely  among 
us  anti-renters,  and  we  shall  carry  all  our  p'ints  before 
long  ! " 

"  I  wish  I  were  certain  no  points  would  be  carried  but 
those  that  ought  to  be  carried,  Mr.  Newcome,"  was  the 
answer.  "  But  what  has  happened,  lately,  to  give  a  new 
aspect  to  the  affair?" 

''We're  gaining  strength  among  the  politicians.  Both 
sides  are  beginning  to  court  us,  and  the  *  spirit  of  the  in- 
stitutions '  will  shortly  make  itself  respected." 

"  I  am  delighted  to  hear  that !  It  is  in  the  intention  of 
the  institutions  to  repress  covetousness,  and  uncharitable- 
ness,  and  all  frauds,  and  to  do  nothing  but  what  is  right," 
observed  Mr.  Warren. 

"  Ah  !  here  comes  my  friend  the  travelling  jeweller,"  said 
Seneca,  interrupting  the  clergyman,  in  order  to  salute  my 
uncle,  who  at  that  instant  showed  himself  in  the  door  of 
the  room,  cap  in  hand.  "Walk  in,  Mr.  Dafidson,  since 
that  is  your  name.  Rev.  Mr.  Warren — Miss  Mary  Warren 
— Miss  Opportunity  Newcome,  my  sister,  who  will  be  glad 
to  look  at  your  wares.  The  cars  will  be  detained  on  some 
special  business,  and  we  have  plenty  of  time  before  us." 

All  this  was  done  with  a  coolness  and  indifference  of 
manner  which  went  to  show  that  Seneca  had  no  scruples 
whatever  on  the  subject  of  whom  he  introduced  to  any  one. 
As  for  my  uncle,  accustomed  to  these  free  and  easy  man- 
ners, and  probably  not  absolutely  conscious  of  the  figure 
he  cut  in  his  disguise,  he  bowed  rather  too  much  like  a 
gentleman  for  one  of  his  present  calling,  though  my  pre- 
vious explanation  of  our  own  connection  and  fallen  fort- 
unes had  luckily  prepared  the  way  for  this  deportment. 

"  Come  in,  Mr.  Dafidson,  and  open  your  box — my  sister 
may  fancy  some  of  your  trinkets  ;  I  never  knew  a  girl  that 
didn't." 

The  imaginary  pedler  entered,  and  placed  his  box  on  a 


90  THE  REDSKINS. 

table  near  which  I  was  standing,  the  whole  party  imrnedi* 
ately  gathering  around  it.  My  presence  had  attracted  no 
particular  attention  from  either  Seneca  or  his  sister,  the 
room  being  public,  and  my  connection  with  the  vender  of 
trinkets  known.  In  the  meantime,  Seneca  was  too  full  of 
his  good  news  to  let  the  subject  drop  ;  while  the  watches, 
rings,  chains,  brooches,  bracelets,  etc.,  were  passed  under 
examination. 

"Yes,  Mr.  Warren,  I  trust  we  are  about  to  have  a  com- 
plete development  of  the  spirit  of  our  institutions,  and  that 
in  futur'  there  will  be  no  privileged  classes  in  New  York, 
at  least." 

"  The  last  will  certainly  be  a  great  gain,  sir,"  the  divine 
coldly  answered.  "  Hitherto,  those  who  have  most  sup- 
pressed the  truth,  and  who  have  most  contributed  to  the 
circulation  of  flattering  falsehoods,  have  had  undue  advan- 
tages in  America." 

Seneca,  obviously  enough,  did  not  like  this  sentiment ; 
but  I  thought,  by  his  manner,  that  he  was  somewhat  ac- 
customed to  meeting  with  such  rebuffs  from  Mr.  Warren. 

"  I  suppose  you  will  admit  there  are  privileged  classes 
now  among  us,  Mr.  Warren  ?" 

"  I  am  ready  enough  to  allow  that,  sir  ;  it  is  too  plain  to 
be  denied." 

"Wa-all,  I  should  like  to  hear  you  p'int  'em  out ;  that  I 
might  see  if  we  agree  in  our  sentiments." 

"  Demagogues  are  a  highly  privileged  class.  The  editors 
of  newspapers  are  another  highly  privileged  class  ;  doing 
things,  daily  and  hourly,  which  set  all  law  and  justice  at 
defiance,  and  invading,  with  perfect  impunity  the  most 
precious  rights  of  their  fellow-citizens.  The  power  of  both 
is  enormous  ;  and,  as  in  all  cases  of  great  and  irresponsible 
power,  both  enormously  abuse  it." 

"  Wa-all,  that's  not  rny  way  of  thinking  at  all.  In  my 
judgment,  the  privileged  classes  in  this  country  are  your 
patroons  and  your  landlords  ;  men  that's  not  satisfied  with 
a  reasonable  quantity  of  land,  but  who  wish  to  hold  more 
than  the  rest  of  their  fellow-creatur's." 

"  I  am  not  aware  of  a  single  privilege  that  any  patroon 
— of  whom,  by  the  way,  there  no  longer  exists  one,  except 
in  name — or  any  landlord,  possesses  over  any  one  of  his 
fellow-citizens." 

"Do  you  call  it  no  privilege  for  a  man  to  hold  all  the 
land  that  may  happen  to  be  in  a  township  ?  I  call  that 
a  great  privilege  ;  and  such  as  no  man  should  have  in  a 


THE  REDSKINS.  9! 

free  country.  Other  people  want  land  as  well  as  your  Van 
Rensselaers  and  Littlepages  ;  and  other  people  mean  to 
have  it,  too." 

"  On  that  principle,  every  man  who  owns  more  of  any 
one  thing  than  his  neighbor  is  privileged.  Even  I,  poor 
as  I  am,  and  am  believed  to  be,  am  privileged  over  you, 
Mr.  Newcome.  I  own  a  cassock,  and  have  two  gowns, 
one  old  and  one  new,  and  various  other  things  of  the  sort, 
of  which  you  have  not  one.  What  is  more,  I  am  privileged 
in  another  sense  ;  since  I  can  wear  my  cassock  and  gown, 
and  bands,  and  do  wear  them  often  ;  whereas  you  cannot 
wear  one  of  them  at  all  without  making  yourself  laughed 
at." 

"  Oh  !  but  them  are  not  privileges  I  care  anything  about ; 
if  I  did  I  would  put  on  the  things,  as  the  law  does  not  pro- 
hibit it." 

"  I  beg  your  pardon,  Mr.  Newcome  ;  the  law  does  pro- 
hibit you  from  wearing  my  cassock  and  gown  contrary  to 
my  wishes." 

"  Wa-all,  wa-all,  Mr.  Warren;  we  never  shall  quarrel 
about  that ;  I  don't  desire  to  wear  your  cassock  and 
gown." 

"  I  understand  you,  then  ;  it  is  only  the  things  that  you 
desire  to  use  that  you  deem  it  a  privilege  for  the  law  to 
leave  me." 

"  I  am  afraid  we  shall  never  agree,  Mr.  Warren,  about 
this  anti-rent  business  ;  and  I'm  very  sorry  for  it,  as  I  wish 
particularly  to  think  as  you  do,"  glancing  his  eye  most  pro- 
fanely toward  Mary  as  he  spoke.  "  I  am  for  the  move- 
ment-principle, while  you  are  too  much  for  the  stand-still 
doctrine." 

"  I  am  certainly  for  remaining  stationary,  Mr.  Newcome, 
if  progress  mean  taking  away  the  property  of  old  and  long- 
established  families  in  the  country,  to  give  it  to  those  whose 
names  are  not  to  be  found  in  our  history  ;  or,  indeed,  to 
give  it  to  any  but  those  to  whom  it  rightfully  belongs." 

"We  shall  never  agree,  my  dear  sir,  we  shall  never  agree  ;" 
then,  turning  toward  my  uncle  with  the  air  of  superiority 
that  the  vulgar  so  easily  assume — "  What  ^Q  you  say  to  all 
this,  friend  Dafidson — are  you  up-rent  or  down-rent  ? " 

"  Ja,  mynheer,"  was  the  quiet  answer  ;  "  I  always  downs 
mit  der  rent  vens  I  leave  a  house  or  a  garten.  It  is  goot 
to  pay  de  debts  ;  ja,  it  ist  herr  goot." 

This  answer  caused  the  clergyman  and  his  daughter  to 
smile,  while  Opportunity  laughed  outright, 


92  THE  REDSKINS. 

"  You  won't  make  much  of  your  Dutch  friend,  Sen," 
cried  this  buoyant  young  lady ;  "  he  says  you  ought  to  keep 
on  paying  rent  !  " 

"  I  apprehend  Mr.  Dafidson  does  not  exactly  understand 
the  case,"  answered  Seneca,  who  was  a  good  deal  discon- 
certed, but  was  bent  on  maintaining  his  point.  "  I  have 
understood  you  to  say  that  you  are  a  man  of  liberal  princi- 
ples, JVf r.  Dafidson,  and  that  you've  come  to  America  to 
enjoy  the  light  of  intelligence  and  the  benefits  of  a  free 
government." 

"  Ja  ;  ven  I  might  coome  to  America,  I  say,  veil,  dat  'tis 
a  goot  coontry,  vhere  an  honest  man  might  haf  vhat  he 
'arns,  ant  keep  it,  too.  Ja,  ja!  dat  ist  vhat  I  say,  and  vhat 
I  dinks." 

"  I  understand  you,  sir  ;  you  come  from  a  part  of  the 
world  where  the  nobles  eat  up  the  fat  of  the  land,  taking 
the  poor  man's  share  as  well  as  their  own,  to  live  in  a  coun- 
try where  the  law  is,  or  soon  will  be,  so  equal  that  no  citi- 
zen will  dare  to  talk  about  his  estates,  and  hurt  the  feelin's 
of  such  as  haven't  got  any." 

My  uncle  so  well  affected  an  innocent  perplexity  at  the 
drift  of  this  remark  as  to  make  me  smile,  in  spite  of  an 
effort  to  conceal  it.  Mary  Warren  saw  that  smile,  and  an- 
other glance  of  intelligence  was  exchanged  between  us  ; 
though  the  young  lady  immediately  withdrew  her  look,  a 
little  consciously  and  with  a  slight  blush. 

"  I  say  that  you  like  equal  laws  and  equal  privileges, 
friend  Dafidson,"  continued  Seneca,  with  emphasis  ;  "and 
that  you  have  seen  too  much  of  the  evils  of  nobility  and 
of  feudal  oppression  in  the  Old  World,  to  wish  to  fall  in 
with  them  in  the  New." 

"  Der  noples  ant  der  feudal  privileges  ist  no  goot,"  an- 
swered the  trinket-pedler,  shaking  his  head  with  an  ap- 
pearance of  great  distaste. 

"  Ay,  I  knew  it  would  be  so  ;  you  see,  Mr.  Warren,  no 
man  who  has  ever  lived  under  a  feudal  system  can  ever  feel 
otherwise." 

"But  what  have  we  to  do  with  feudal  systems,  Mr.  New- 
come  ?  and  what  is  there  in  common  between  the  landlords 
of  New  York  and  the  nobles  of  Europe,  and  between  their 
leases  and  feudal  tenures  ?  " 

"  What  is  there  ?  A  vast  deal  too  much,  sir,  take  my 
word  for  it.  Do  not  our  very  governors,  even  while  ruth- 
lessly  calling  on  one  citizen  to  murder  another  "- 

"  Nay,  nay,  Mr,  Newcome,"   interrupted  Mary  Warren, 


THE  REDSKINS.  93 

laughing,  "the  governors  call  on  the  citizens  not  to  murder 
each  other." 

"  I  understand  you,  Miss  Mary  ;  but  we  shall  make  anti- 
renters  of  you  both  before  we  are  done.  Surely,  sir,  there 
is  a  great  deal  too  much  resemblance  between  the  nobles 
of  Europe  and  our  landlords,  when  the  honest  and  freeborn 
tenants  of  the  last  are  obliged  to  pay  tribute  for  permission 
to  live  on  the  very  land  that  they  till,  and  which  they  cause 
to  bring  forth  its  increase." 

"  But  men  who  are  not  noble  let  their  lands  in  Europe  ; 
nay,  the  very  serfs,  as  they  become  free  and  obtain  riches, 
buy  lands  and  let  them,  in  some  parts  of  the  old  world,  as 
I  have  heard  and  read." 

"  All  feudal,  sir.  The  whole  system  is  pernicious  and 
feudal,  serf  or  no  serf." 

"  But,  Mr.  Newcome,"  said  Mary  Warren,  quietly, 
thougTi  with  a  sort  of  demure  irony  in  her  manner  that 
said  she  was  not  without  humor  and  understood  herself 
very  well,  "  even  you  let  your  land — land  that  you  lease, 
too,  and  which  you  do  not  own,  except  as  you  hire  it  from 
Mr.  Littlepage." 

Seneca  gave  a  hem,  and  was  evidently  disconcerted  ; 
but  he  had  too  much  of  the  game  of  the  true  progressive 
movement — which  merely  means  to  lead  in  changes,  though 
they  may  lead  to  the  devil — to  give  the  matter  up.  Re- 
peating the  hem,  more  to  clear  his  brain  than  to  clear  his 
throat,  he  hit  upon  his  answer,  and  brought  it  out  with 
something  very  like  triumph. 

"  That  is  one  of  the  evils  of  the  present  system,  Miss 
Mary.  Did  I  own  the  two  or  three  fields  you  mean,  and 
to  attend  to  which  I  have  no  leisure,  I  might  sell  them  ; 
but  now  it  is  impossible,  since  I  can  give  no  deed.  The 
instant  my  poor  uncle  dies — and  he  can't  survive  a  week, 
being,  as  you  must  know,  nearly  gone — the  whole  prop- 
erty," mills,  taverns,  farms,  timber-lot  and  all,  fall  in  to 
young  Hugh  Littlepage,  who  is  off  frolicking  in  Europe, 
doing  no  good  to  himself  or  others,  I'll  venture  to  say,  if 
the  truth  were  known.  That  is  another  of  the  hardships 
of  the  feudal  system  ;  it  enables  one  man  to  travel  in 
idleness,  wasting  his  substance  in  foreign  lands,  while  it 
keeps  another  at  home,  at  the  plough-handles  and  the 
cart-tail." 

"  And  wrhy  do  you  suppose  Mr.  Hugh  Littlepage  wastes 
his  substance,  and  is  doing  himself  and  country  no  good, 
in  foreign  lands,  Mr.  Newcome  ?  That  is  not  at  all  the. 


94  THE  REDSKINS. 

character  I  hear  of  him,  nor  is  it  the  result  that  I  expect 
to  see  from  his  travels." 

"  The  money  he  spends  in  Europe  might  do  a  vast  deal 
of  good  at  Ravensnest,  sir." 

"  For  my  part,  my  dear  sir,"  put  in  Mary  again,  in  her 
quiet  but  pungent  way,  "  I  think  it  remarkable  that  neither 
of  our  late  governors  has  seen  fit  to  enumerate  the  factt, 
just  mentioned  by  Mr.  Newcome  among  those  that  are 
opposed  to  the  spirit  of  the  institutions.  It  is,  indeed,  a 
great  hardship  that  Mr.  Seneca  Newcome  cannot  sell  Mr. 
Hugh  Littlepage's  land." 

"  I  complain  less  of  that,"  cried  Seneca,  a  little  hastily, 
"  than  of  the  circumstance  that  all  my  rights  in  the  property 
must  go  with  the  death  of  my  uncle.  That,  at  least,  even 
you,  Miss  Mary,  must  admit  is  a  great  hardship." 

"  If  your  uncle  were  unexpectedly  to  revive,  and  live 
twenty  years,  Mr.  Newcome  " — 

"  No,  no,  Miss  Mary,"  answered  Seneca,  shaking  his 
head  in  a  melancholy  manner ;  that  is  absolutely  impossi- 
ble. It  would  not  surprise  me  to  find  him  dead  and  buried 
on  our  return." 

"  But,  admit  that  you  may  be  mistaken,  and  that  your 
lease  should  continue — you  would  still  have  a  rent  to 
pay?" 

"  Of  that  I  wouldn't  complain  in  the  least.  If  Mr.  Dun- 
ning, Littlepage's  agent,  will  just  promise,  in  as  much  as 
half  a  sentence,  that  we  can  get  a  new  lease  on  the  old 
terms,  I'd  not  say  a  syllable  about  it." 

"  Well,  here  is  one  proof  that  the  system  has  its  advan- 
tages !  "  exclaimed  Mr.  Warren,  cheerfully.  "  I'm  delighted 
to  hear  you  say  this  ;  for  it  is  something  to  have  a  class  of 
men  among  us  whose  simple  promises,  in  a  matter  of  money, 
have  so  much  value  !  It  is  to  be  hoped  that  their  example 
will  not  be  lost." 

"  Mr.  Newcome  has  made  an  admission  I  am  also  glad 
to  hear,"  added  Mary,  as  soon  as  her  father  had  done 
speaking.  "  His  willingness  to  accept  a  new  lease  on  the 
old  terms  is  a  proof  that  he  has  been  living  under  a  good 
bargain  for  himself  hitherto,  and  that  down  to  the  present 
moment  he  has  been  the  obliged  party." 

This  was  very  simply  said,  but  it  bothered  Seneca 
amazingly.  As  for  myself,  I  was  delighted  with  it,  and 
could  have  kissed  the  pretty,  arch  creature  who  had  just 
uttered  the  remark  ;  though  I  will  own  that  as  much  might 
have  been  done  without  any  great  reluctance,  had  she 


THE  REDSKINS.  95 

even  held  her  tongue.  As  for  Seneca,  he  did  what  most 
men  are  apt  to  do  when  they  have  the  consciousness  of 
not  appearing  particularly  well  in  a  given  point  of  view  | 
he  endeavored  to  present  himself  to  the  eyes  of  his  com- 
panions  in  another. 

"  There  is  one  thing,  Mr.  Warren,  that  I  think  you  will 
admit  ought  not  to  be,"  he  cried,  exulting,  "  whatever  Miss 
Mary  thinks  about  it  ;  and  that  is,  that  the  Littlepage  pe\V 
in  your  church  ought  to  come  down." 

"  I  will  not  say  that  much,  Mr.  Newcome,  though  I 
rather  think  my  daughter  will.  I  believe,  my  dear,  you 
are  of  Mr.  Newco/ne's  way  of  thinking  in  respect  to  this 
canopied  pew,  and  also  in  respect  to  the  61d  hatchments  ?" 

"  I  wish  neither  was  in  the  church,"  answered  Mary,  in 
a  low  voice. 

From  that  moment  I  was  fully  resolved  neither  should 
be,  as  soon  as  I  got  into  a  situation  to  control  the  matter. 

"  In  that  I  agree  with  you  entirely,  my  child,"  resumed 
the  clergyman  ;  "and  were  it  not  for  this  movement  con- 
nected  with  the  rents,  and  the  false-  principles  that  have 
been  so  boldly  announced  of  late  years,  I  might  have  taken 
on  myself  the  authority,  as  rector,  to  remove  the  hatch- 
ments. Even  according  to  the  laws  connected  with  the  use 
of  such  things,  they  should  have  been  taken  away  a  gener- 
ation or  two  back.  As  to  the  pew,  it  is  a  different  matter. 
It  is  private  property  ;  was  constructed  with  the  church, 
which  was  built  itself  by  the  joint  liberality  of  the  Little- 
pages  and  mother  Trinity  ;  and  it  would  be  a  most  un- 
gracious act  to  undertake  to  destroy  it  under  such  circum- 
stances, and  more  especially  in  the  absence  of  its  owner." 

"You  agree,  however,  that  it  ought  not  to  be  there?" 
asked  Seneca,  with  exultation. 

"  I  wish  with  all  my  heart  it  were  not.  I  dislike  every- 
thing like  worldly  distinction  in  the  house  of  God  ;  and 
heraldic  emblems,  in  particular,  seem  to  be  very  much  out 
of  place  where  the  cross  is  seen  to  be  in  its  proper  place." 

"Wa-all  now,  Mr.  Warren,  I  can't  say  I  much  fancy 
crosses  about  churches  either.  What's  the  use  in  raising 
vain  distinctions  of  any  sort.  A  church  is  but  a  house, 
after  all,  and  ought  so  to  be  regarded." 

"True,"  said  Mary,  firmly  ;  "but  the  house  of  God." 

"  Yes,  yes,  we  all  know,  Miss  Mary,  that  you  Episco. 
palians  look  more  at  outward  things,  and  more  respect 
outward  things,  than  most  of  the  other  denominations  of 
the  country." 


96  THE  REDSA'ftfS. 

"  Do  you  call  leases  'outward  things/  Mr.  Newcome  ?* 
asked  Mary,  archly  ;  "  and  contracts,  and  bargains,  and 
promises,  and  the  rights  of  property,  and  the  obligation  to 
*  do  as  you  would  be  done  by  ? '  ' 

"  Law !  good  folks,"  cried  Opportunity,  who  had  been 
all  this  time  tumbling  over  the  trinkets,  "  I  wish  it  was 
'down  with  the  rent'  for  ever,  with  all  my  heart;  and 
that  not  another  word  might  ever  be  said  on  the  subject. 
Here  is  one  of  the  prettiest  pencils,  Mary,  I  ever  did  see  ; 
and  its  price  is  only  four  dollars.  I  wish,  Sen,  you'd  let 
the  rent  alone,  and  make  me  a  present  of  this  very  pencil." 

As  this  was  an  act  of  which  Seneca  nVI  not  the  least  in- 
tention of  being  guilty,  he  merely  shifted  his  hat  from  one 
side  of  his  head  to  the  other,  began  to  whistle,  and  then  he 
coolly  left  the  room.  My  uncle  Ro  profited  by  the  occa- 
sion to  beg  Miss  Opportunity  would  do  him  the  honor  to 
accept  the  pencil  as  an  offering  from  himself. 

"You  an't  surely  in  earnest!"  exclaimed  Opportunity, 
flushing  up  with  surprise  and  pleasure.  "Why,  you  told 
me  the  price  was  four  dollars,  and  even  that  seems  to  me 
desperate  little  ! " 

"  Dat  ist  de  price  to  anudder,"  said  the  gallant  trinket- 
dealer  ;  "but  dat  ist  not  de  price  to  you,  Miss  Opportunity. 
Ve  shall  trafel  togedder;  ant  vhen  ve  gets  to  your  coontry 
you  vill  dell  me  de  best  houses  vhere  I  might  go  mit  my 
vatches  ant  drinkets." 

"That  I  will ;  and  get  you  in  at  the  Nest  house,  in  the 
bargain,"  cried  Opportunity,  pocketing  the  pencil  without 
further  parley. 

In  the  meantime  my  uncle  selected  a  very  neat  seal,  the 
handsomest  he  had,  being  of  pure  metal,  and  having  a  real 
topaz  in  it,  and  offered  it  to  Mary  Warren,  with  his  best 
bow.  I  watched  the  clergyman's  daughter  with  anxiety, 
as  I  witnessed  the  progress  of  this  galanterte,  doubting  and 
hoping  at  each  change  of  the  ingenuous  and  beautiful 
countenance  of  her  to  whom  the  offering  was  made.  Mary 
colored,  smiled,  seemed  embarrassed,  and,  as  I  feared,  for 
a  single  moment  doubting.;  but  I  must  have  been  mis- 
taken, as  she  drew  back,  and,  in  the  sweetest  manner  pos- 
sible, declined  to  accept  the  present.  I  saw  that  Oppor- 
tunity's having  just  adopted  a  different  course  added  very 
much  to  her  embarrassment,  as  otherwise  she  might  have 
said  something  to  lessen  the  seeming  ungraciousness  of 
the  refusal.  Luckily  for  herself,  however,  she  had  a  gen- 
tleman to  deal  with,  instead  of  one  in  the  station  that  my 


THE  REDSKINS.  97 

uncle  Ro  had  voluntarily  assumed.  When  this  offering 
was  made,  the  pretended  pedler  was  ignorant  altogether 
of  the  true  characters  of  the  clergyman  and  his  daughter, 
no':  even  knowing  that  he  saw  the  rector  of  St.  Andrew's, 
Ravensnest.  But  the  manner  of  Mary  at  once  disabused 
him  of  an  error  into  which  he  had  fallen  through  her  asso- 
ciation with  Opportunity,  and  he  now  drew  back  himself 
with  perfect  tact,  bowing  and  apologizing  in  a  way  that  I 
thought  must  certainly  betray  his  disguise.  It  did  not, 
however ;  for  Mr.  Warren,  with  a  smile  that  denoted 
equally  satisfaction  at  his  daughter's  conduct  and  a 
grateful  sense  of  the  other's  intended  liberality,  but  with 
a  simplicity  that  was  of  proof,  turned  to  me  and  begged 
a  tune  on  the  flute,  which  I  had  drawn  from  my  pocket 
and  was  holding  in  my  hand,  as  expecting  some  such  in- 
vitation. 

If  I  have  any  accomplishment,  it  is  connected  with 
music  ;  and  particularly  with  the  management  of  the  flute. 
On  this  occasion  I  was  not  at  all  backward  about  showing 
off,  and  I  executed  two  or  three  airs,  from  the  best  masters, 
with  as  much  care  as  if  I  had  been  playing  to  a  salon  in 
one  of  the  best  quarters  of  Paris.  I  could  see  that  Mary 
and  her  father  were  both  surprised  at  the  execution,  and 
that  the  first  was  delighted.  We  had  a  most  agreeable 
quarter  of  an  hour  together  ;  and  might  have  had  two,  had 
not  Opportunity — who  was  certainly  well  named,  being 
apropos  of  everything — begun  of  her  own  accord  to  sing, 
though  not  without  inviting  Mary  to  join  her.  As  the  lat- 
ter declined  this  public  exhibition,  as  well  as  my  uncle  Ro's 
offering,  Seneca's  sister  had  it  all  to  herself ;  and  she  sang 
no  less  than  three  songs,  in  quick  succession,  and  alto- 
gether unasked.  I  shall  not  stop  to  characterize  the  music 
or  the  words  of  these  songs,  any  further  than  to  say  they 
were  all,  more  or  less,  of  the  Jim  Crow  school,  and  exe- 
cuted in  a  way  that  did  them  ample  justice. 

As  it  was  understood  that  we  were  all  to  travel  in  the 
same  train,  the  interview  lasted  until  we  were  ready  to  pro- 
ceed ;  nor  did  it  absolutely  terminate  then.  As  Mary  and 
Opportunity  sat  together,  Mr.  Warren  asked  me  to  share 
his  seat,  regardless  of  the  hurdy-gurdy  ;  though  my  attire, 
in  addition  to  its  being  perfectly  new  and  neat,  was  by  no 
means  of  the  mean  character  that  it  is  usual  to  see  adorn- 
ing street-music  in  general.  On  the  whole,  so  long  as  the 
instrument  was  not  en  evidence,  I  might  not  have  seemed 
very  much  out  of  place  seated  at  Mr.  Warren's  side.  IF 


98  THE  REDSX1NS. 

this  manner  we  proceeded  to  Saratoga,  my  uncle  keeping 
up  a  private  discourse  the  whole  way,  with  Seneca,  on 
matters  connected  with  the  rent  movement. 

As  for  the  divine  and  myself,  we  had  also  much  inter- 
esting talk  together.  I  was  questioned  about  Europe  in 
general,  and  Germany  in  particular  ;  and  had  reason  to 
think  my  answers  gave  surprise  as  well  as  satisfaction.  It 
was  not  an  easy  matter  to  preserve  the  Doric  of  my  as- 
sumed dialect,  though  practice  and  fear  contributed  their 
share  to  render  me  content  to  resort  to  it.  I  made  many 
mistakes,  of  course,  but  my  listeners  were  not  the  persons 
to  discover  them.  I  say  my  listeners,  for  I  soon  ascertained 
that  Mary  Warren,  who  sat  on  the  seat  directly  before  us, 
was  a  profoundly  attentive  listener  to  all  that  passed.  This 
circumstance  did  not  render  me  the  less  communicative, 
though  it  did  increase  the  desire  I  felt  to  render  what  I 
said  worthy  of  such  a  listener.  As  for  Opportunity,  she 
read  a  newspaper  a  little  while,  munched  an  apple  a  very 
little  while,  and  slept  the  rest  of  the  way.  But  the  journey 
between  modern  Troy  and  Saratoga  is  not  a  long  one,  and 
was  soon  accomplished. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

"I  will  tell  you; 

If  you'll  bestow  a  small  (of  what  you  have  little), 
Patience,  a  while,  you'll  hear  the  belly's  answer." 

— Menenius  Agrippa. 

AT  the  springs  we  parted,  Mr.  Warren  and  his  friends 
finding  a  conveyance,  with  their  own  horses,  in  readiness 
to  carry  them  the  remainder  of  the  distance.  As  for  my 
uncle  and  myself,  it  was  understood  that  we  were  to  get 
on  in  the  best  manner  we  could,  it  being  expected  that  we 
should  reach  Ravensnest  in  the  course  of  a  day  or  two. 
According  to  the  theory  of  our  new  business,  we  ought  to 
travel  on  foot,  but  we  had  a  reservation  in  petto  that  prom- 
ised  us  also  the  relief  of  a  comfortable  wagon  of  some  sort 
or  other. 

"Well,"  said  my  uncle,  the  moment  we  had  got  far 
enough  from  our  new  acquaintance  to  be  out  of  ear-shot, 
"  I  must  say  one  thing  in  behalf  of  Mr.  Seneky,  as  he  calls 
himself,  or  Sen,  as  his  elegant  sister  calls  him,  and  that  is, 


THE   REDSKIN'S.  99 

that  I  believe  him  to  be  one  of  the  biggest  scoundrels  the 
State  holds." 

"  This  is  not  drawing  his  character  en  beau"  I  answered, 
laughing.  "  But  why  do  you  come  out  so  decidedly  upon 
him  at  this  particular  moment  ?" 

"Because  this  particular  moment  happens  to  be  the  first 
in  which  I  have  had  an  opportunity  to  say  anything  since 
I  have  known  the  rascal.  You  must  have  remarked  that 
the  fellow  held  me  in  discourse  from  the  time  we  left  Troy 
until  we  stopped  here." 

"  Certainly ;  I  could  see  that  his  tongue  was  in  motion 
unceasingly  ;  what  he  said,  I  have  to  conjecture." 

"  He  said  enough  to  lay  bare  his  whole  character.  Our 
subject  was  anti-rent,  which  he  commenced  with  a  view  to 
explain  it  to  a  foreigner  ;  but  I  managed  to  lead  him  on, 
step  by  step,  until  he  let  me  into  all  his  notions  and  expec- 
tations on  the  subject.  Why,  Hugh,  the  villain  actually 
proposed  that  you  and  I  should  enlist,  and  turn  ourselves 
into  two  of  the  rascally  mock  redskins." 

"  Enlist !  Do  they  still  persevere  so  far  as  to  keep  up 
that  organization,  in  the  very  teeth  of  the  late  law?" 

"  The  law  !  What  do  two  or  three  thousand  voters  care 
for  any  penal  law,  in  a  country  like  this  ?  Who  is  to  en- 
force the  law  against  them  ?  Did  they  commit  murder,  and 
were  they  even  convicted,  as  might  happen  under  the  ex- 
citement of  such  a  crime,  they  very  well  know  nobody 
would  be  hanged.  Honesty  is  always  too  passive  in  mat- 
ters that  do  not  immediately  press  on  its  direct  interests. 
It  is  for  the  interest  of  every  honest  man  in  the  State  to  set 
his  face  against  this  anti-rent  movement,  and  to  do  all  he 
can,  by  his  vote  and  influence,  to  put  it  down  into  the  dirt, 
out  of  which  it  sprang,  and  into  which  it  should  be  crushed  ; 
but  not  one  in  a  hundred,  even  of  those  who  condemn  it 
toto  ccelo,  will  go  a  foot  out  of  their  way  even  to  impede  its 
progress.  All  depends  on  those  who  have  the  power  ;  and 
they  will  exert  that  power  so  as  to  conciliate  the  active 
rogue,  rather  than  protect  the  honest  man.  You  are  to 
remember  that  the  laws  are  executed  here  on  the  prin- 
ciple that  'what  is  everybody's  business  is  nobody's  busi- 
ness.' " 

"You  surely  do  not  believe  that  the  authorities  will  wink 
a/"  an  open  violation  of  the  laws !  " 

"That  will  depend  on  the  characters  of  individuals; 
most  will,  but  some  will  not.  You  and  I  would  be  pun* 
ished  soon  enough,  were  there  a  chance,  but  the  mass 


TOO  THE   REDSKINS. 

would  escape.  Oh  !  we  have  had  some  precious  disclosures 
in  our  corner  of  the  car!  The  two  or  three  men  who 
joined  Newcome  are  from  anti-rent  districts,  and,  seeing 
me  with  their  friend,  little  reserve  has  been  practised. 
One  of  those  men  is  an  anti-rent  lecturer ;  and,  being 
somewhat  didactic,  he  favored  me  with  some  of  his  argu- 
ments, seriatim" 

"  How  !  Have  they  got  to  lectures  ?  I  should  have  sup- 
posed the  newspapers  would  have  been  the  means  of  cir- 
culating their  ideas." 

"  Oh,  the  newspapers,  like  hogs  swimming  too  freely, 
have  cut  their  own  throats  ;  and  it  seems  to  be  fashionable, 
just  at  this  moment,  not  to  believe  them.  Lecturing  is  the 
great  moral  lever  of  the  nation  at  present." 

"But  a  man  can  lie  in  a  lecture,  as  well  as  in  a  news- 
paper." 

"  Out  of  all  question  ;  and  if  many  of  the  lecturers  are 
of  the  school  of  this  Mr.  Holmes — 'Lecturer  Holmes,'  as 
Seneca  called  him — but,  if  many  are  of  his  school,  a  pretty 
set  of  liberty-takers  with  the  truth  must  they  be." 

"You  detected  him,  then,  in  some  of  these  liberties?" 

"  In  a  hundred  :  nothing  was  easier  than  for  a  man  in 
my  situation  to  do  that ;  knowing,  as  I  did,  so  much  of  the 
history  of  the  land-titles  of  the  State.  One  of  his  argu- 
ments partakes  so  largely  of  the  weak  side  of  our  system, 
that  I  must  give  it  to  you.  He  spoke  of  the  gravity  of  the 
disturbances — of  the  importance  to  the  peace  and  char- 
acter of  the  State  of  putting  an  end  to  them  ;  and  then,  by 
way  of  corollary  to  his  proposition,  produced  a  scheme  for 
changing  the  titles,  IN  ORDER  TO  SATISFY  THE  PEOPLE  !  " 

"  The  people,  of  course,  meaning  the  tenants  ;  the  land- 
lords and  their  rights  passing  for  nothing." 

"  That  is  one  beautiful  feature  of  the  morality — an  eye, 
or  a  cheek,  if  you  will — but  here  is  the  nose,  and  highly 
Roman  it  is.  A  certain  portion  of  the  community  wish  to 
get  rid  of  the  obligations  of  their  contracts  ;  and  finding  it 
cannot  be  done  by  law,  they  resort  to  means  that  are  op- 
posed to  all  law  in  order  to  effect  their  purposes.  Public 
law-breakers,  violators  of  the  public  peace,  they  make  use 
of  their  own  wrong  as  an  argument  for  perpetuating  an- 
other that  can  be  perpetuated  in  no  other  way.  I  have 
been  looking  over  some  of  the  papers  containing  procla- 
mations, etc.,  and  find  that  both  law-makers  and  law* 
breakers  are  of  one  mind  as  to  this  charming  policy.  With- 
out  a  single  manly  effort  to  put  down  the  atrocious  wrong 


THE   REDSKItfS.  loj 

that  is  meditated,  the  existence  of  the  wrong  itself  is  made 
an  argument  for  meeting  it  with  concessions,  and  thus  sus- 
taining it.  Instead  of  using  the  means  the  institutions 
have  provided  for  putting  down  all  such  unjust  and  illegal 
combinations,  the  combinations  are  a  sufficient  reason  of 
themselves  why  the  laws  should  be  altered,  and  wr-ong  be 
done  to  a  few,  in  order  that  many  may  be  propitiated,  and 
their  votes  secured." 

"  This  is  reasoning  that  can  be  used  only  where  real 
grievances  exist  But  there  are  no  real  grievances  in  the 
case  of  the  tenants.  They  may  mystify  weak  heads  in  the 
instance  of  the  manor  leases,  with  their  quarter-sales,  fat 
hens,  loads  of  wood,  and  days'  works  ;  but  my  leases  are 
all  on  three  lives,  with  rent  payable  in  money,  and  with 
none  of  the  conditions  that  are  called  feudal,  though  no 
more  feudal  than  any  other  bargain  to  pay  articles  in  kind. 
One  might  just  as  well  call  a  bargain  made  by  a  butcher,  to 
deliver  pork  for  a  series  of  years,  feudal.  However,  feudal 
or  not,  my  leases,  and  those  of  most  other  landlords,  are 
running  on  lives  ;  and  yet,  by  what  I  can  learn,  the  dis- 
content is  general  ;  and  the  men  who  have  solemnly  bar- 
gained to  give  up  their  farms  at  the  expiration  of  their 
lives  are  just  as  warm  for  the  '  down  rent'  and  titles  in  fee 
as  the  manor  tenants  themselves  !  They  say  that  the  obli- 
gations given  for  actual  purchases  are  beginning  to  be 
discredited." 

"  You  are  quite  right ;  and  there  is  one  of  the  frauds 
practised  on  the  world  at  large.  In  the  public  documents 
only  the  manor  leases,  with  their  pretended  feudal  cove- 
nants, and  their  perpetuity,  are  kept  in  view,  while  the 
combination  goes  to  all  leases,  or  nearly  all,  and  certainly 
to  all  sorts  of  leases,  where  the  estates  are  of  sufficient  ex- 
tent to  allow  of  the  tenants  to  make  head  against  the  land- 
lords. I  dare  say  there  are  hundreds  of  tenants,  even  on 
the  property  of  the  Rensselaers,  who  are  honest  enough 
to  be  willing  to  comply  with  their  contracts  if  the  con- 
spirators would  let  them  ;  but  the  rapacious  spirit  is  abroad 
among  the  occupants  of  other  lands,  as  well  as  among  the 
occupants  of  theirs,  and  the  government  considers  its  ex- 
istence a  proof  that  concessions  should  be  made.  The  dis- 
contented must  be  appeased,  right  or  not !  " 

"  Did  Seneca  say  anything  on  the  subject  of  his  own  in- 
terests ? " 

"  He  did  ;  not  so  much  in  conversation  with  me  as  in 
the  discourse  he  held  with  'Lecturer  Holmes.'  I  listened 


102  THE  REDSKINS. 

attentively,  happening  to  be  familiar,  through  tradition 
and  through  personal  knowledge,  with  all  the  leading  facts 
of  the  case.  As  you  will  soon  be  called  on  to  act  in  that 
matter  for  yourself,  I  may  as  well  relate  them  to  you.  They 
will  serve,  also,  as  guides  to  the  moral  merits  of  the  occu- 
pation of  half  the  farms  on  your  estate.  These  are  things, 
moreover,  you  would  never  know  by  public  statements, 
since  all  the  good  bargains  are  smothered  in  silence,  while 
those  that  may  possibly  have  been  a  little  unfavorable  to 
the  tenant  are  proclaimed  far  and  near.  It  is  quite  possi- 
ble that,  among  the  many  thousands  of  leased  farms  that 
are  to  be  found  in  the  State,  some  bad  bargains  may  have 
been  made  by  the  tenants  ;  but  what  sort  of  a  government 
is  that  which  should  undertake  to  redress  evils  of  this 
nature  ?  If  either  of  the  Rensselaers,  or  you  yourself, 
\vere  to  venture  to  send  a  memorial  to  the  Legislature  set- 
ting forth  the  grievances  you  labor  under  in  connection 
with  this  very  'mill-lot' — and  serious  losses  do  they  bring 
to  you,  let  me  tell  you,  though  grievances,  in  the  proper 
sense  of  the  term,  they  are  not — you  and  your  memorial 
would  be  met  with  a  general  and  merited  shout  of  ridicule 
and  derision.  One  man  has  no  rights,  as  opposed  to  a 
dozen." 

"So  much  difference  is  there  between  ' de  la  Rochefou- 
cauld et  de  la  Rochefoucauld'  " 

11  All  the  difference  in  the  world  ;  but  let  me  give  you 
the  facts,  for  they  will  serve  as  a  rule  by  which  to  judge 
of  many  others.  In  the  first  place,  my  great-grandfather 
Mordaunt,  the  'patentee,'  as  he  was  called,  first  let  the 
mill-lot  to  the  grandfather  of  this  Seneca,  the  tenant  then 
being  quite  a  young  man.  In  order  to  obtain  settlers,  in 
that  early  day,  it  was  necessary  to  give  them  great  advan- 
tages, for  there  was  vastly  more  land  than  there  were  peo- 
ple to  work  it.  The  first  lease,  therefore,  was  granted  on 
highly  advantageous  terms  to  that  Jason  Newcornej  whom 
I  can  just  remember.  He  had  two  characters;  the  one, 
and  the  true,  which  set  him  down  as  a  covetous,  envious, 
narrow-minded  provincial,  who  was  full  of  cant  and 
roguery.  Some  traditions  exist  among  us  of  his  having 
been  detected  in  stealing  timber,  and  in  various  other 
frauds.  In  public  he  is  one  of  those  virtuous  and  hard- 
working pioneers  who  have  transmitted  to  their  descend- 
ants all  their  claims,  those  that  are  supposed  to  be  moral, 
as  well  as  those  that  are  known  to  be  legal.  This  flum- 
mery may  do  for  elderly  ladies,  who  affect  snuff  and 


THE   REDSKINS.  103 

bohea,  and  for  some  men  who  have  minds  of  the  same 
calibre,  but  they  are  not  circumstances  to  influence  such 
legislators  and  executives  as  are  fit  to  be  legislators  and 
executives.  Not  a  great  while  before  my  father's  mar- 
riage, the  said  Jason  still  living  and  in  possession,  the 
lease  expired,  and  a  new  one  was  granted  for  three  lives, 
or  twenty-one  years  certain,  of  which  one  of  the  lives  is 
still  running.  That  lease  was  granted,  on  terms  highly 
favorable  to  the  tenant,  sixty  years  since  ;  old  Newcome, 
luckily  for  himself  and  his  posterity,  having  named  this 
long-lived  son  as  one  of  his  three  lives.  Now  Seneky, 
God  bless  him  !  is  known  to  lease  a  few  of  the  lots  that  have 
fallen  to  his  share  of  the  property  for  more  money  than  is 
required  to  meet  all  your  rent  on  the  whole.  Such,  in  effect, 
has  been  the  fact  with  that  mill-lot  for  the  last  thirty  years, 
or  even  longer  ;  and  the  circumstance  of  the  great  length 
of  time  so  excellent  a  bargain  has  existed,  is  used  as  an 
argument  why  the  Newcomes  ought  to  have  a  deed  of  the 
property  for  a  nominal  price  ;  or,  indeed,  for  no  price  at 
all,  if  the  tenants  could  have  their  wishes." 

"  I  am  afraid  there  is  nothing  unnatural  in  thus  pervert- 
ing principles  ;  half  mankind  appear  to  me  really  to  get  a 
great  many  of  their  notions  dessus dessous" 

"  Half  is  a  small  proportion  ;  as  you  will  find,  my  boy, 
when  you  grow  older.  But  was  it  not  an  impudent  pro- 
posal of  Seneca,  when  he  wished  you  and  me  to  join  the 
corps  of  '  Injins  ?' >: 

"What  answer  did  you  make?  Though  I  suppose  it 
would  hardly  do  for  us  to  go  disguised  and  armed,  now 
that  the  law  makes  it  a  felony,  even  while  our  motive  at 
the  bottom  might  be  to  aid  the  law." 

"  Catch  me  at  that  act  of  folly  !  Why,  Hugh,  could  they 
prove  such  a  crime  on  either  of  KS,  or  any  one  connected 
with  an  old  landed  family,  we  should  be  the  certain  victims. 
No  governor  would  dare  pardon  us.  No,  no  ;  clemency  is 
a  word  reserved  for  the  obvious  and  confirmed  rogues." 

"  We  might  get  a  little  favor  on  the  score  of  belonging 
to  a  very  powerful  body  of  offenders." 

"  True,  I  forgot  that  circumstance.  The  more  numerous 
the  crimes  and  the  criminals,  the  greater  the  probability  of 
impunity  ;  and  this,  too,  not  on  the  general  principle  that 
power  cannot  be  resisted,  but  on  the  particular  principle 
that  a  thousand  or  two  votes  are  of  vast  importance,  where 
three  thousand  can  turn  an  election.  God  only  knows 
where  this  thing  is  to  end  !  " 


104  THE   REDSKINS. 

We  now  approached  one  of  the  humbler  taverns  of  the 
place,  where  it  was  necessary  for  those  of  our  apparent 
pretensions  to  seek  lodgings,  and  the  discourse  was 
dropped.  It  was  several  weeks  too  early  in  the  season  for 
the  springs  to  be  frequented,  and  we  found  only  a  few  of 
those  in  the  place  who  drank  the  waters  because  they 
really  required  them.  My  uncle  had  been  an  old  stager  at 
Saratoga— a  beau  of  the  "purest  water/'  as  he  laugh- 
ingly described  himself — and  he  was  enabled  to  explain  all 
that  was  necessary  for  me  to  know.  An  American  water- 
ing-place, however,  is  so  very  much  inferior  to  most  of 
those  in  Europe,  as  to  furnish  very  little,  in  their  best  mo- 
ments, beyond  the  human  beings  they  contain,  to  attract 
the  attention  of  the  traveller. 

In  the  course  of  the  afternoon  we  availed  ourselves  of 
the  opportunity  of  a  return  vehicle  to  go  as  far  as  Sandy 
Hill,  where  we  passed  the  night.  The  next  morning, 
bright  and  early,  we  got  into  a  hired  wagon  and  drove 
across  the  country  until  near  night,  when  we  paid  for  our 
passage,  sent  the  vehicle  back,  and  sought  a  tavern.  At 
this  house,  where  we  passed  the  night,  we  heard  a  good 
deal  of  the  "  Injins"  having  made  their  appearance  on  the 
Littlepage  lands,  and  many  conjectures  as  to  the  probable 
result.  We  were  in  a  township,  or  rather  on  a  property, 
that  was  called  Mooseridge,  and  which  had  once  belonged 
to  us,  but  which,  having  been  sold,  and  in  a  great  measure 
paid  for  by  the  occupants,  no  one  thought  of  impairing 
the  force  of  the  covenants  under  which  the  parties  held. 
The  most  trivial  observer  will  soon  discover  that  it  is  only 
when  something  is  to  be  gained  that  the  aggrieved  citizen 
wishes  to  disturb  a  covenant.  Now,  I  never  heard  any- 
one say  a  syllable  against  either  of  the  covenants  of  his 
lease  under  which  he  held  his  farm,  let  him  be  ever  so 
loud  against  those  which  would  shortly  compel  him  to 
give  it  up  !  Had  I  complained  of  the  fact — and  such 
facts  abounded — that  my  predecessors  had  incautiously 
let  farms  at  such  low  prices  that  the  lessees  had  been  ena- 
bled to  pay  the  rents  for  half  a  century  by  subletting 
small  portions  of  them,  as  my  uncle  Ro  had  intimated,  I 
should  be  pointed  at  as  a  fool.  ''Stick  to  your  bond  " 
would  have  been  the  cry,  and  "  Shylock  "  would  have  been, 
forgotten.  I  do  not  say  that  there  is  not  a  vast  difference 
between  the  means  of  acquiring  intelligence,  the  culti- 
vation, the  manners,  the  social  conditions,  and,  in  some 
senses,  the  social  obligations  of  an  affluent  landlord  and  a 


THK   REDSKINS.  105 

really  hard-working,  honest,  well-intentioned  husbandman, 
his  tenant — differences  that  should  dispose  the  liberal  and 
cultivated  gentleman  to  bear  in  mind  the  advantages  he 
has  perhaps  inherited,  and  not  acquired  by  his  own  means, 
in  such  a  way  as  to  render  him,  in  a  certain  degree,  the 
repository  of  the  interests  of  those  who  hold  him  ;  but, 
while  I  admit  all  this,  and  say  that  the  community  which 
does  not  possess  such  a  class  of  men  is  to  be  pitied,  as  it 
loses  one  of  the  most  certain  means  of  liberalizing  and 
enlarging  its  notions,  and  of  improving  its  civilization,  I 
am  far  from  thinking  that  the  men  of  this  class  are  to  have 
their  real  superiority  of  position,  with  its  consequences, 
thrown  into  their  faces  only  when  they  are  expected  to 
give,  while  they  are  grudgingly  denied  it  on  all  other  oc- 
casions !  There  is  nothing  so  likely  to  advance  the  hab- 
its, opinions,  and  true  interests  of  a  rural  population,  as 
to  have  them  all  directed  by  the  intelligence  and  com- 
bined interests  that  ought  to  mark  the  connection  be- 
tween landlord  and  tenant.  It  may  do  for  one  class  of 
political  economists  to  prate  about  a  state  of  things  which 
supposes  every  husbandman  a  freeholder,  and  rich  enough 
to  maintain  his  level  among  the  other  freeholders  of  the 
State.  But  we  all  know  that  as  many  minute  gradations 
in  means  must  and  do  exist  in  a  community,  as  there  exist 
gradations  in  characters.  A  majority  soon  will,  in  the  nat- 
ure of  things,  be  below  the  level  of  the  freeholder,  and  by 
destroying  the  system  of  having  landlords  and  tenants 
two  great  evils  are  created — the  one  preventing  men  of 
large  fortunes  from  investing  in  lands,  as  no  man  will 
place  his  money  where  it  will  be  insecure  or  profitless, 
thereby  cutting  off  real  estate  generally  from  the  benefits 
that  might  be  and  would  be  conferred  by  their  capital,  as 
well  as  cutting  it  off  from  the  benefits  of  the  increased  price 
which  arise  from  having  such  buyers  in  the  market ;  and 
the  other  is,  to  prevent  any  man  from  being  a  husband- 
man who  has  not  the  money  necessary  to  purchase  a 
farm.  But  they  who  want  farms  now,  and  they  who  will 
want  votes  next  November,  do  not  look  quite  so  far  ahead 
as  that ;  while  shouting  "  equal  rights,"  they  are,  in  fact, 
for  preventing  the  poor  husbandman  from  being  anything 
but  a  day-laborer. 

We  obtained  tolerably  decent  lodging  at  our  inn,  though 
the  profoundest  patriot  America  possesses,  if  he  know  any* 
thing  of  other  countries,  or  of  the  best  materials  of  his 
own,  cannot  say  much  in  favor  of  the  sleeping  arrange- 


io6  THE  REDSKINS. 

ments  of  an  ordinary  country  inn.  The  same  money  and 
the  same  trouble  would  render  that  which  is  now  the  very 
beau  ideal  of  discomfort,  at  least  tolerable,  and  in  many 
instances  good.  But  who  is  to  produce  this  reform  ?  Ac- 
cording to  the  opinions  circulated  among  us,  the  humblest 
hamlet  we  have  has  already  attained  the  highest  point  of 
civilization ;  and  as  for  the  people,  without  distinction  of 
classes,  it  is  universally  admitted  that  they  are  the  best 
educated,  the  acutest,  and  the  most  intelligent  in  Christen- 
dom;— no,  I  must  correct  myself;  they  are  all  this,  except 
when  they  are  in  the  act  of  leasing  lands,  and  then  the  in- 
nocent and  illiterate  husbandmen  are  the  victims  of  the 
arts  of  designing  landlords,  the  wretches  !* 

We  passed  an  hour  on  the  piazza,  after  eating  our  sup- 
per, and  there  being  a  collection  of  men  assembled  there, 
inhabitants  of  the  hamlet,  we  had  an  opportunity  to  get 
into  communication  with  them.  My  uncle  sold  a  watch, 
and  I  played  on  the  hurdy-gurdy,  by  way  of  making  myself 
popular.  After  this  beginning,  the  discourse  turned  on  the 
engrossing  subject  of  the  day,  anti-rentism.  The  principal 
speaker  was  a  young  man  about  six-and-twenty,  of  a  sort 
of  shabby-genteel  air  and  appearance,  whom  I  soon  dis- 
covered to  be  the  attorney  of  the  neighborhood.  His  name 
was  Hubbard,  while  that  of  the  other  principal  speaker 
was  Hall.  The  last  was  a  mechanic,  as  I  ascertained,  and 
was  a  plain-looking  working-man  of  middle  age.  Each  of 

*  Mr.  Hugh  Littlepage  writes  a  little  sharply,  but  there  is  truth  in  all  he 
says,  at  the  bottom.  His  tone  is  probably  produced  by  the  fact  that  there 
is  so  serious  an  attempt  to  deprive  him  of  his  old  paternal  estate,  an  at- 
tempt which  is  receiving  support  in  high  quarters.  In  addition  to  this 
provocation,  the  Littlepages,  as  the  manuscript  shows  farther  on,  are  tra- 
duced, as  one  means  of  effecting  the  objects  of  the  anti-renters  ;  no  man, 
in  any  community  in  which  it  is  necessary  to  work  on  public  sentiment  in 
order  to  accomplish  such  a  purpose,  ever  being  wronged  without  being 
calumniated.  As  respects  the  inns,  truth  compels  me,  as  an  old  traveller, 
to  say  that  Mr.  Littlepage  has  much  reason  for  what  he  says.  I  have  met 
with  a  better  bed  in  the  lowest  French  tavern  I  ever  was  compelled  to  use, 
and  in  one  instance  I  slept  in  an  inn  frequented  by  carters,  than  in  the 
best  purely  country  inn  in  America.  In  the  way  of  neatness,  however, 
more  is  usually  to  be  found  in  our  New  York  village  taverns  than  in  the 
public  hotels  of  Paris  itself.  As  for  the  hit  touching  the  intelligence  of 
the  people,  it  is  merited  ;  for  I  have  myself  heard  subtle  distinctions 
drawn  to  show  that  the  "people"  of  a  former  generation  were  not  as 
knowing  as  the  "people"  of  this,  and  imputing  the  covenants  of  the  older 
leases  to  that  circumstance,  instead  of  imputing  them  to  their  true  cause, 
the  opinions  and  practices  of  the  times.  Half  a  century's  experience  would 
induce  me  to  say  that  the  "people"  were  never  particularly  dull  in  mak- 
ing a  bargain. — EDITOR. 


THE  REDSKINS.  107 

these  persons  seated  himself  on  a  common  "  kitchen  chair," 
leaning  back  against  the  side  of  the  house,  and,  of  course, 
resting  on  the  two  hind-legs  of  the  rickety  support,  while 
he  placed  his  own  feet  on  the  rounds  in  front.  The  atti- 
tudes were  neither  graceful  nor  picturesque,  but  they  were 
so  entirely  common  as  to  excite  no  surprise.  As  for  Hall, 
he  appeared  perfectly  contented  with  his  situation,  after 
fidgeting  a  little  to  get  the  two  supporting  legs  of  his  chair 
just  where  he  wanted  them  ;  but  Hubbard's  eye  was  rest- 
less, uneasy,  and  even  menacing,  for  more  than  a  minute. 
He  drew  a  knife  from  his  pocket — a  small,  neat  penknife 
only,  it  is  true — gazed  a  little  wildly  about  him,  and  just  as 
I  thought  he  intended  to  abandon  his  nicely  poised  chair, 
and  to  make  an  assault  on  one  of  the  pillars  that  upheld 
the  roof  of  the  piazza,  the  innkeeper  advanced,  holding 
in  his  hand  several  narrow  slips  of  pine  board,  one  of  which 
he  offered  at  once  to  'Squire  Hubbard.  This  relieved  the 
attorney,  who  took  the  wood,  and  was  soon  deeply  plunged 
in,  to  me,  the  unknown  delights  of  whittling.  I  cannot  ex- 
plain the  mysterious  pleasure  that  so  many  find  in  whit- 
tling, though  the  prevalence  of  the  custom  is  so  well 
known.  But  I  cannot  explain  the  pleasure  so  many  find 
in  chewing  tobacco,  or  in  smoking.  The  precaution  of  the 
landlord  was  far  from  being  unnecessary,  and  appeared  to 
be  taken  in  good  part  by  all  to  whom  he  offered  "  whit- 
tling-pieces,"  some  six  or  eight  in  the  whole.  The  state  of 
the  piazza,  indeed,  proved  that  the  precaution  was  abso- 
lutely indispensable,  if  he  did  not  wish  to  see  the  house 
come  tumbling  down  about  his  head.  In  order  that  those 
who  have  never  seen  such  things  may  understand  their  use, 
I  will  go  a  little  out  of  the  way  to  explain. 

The  inn  was  of  wood,  a  hemlock  frame  with  a  "siding" 
of  clapboards.  In  this  there  was  nothing  remarkable, 
many  countries  of  Europe,  even,  still  building  principally 
of  wood.  Houses  of  lath  and  plaster  were  quite  common, 
until  within  a  few  years,  even  in  large  towns.  I  remember 
to  have  seen  some  of  these  constructions  while  in  London, 
in  close  connection  with  the  justly  celebrated  Westminster 
Hall  ;  and  of  such  materials  is  the  much-talked  of  minia- 
ture castle  of  Horace  Walpole,  at  Strawberry  Hill.  But  the 
inn  of  Mooseridge  had  some  pretensions  to  architecture, 
besides  being  three  or  four  times  larger  than  any  other 
house  in  the  place.  A  piazza,  it  enjoyed,  of  course  ;  it 
must  be  a  pitiful  village  inn  that  does  not  ;  and  building, 
accessories  and  all,  rejoiced  in  several  coats  of  a  spurious 


loS  THE  RKDSKIXS. 

white  lead.  The  columns  of  this  piazza,  as  well  as  the 
clapboards  of  the  house  itself,  however,  exhibited  the 
proofs  of  the  danger  of  abandoning  your  true  whittler 
to  his  own  instincts.  Spread-eagles,  five-points,  Ameri- 
can flags,  huzzas  for  Polk !  the  initials  of  names,  and 
names  at  full  length,  with  various  other  similar  conceits, 
records,  and  ebullitions  of  patriotic  or  party-otic  feelings, 
were  scattered  up  and  down  with  an  affluence  that  said 
volumes  in  favor  of  the  mint  in  which  they  had  been 
coined.  But  the  most  remarkable  memorial  of  the  industry 
of  the  guests  was  to  be  found  on  one  of  the  columns  ;  and 
it  was  one  at  a  corner,  too,  and  consequently  of  double 
importance  to  the  superstructure — unless,  indeed,  the 
house  were  built  on  that  well-known  principle  of  Ameri- 
can architecture  of  the  last  century,  which  made  the  ar- 
chitrave uphold  the  pillar,  instead  of  the  pillar  the  ar- 
chitrave. The  column  in  question  was  of  white  pine,  as 
usual — though  latterly,  in  brick  edifices,  bricks  and  stucco 
are  much  resorted  to — and,  at  a  convenient  height  for  the 
whittlers,  it  was  literally  cut  two-thirds  in  two.  The  gash 
was  very  neatly  made — that  much  must  be  said  for  it — in- 
dicating skill  and  attention  ;  and  the  surfaces  of  the  wound 
were  smoothed  in  a  manner  to  prove  that  appearances 
were  not  neglected. 

"  Vat  do  das  ? "  I  asked  of  the  landlord,  pointing  to  this 
gaping  wound  in  the  main  column  of  his  piazza. 

"  That !  Oh  !  That's  only  the  whittlers,"  answered  the 
host,  with  a  good-natured  smile. 

Assuredly  the  Americans  are  the  best-natured  people  on 
earth  !  Here  was  a  man  whose  house  was  nearly  tumbling 
down  about  his  ears — always  bating  the  principle  in  archi- 
tecture just  named — and  he  could  smile  as  Nero  may  be 
supposed  to  have  done  when  fiddling  over  the  conflagration 
of  Rome. 

"  But  vhv  might  de  vhittler  vhittle  down  your  house  ?" 

"  Oh  !  this  is  a.  free  country,  you  know,  and  folks  do 
pretty  much  as  they  like  in  it,"  returned  the  still  smiling 
host.  "  I  let  'em  cut  away  as  long  as  I  dared,  but  it  was 
high  time  to  get  out  *  whittling-pieces,'  I  believe  you  must 
own.  It's  best  always  to  keep  a  ruff  (roof)  over  a  man's 
head,  to  be  ready  for  bad  weather.  A  week  longer  would 
have  had  the  column  in  two." 

"  Veil,  I  dinks  I  might  not  bear  dat  !  Vhat  ist  mein 
house  ist  mein  house,  ant  dey  shall  not  so  moch  vittles." 

"  By  letting  'em  so  much  vittles  there,  they  so  much  vit- 


THE   REDSKINS.  109 

ties  in  the  kitchen  ;  so  you  see  there  is  policy  in  having 
your  underpinnin'  knocked  away  sometimes,  if  it's  done 
by  the  right  sort  of  folks." 

"You're  a  stranger  in  these  parts,  friend?"  observed 
Hubbard,  complacently,  for  by  this  time  his  "  whittling- 
piece  "  was  reduced  to  a  shape,  and  he  could  go  on  reduc- 
ing it,  according  to  some  law  of  the  art  of  whittling  with 
which  I  am  not  acquainted.  "  We  are  not  so  particular  in 
such  matters  as  in  some  of  your  countries  in  the  old  world." 

"  Ja — das  I  can  see.  But  does  not  woot  ant  column  cost 
money  in  America,  someding  ? " 

"To  be  sure  it  does.  There  is  not  a  man  in  the  country 
who  would  undertake  to  replace  that  pillar  with  a  new 
one,  paint  and  all,  for  less  than  ten  dollars." 

This  was  an  opening  for  a  discussion  on  the  probable 
cost  of  putting  a  new  pillar  into  the  place  of  the  one  that 
was  injured.  Opinions  differed,  and  quite  a  dozen  spoke 
on  the  subject  ;  some  placing  the  expense  as  high  as  fifteen 
dollars,  and  others  bringing  it  down  as  low  as  five.  I  was 
struck  with  the  quiet  and  self-possession  with  which  each 
man  delivered  his  opinion,  as  well  as  with  the  language 
used.  The  accent  was  uniformly  provincial,  that  of  Hub- 
bard  included,  having  a  strong  and  unpleasant  taint  of  the 
dialect  of  New  England  in  it ;  and  some  of  the  expressions 
savored  a  little  of  the  stilts  of  the  newspapers  ;  but,  on  the 
whole,  the  language  was  sufficiently  accurate  and  surpris- 
ingly good,  considering  the  class  in  life  of  the  speakers, 
The  conjectures,  too,  manifested  great  shrewdness  and  fa- 
miliarity with  practical  things,  as  well  as,  in  a  few  instances, 
some  reading.  Hall,  however,  actually  surprised  me.  He 
spoke  with  a  precision  and  knowledge  of  mechanics  that 
would  have  done  credit  to  a  scholar,  and  with  a  simplicity 
that  added  to  the  influence  of  what  he  said.  Some  casual 
remark  induced  me  to  put  in — "Veil,  I  might  s'pose  an 
Injin  voult  cut  so  das  column,  but  I  might  not  s'pose  a 
vhite  man  could."  This  opinion  gave  the  discourse  a  di- 
rection toward  anti-rentis-m,  and  in  a  few  minutes  it  caught 
all  the  attention  of  my  uncle  Ro  and  myself. 

"  This  business  is  going  ahead  after  all !  "  observed  Hub- 
bard,  evasively,  after  others  had  had  their  say. 

"  More's  the  pity,"  put  in  Hall.  "  It  might  have  been 
put  an  end  to  in  a  month,  at  any  time,  and  ought  to  be 
put  an  end  to  in  a  civilized  land." 

"You  will  own,  neighbor  Hall,  notwithstanding,  it  would 
be  a  great  improvement  in  the  condition  of  the  tenanti 


no  THE  REDSKINS. 

all  over  the  State,  could  they  change  their  tenures  into 
freeholds." 

"  No  doubt  'twould  ;  and  so  it  would  be  a  great  im- 
provement in  the  condition  of  my  journeyman  in  my  shop 
if  he  could  get  to  be  the  boss.  But  that  is  not  the  ques- 
tion here ;  the  question  is,  What  right  has  the  State  to  say 
any  man  shall  sell  his  property  unless  he  wishes  to  sell 
it  ?  A  pretty  sort  of  liberty  we  should  have  if  we  all 
held  our  houses  and  gardens  under  such  laws  as  that  sup- 
poses! " 

"  But  do  we  not  all  hold  our  houses  and  gardens,  and 
farms,  too,  by  some  such  law  ?  "  rejoined  the  attorney,  who 
evidently  respected  his  antagonist,  and  advanced  his  own 
opinions  cautiously.  "  If  the  public  wants  land  to  use,  it 
can  take  it  by  paying  for  it." 

"  Yes,  to  use  ;  but  use  is  everything.  I've  read  that  old 
report  of  the  committee  of  the  house,  and  don't  subscribe 
to  its  doctrines  at  all.  Public  'policy,'  in  that  sense, 
doesn't  at  all  mean  public  'use.'  If  land  is  wanted  for  a 
road,  or  a  fort,  or  a  canal,  it  must  be  taken,  under  a  law, 
by  appraisement,  or  the  thing  could  not  be  had  at  all;  but 
to  pretend,  because  one  side  to  a  contract  wishes  to  alter 
it,  that  th,e  State  has  a  right  to  interfere,  on  the  ground 
that  the  discontented  can  be  bought  off  in  this  way  easier 
and  cheaper  than  they  can  be  made  to  obey  the  laws,  is 
but  a  poor  way  of  supporting  the  right.  The  same  princi- 
ple, carried  out,  might  prove  it  would  be  easier  to  buy  off 
pickpockets  by  compromising  than  to  punish  them.  Or 
it  would  be  easy  to  get  round  all  sorts  of  contracts  in  this 
way." 

"  But  all  governments  use  this  power  when  it  becomes 
necessary,  neighbor  Hall." 

"  That  word  necessary  covers  a  great  deal  of  ground, 
'Squire  Hubbard.  The  most  that  can  be  made  of  the  ne- 
cessity here  is  to  say  it  is  cheaper,  and  may  help  along 
parties  to  their  objects  better.  No  man  doubts  that  the 
State  of  New  York  can  put  down  these  anti-renters  ;  and, 
I  trust,  w/7/put  them  down  so  far  as  force  is  concerned. 
There  is,  then,  no  other  necessity  in  the  case,  to  begin 
with,  than  the  necessity  which  demagogues  always  feel,  of 
getting  as  many  votes  as  they  can." 

"  After  all,  neighbor  Hall,  these  votes  are  pretty  power- 
ful weapons  in  a  popular  government." 

"  I'll  not  deny  that ;  and  now  they  talk  of  a  convention 
to  alter  the  constitution,  it  is  a  favorable  moment  to  teacK 


TITE  REDSKINS.  ill 

such  managers  they  shall  not  abuse  the  right  of  suffrage 
in  this  way." 

"  How  is  it  to  be  prevented  ?  You  are  a  universal  suf- 
frage man,  I  know  ? " 

"Yes,  I'm  for  universal  suffrage  among  honest  folks; 
but  do  not  wish  to  have  my  rulers  chosen  by  them  that  are 
never  satisfied  without  having  their  hands  in  their  neigh- 
bors' pockets.  Let  'em  put  a  clause  into  the  constitution 
providing  that  no  town,  or  village,  or  county,  shall  hold  a 
poll  within  a  given  time  after  the  execution  of  process 
has  been  openly  resisted  in  it.  That  would  take  the  con- 
ceit out  of  all  such  law-breakers  in  very  short  order." 

It  was  plain  that  this  idea  struck  the  listeners,  and  sev- 
eral even  avowed  their  approbation  of  the  scheme  aloud. 
Hubbard  received  it  as  a  new  thought,  but  was  more  re- 
luctant to  admit  its  practicability.  As  might  be  expected 
from  a  lawyer  accustomed  to  practice  in  a  small  way,  his 
objections  savored  more  of  narrow  views  than  of  the  no- 
tions of  a  statesman. 

"  How  would  you  determine  the  extent  of  the  district  to 
be  disfranchised  ?  "  he  asked, 

"  Take  the  legal  limits  as  they  stand.  If  process  be  re- 
sisted openly  by  a  combination  strong  enough  to  look  down 
the  agents  of  the  law  in  a  towrn,  disfranchise  that  town  for 
a  given  period  ;  if  in  more  than  one  town,  disfranchise 
the  offending  towns  ;  if  a  county,  disfranchise  the  whole 
county." 

"  But  in  that  way  you  would  punish  the  innocent  with 
the  guilty." 

"  It  would  be  for  the  good  of  all ;  besides,  you  punish 
the  innocent  for  the  guilty,  or  with  the  guilty  rather,  in  a. 
thousand  ways.  You  and  I  are  taxed  to  keep  drunkards 
from  starving,  because  it  is  better  to  do  that  than  to  offend 
humanity  by  seeing  men  die  of  hunger,  or  tempting  them 
to  steal.  When  you  declare  martial  law  you  punish  the 
innocent  with  the  guilty,  in  one  sense  ;  and  so  you  dp  in  a 
hundred  cases.  All  we  have  to  ask  is,  if  it  be  hot  wiser 
and  better  to  disarm  demagogues,  and  those  disturbers  of 
the  public  peace  who  wish  to  pervert  their  right  of  suffrage 
to  so  wicked  an  end,  by  so  simple  a  process,  than  to  suffer 
them  to  effect  their  purposes  by  the  most  flagrant  abuse  of 
their  political  privileges  ?" 

"  How  would  you  determine  when  a  town  should  lose  the 
right  of  voting  ?  " 

"  By  evidence  given  in  open  court.     The  judges  would 


ii2  THE   REDSKINS. 

be  the  proper  authority  to  decide  in  such  a  case  ;  and  they 
would  decide,  beyond  all  question,  nineteen  times  in  twenty, 
right.  It  is  the  interest  of  every  man  who  is  desirous  of 
exercising  the  suffrage  on  right  principles,  to  give  him 
some  such  protection  against  them  that  wish  to  exercise 
the  suffrage  on  wrong.  A  peace-officer  can  call  on  the 
posse  comitatus  or  on  the  people  to  aid  him  ;  if  enough  ap- 
pear to  put  down  the  rebels,  well  and  good  ;  but  if  enough 
do  not  appear,  let  it  be  taken  as  proof  that  the  district  is 
not  worthy  of  giving  the  votes  of  freemen.  They  who 
abuse  such  a  liberty  as  man  enjoys  in  this  country  are  the 
least  entitled  to  our  sympathies.  As  for  the  mode,  that 
could  easily  be  determined,  as  soon  as  you  settle  the  prin- 
ciple." 

The  discourse  went  on  for  an  hour,  neighbor  Hall  giv- 
ing his  opinions  still  more  at  large.  I  listened  equally 
with  pleasure  and  surprise.  "  These,  then,  after  all,"  I  said 
to  myself,  "  are  the  real  bone  and  sinew  of  the  country. 
There  are  tens  of  thousands  of  this  sort  of  men  in  the 
State,  and  why  should  they  be  domineered  over,  and  made 
to  submit  to  a  legislation  and  to  practices  that  are  so  often 
without  principle,  by  the  agents  of  the  worst  part  of  the 
community  ?  Will  the  honest  forever  be  so  passive,  while 
the  corrupt  and  dishonest  continue  so  active  ? "  On  my 
mentioning  these  notions  to  my  uncle,  he  answered  : 

"  Yes,  it  ever  has  been  so,  and,  I  fear,  ever  will  be  so. 
There  is  the  curse  of  this  country,"  pointing  to  a  table  cov- 
ered with  newspapers,  the  invariable  companion  of  an 
American  inn  of  any  size.  "  So  long  as  men  believe  what 
they  find  there,  they  can  be  nothing  but  dupes  or  knaves." 

"  But  there  is  good  in  newspapers." 

"  That  adds  to  the  curse.  If  they  were  nothing  but  lies, 
the  world  would  soon  reject  them  ;  but  how  few  are  able 
to  separate  the  true  from  the  false  !  Now,  how  few  of 
these  pages  speak  the  truth  about  this  very  anti-rentism ! 
Occasionally  an  honest  man  in  the  corps  does  come  out ; 
but  where  one  does  this,  ten  affect  to  think  what  they  do 
not  believe,  in  order  to  secure  votes — votes,  votes,  votes. 
In  that  simple  word  lies  all  the  mystery  of  the  matter." 

"  Jefferson  said,  if  he  were  to  choose  between  a  govern- 
ment without  newspapers,  or  newspapers  without  a  gov> 
ernment,  he  would  take  the  last." 

"  Ay,  Jefferson  did  not  mean  newspapers  as  they  are 
now.  I  am  old  enough  to  see  the  change  that  has  taken 
place.  In  his  day,  three  or  four  fairly  convicted  lies  would 


THE  REDSKINS.  113 

damn  any  editor  ;  now,  there  are  men  that  stand  up  under 
a  thousand.  I'll  tell  you  what,  Hugh,  this  country  is  jog- 
ging on  under  two  of  the  most  antagonist  systems  possible 
—Christianity  and  the  newspapers.  The  first  is  daily  ham- 
mering into  every  man  that  he  is  a  miserable,  frail,  good- 
for-nothing  being,  while  the  last  is  eternally  proclaiming 
the  perfection  of  the  people  and  the  virtues  of  self-govern- 
ment." 

"  Perhaps  too  much  stress  ought  not  to  be  laid  on  either." 
"The  first  is  certainly  true,  under  limitations  that  we  all 
understand  ;  but  as  to  the  last,  I  will  own  I  want  more 
evidence  than  a  newspaper  eulogy  to  believe  it." 

After  all,  my  uncle  Ro  is  sometimes  mistaken  ;  though 
candor  compels  me  to  acknowledge  that  he  is  very  often 
right. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

"  I  see  thee  still, 

Remembrance,  faithful  to  her  trust, 
Calls  thee  in  beauty  from  the  dust ; 
Thou  comest  in  the  morning  light, 
Thou'rt  with  me  through  the  gloomy  night ; 
In  dreams  I  meet  thee  as  of  old  : 
Then  thy  soft  arms  my  neck  enfold, 
And  thy  sweet  voice  is  in  my  ear  : 
In  every  sense  to  memory  dear 

I  see  thee  still. '' — SPRAGUE. 

IT  was  just  ten  in  the  morning  of  the  succeeding  day 
when  my  uncle  Ro  and  myself  came  in  sight  of  the  old 
house  at  the  Nest.  I  call  it  old,  for  a  dwelling  that  has 
stood  more  than  half  a  century  acquires  a  touch  of  the 
venerable,  in  a  country  like  America.  To  me  it  was  truly 
old,  the  building  having  stood  there,  where  I  then  saw  it, 
for  a  period  more  than  twice  as  long  as  that  of  my  own 
existence,  and  was  associated  with  all  my  early  ideas. 
From  childhood  I  had  regarded  that  place  as  my  future 
home,  as  it  had  been  the  home  of  my  parents  and  grand- 
parents, and,  in  one  sense,  of  those  who  had  gone  before 
them  for  two  generations  more.  The  whole  of  the  land 
in  sight — the  rich  bottoms,  then  waving  with  grass — the 
side-hills,  the  woods,  the  distant  mountains — the  orchards, 
dwellings,  barns,  and  all  the  other  accessories  of  rural  life 
that  appertained  to  the  soil,  were  mine,  and  had  thus  be- 


ii4  THE  REDSKINS. 

come  without  a  single  act  of  injustice  to  any  human  being, 
so  far  as  I  knew  and  believed.  Even  the  red  man  had 
been  fairly  bought  by  Herman  Mordaunt,  the  patentee, 
and  so  Susquesus,  the  Redskin  of  Ravensnest,  as  our  old 
Onondago  was  often  called,  had  ever  admitted  the  fact  to 
be.  It  was  natural  that  I  should  love  an  estate  thus  in- 
herited and  thus  situated.  No  CIVILIZED  MAN,  NO  MAN,  IN- 
DEED, SAVAGE  OR  NOT,  HAD  EVER  BEEN  THE  OWNER  OF  THOSE 
BROAD  ACRES,  BUT  THOSE  WHO  WERE  OF  MY  OWN  BLOOD.  This 

is  what  few  besides  Americans  can  say  ;  and  when  it  can  be 
said  truly,  in  parts  of  the  country  where  the  arts  of  life 
have  spread,  and  amid  the  blessings  of  civilization,  it  be- 
comes the  foundation  of  a  sentiment  so  profound,  that  I 
do  not  wonder  those  adventurers-errant  who  are  flying 
about  the  face  of  the  country,  thrusting  their  hands  into 
every  man's  mess,  have  not  been  able  to  find  it  among 
their  other  superficial  discoveries.  Nothing  can  be  less 
like  the  ordinary  cravings  of  avarice  than  the  feeling  that 
is  thus  engendered ;  and  I  am  certain  that  the  general 
tendency  of  such  an  influence  is  to  elevate  the  feelings  of 
him  who  experiences  it. 

And  there  were  men  among  us,  high  in  political  station 
—high  as  such  men  ever  can  get,  for  the  consequence  of 
having  such  rnen  in  power  is  to  draw  down  station  itself 
nearer  to  their  own  natural  level — but  men  in  power  had 
actually  laid  down  propositions  in  political  economy  which, 
if  carried  out,  would  cause  me  to  sell  all  that  estate,  reserv- 
ing, perhaps,  a  single  farm  for  my  own  use,  and  reinvest  the 
money  in  such  a  way  as  that  the  interest  I  obtained  might 
equal  my  present  income  !  It  is  true,  this  theory  was  not 
directly  applied  to  me,  as  my  farms  were  to  fall  in  by  the 
covenants  of  their  leases,  but  it  had  been  directly  applied 
to  Stephen  and  William  Van  Rensselaer,  and,  by  implica- 
tion, to  others  ;  and  my  turn  might  come  next.  What 
business  had  the  Rensselaers,  or  the  Livingstons,  or  the 
Hunters,  or  the  Littlepages,  or  the  Morgans,  or  the  Ver- 
plancks,  or  the  Wadsworths,  or  five  hundred  others  simi- 
larly placed,  to  entertain  "  sentiments  "  that  interfered  with 
"business,"  or  that  interfered  with  the  wishes  of  any  strag- 
gling Yankee  who  had  found  his  way  out  of  New  England, 
and  wanted  a  particular  farm  on  his  own  terms  ?  It  is 
aristocratic  to  put  sentiment  in  opposition  to  trade  ;  and 

TRADE  ITSELF  IS  NOT  TO  BE  TRADE  ANY  LONGER  THAN  ALL  THE 
PROFIT  IS  TO  BE  FOUND  ON  THE  SIDE  OF  NUMBERS.  Even  the 

principles  of  holy  trade  are  to  be  governed  by  majorities ! 


THE  REDSKINS.  tt$ 

Even  my  uncle  Ro,  who  never  owned  a  foot  of  the  prop- 
erty, could  not  look  at  it  without  emotion.  He  too  had 
been  born  there — had  passed  his  childhood  there — and 
loved  the  spot  without  a  particle  of  the  grovelling  feeling 
of  avarice.  He  took  pleasure  in  remembering  that  our 
race  had  been  the  only  owners  of  the  soil  on  which  he 
stood,  and  had  that  very  justifiable  pride  which  belongs  tc 
enduring  respectability  and  social  station. 

"Well,  Hugh,"  he  cried,  after  both  of  us  had  stood  gaz- 
ing at  the  gray  walls  of  the  good  and  substantial,  but  cer- 
tainly not  very  beautiful  dwelling,  "here  we  are,  and  we 
now  may  determine  on  what  is  next  to  be  done.  Shall  we 
march  down  to  the  village,  which  is  four  miles  distant,  you 
will  remember,  and  get  our  breakfasts  there  ?  shall  wre  try 
one  of  your  tenants  ?  or  shall  we  plunge  at  once  in  medial 
res,  and  ask  hospitality  of  my  mother  and  your  sister?" 

"  The  last  might  excite  suspicion,  I  fear,  sir.  Tar  and 
feathers  would  be  our  mildest  fate  did  we  fall  into  the 
hands  of  the  Injins." 

"Injins!  Why  not  go  at  once  to  the  wigwam  of  Sus- 
quesus,  and  get  out  of  him  and  Yop  the  history  of  the 
state  of  things.  I  heard  them  speaking  of  the  Onondago 
at  our  tavern  last  night,  and  while  they  said  he  was  gener- 
ally thought  to  be  much  more  than  a  hundred,  that  he  was 
still  like  a  man  of  eighty.  That  Indian  is  full  of  observa- 
tion, and  may  let  us  into  some  of  the  secrets  of  his  breth- 
ren." 

"They  can  at  least  give  us  the  news  from  the  family; 
and  though  it  might  seem  in  the  course  of  things  for  ped- 
lers  to  visit  the  Nest  house,  it  will  be  just  as  much  so  for 
them  to  halt  at  the  wigwam." 

This  consideration  decided  the  matter,  and  away  we  went 
toward  the  ravine  or  glen,  on  the  side  of  which  stood  the 
primitive-looking  hut  that  went  by  the  name  of  the  "wig- 
wam." The  house  was  a  small  cabin  of  logs,  neat  and 
warm,  or  cool,  as  the  season  demanded.  As  it  was  kept 
up,  and  was  whitewashed,  and  occasionally  furnished  anew 
by  the  landlord — the  odious  creature  !  he  who  paid  for  so 
many  similar  things  in  the  neighborhood — it  was  never 
unfit  to  be  seen,  though  never  of  a  very  alluring,  cottage- 
like  character.  There  was  a  garden,  and  it  had  been  prop- 
erly made  that  very  season,  the  negro  picking  and  pecking 
about  it,  during  the  summer,  in  a  way  to  coax  the  vege- 
tables and  fruits  on  a  little,  though  I  well  knew  that  the 
regular  weedings  came  from  an  assistant  at  the  Nest,  who 


n6  THE   REDSKINS. 

was  ordered  to  give  it  an  eye  and  an  occasional  half-day. 
On  one  side  of  the  hut  there  was  a  hog-pen  and  a  small 
stable  for  a  cow  ;  but  on  the  other  the  trees  of  the  virgin 
forest,  which  had  never  been  disturbed  in  that  glen,  over- 
shadowed the  roof.  This  somewhat  poetical  arrangement 
was  actually  the  consequence  of  a  compromise  between 
the  tenants  of  the  cabin,  the  negro  insisting  on  the  acces- 
sories of  his  rude  civilization,  while  the  Indian  required 
the  shades  of  the  woods  to  reconcile  him  to  his  position. 
Here  had  these  two  singularly  associated  beings — the  one 
deriving  his  descent  from  the  debased  races  of  Africa,  and 
the  other  from  the  fierce  but  lofty-minded  aboriginal  in- 
habitant of  this  continent — dwelt  for  nearly  the  whole 
period  of  an  ordinary  human  life.  The  cabin  itself  began 
to  look  really  ancient,  while  those  who  dwelt  in  it  had 
little  altered  within  the  memory  of  man  !  Such  instances 
of  longevity,  whatever  theorists  may  say  on  the  subject, 
are  not  unfrequent  among  either  the  blacks  or  the  "  na- 
tives," though  probably  less  so  among  the  last  than  among 
the  first,  and  still  less  so  among  the  first  of  the  northern 
than  of  the  southern  sections  of  the  republic.  It  is  com- 
mon to  say  that  the  great  age  so  often  attributed  to  the 
people  of  these  two  races  is  owing  to  ignorance  of  the 
periods  of  their  births,  and  that  they  do  not  live  longer 
than  the  whites.  This  may  be  true,  in  the  main,  for  a 
white  man  is  known  to  have  died  at  no  great  distance 
from  Ravensnest,  within  the  last  five-and-twenty  years,  who 
numbered  more  than  his  six-score  of  years  ;  but  aged  ne- 
groes and  aged  Indians  are  nevertheless  so  common,  when 
the  smallness  of  their  whole  numbers  is  remembered,  as 
to  render  the  fact  apparent  to  most  of  those  who  have  seen 
much  of  their  respective  people. 

There  was  no  highway  in  the  vicinity  of  the  wigwam,  for 
so  the  cabin  was  generally  called,  though  wigwam,  in  the 
strict  meaning  of  the  word,  it  was  not.  As  the  little  build- 
ing stood  in  the  grounds  of  the  Nest  house,  which  contain 
two  hundred  acres,  a  bit  of  virgin  forest  included,  and  ex- 
clusively of  the  fields  that  belonged  to  the  adjacent  farm, 
it  was  approached  only  by  foot-paths,  of  which  several  led 
to  and  from  it,  and  by  one  narrow,  winding  carriage-road, 
which,  in  passing  for  miles  through  the  grounds,  had  been 
led  near  the  hut,  in  order  to  enable  my  grandmother  and 
sister,  and,  I  dare  say,  my  dear  departed  mother,  while  she 
lived,  to  make  their  calls  in  their  frequent  airings.  By  this 
sweeping  road  we  approached  the  cabin. 


THE  REDSKINS.  117 

"  There  are  the  two  old  fellows,  sunning  themselves 
this  fine  day  !  "  exclaimed  my  uncle,  with  something  like  a 
tremor  in  his  voice,  as  we  drew  near  enough  to  the  hut  to 
distinguish  objects.  "  Hugh,  I  never  see  these  men  with- 
out a  feeling  of  awe,  as  well  as  of  affection.  They  were 
the  friends,  and  one  was  the  slave  of  my  grandfather  ;  and 
as  long  as  I  can  remember,  have  they  been  aged  men  ! 
They  seem  to  be  set  up  here  as  monuments  of  the  past,  to 
connect  the  generations  that  are  gone  with  those  that  are 
to  come." 

"If  so,  sir,  they  will  soon  be  all  there  is  of  their  sort.  It 
really  seems  to  me  that,  if  things  continue  much  longer  in 
their  present  direction,  men  will  begin  to  grow  jealous  and 
envious  of  history  itself,  because  its  actors  have  left  de- 
scendants to  participate  in  any  little  credit  they  may  have 
gained." 

"Beyond  all  contradiction,  boy,  there  is  a  strange  per- 
version of  the  old  and  natural  sentiments  on  this  head 
among  us.  But  you  must  bear  in  mind  the  fact,  that  of 
the  two  millions  and  a  half  the  State  contains,  not  half  a 
million,  probably,  possess  any  of  the  true  York  blood,  and 
can  consequently  feel  any  of  the  sentiments  connected 
with  the  birthplace  and  the  older  traditions  of  the  very 
society  in  which  they  live.  A  great  deal  must  be  attrib- 
uted to  the  facts  of  our  condition  ;  though  I  admit  those 
facts  need  not,  and  ought  not  to  unsettle  principles.  But 
look  at  those  two  old  fellows  !  There  they  are,  true  to  the 
feelings  and  habits  of  their  races,  even  after  passing  so  long 
a  time  together  in  this  hut.  There  squats  Susquesus  on  a 
stone,  idle  and  disdaining  work,  with  his  rifle  leaning 
against  the  apple-tree  ;  while  Jaaf — or  Yop,  as  I  believe  it 
is  better  to  call  him — is  pecking  about  in  the  garden,  still 
a  slave  at  his  work,  in  fancy  at  least." 

"  And  which  is  the  happiest,  sir — the  industrious  old 
man  or  the  idler  ?  " 

"  Probably  each  finds  most  happiness  in  indulging  his 
own  early  habits.  The  Onondago  never  would  work,  how- 
ever, and  I  have  heard  my  father  say,  great  was  his  happi- 
ness when  he  found  he  was  to  pass  the  remainder  of  his 
day  in  otium  cum  dignitate,  and  without  the  necessity  of 
making  baskets." 

"  Yop  is  looking  at  us  ;  had  we  not  better  go  up  at  once 
and  speak  to  them  ? " 

"Yop  may  stare  the  most  openly,  but  my  life  on  it  the 
Indian  sees  twice  as  much.  His  faculties  are  the  best,  to 


nS  THE  REDSKINS. 

begin  with  ;  and  he  is  a  man  of  extraordinary  and  char- 
acteristic observation.  In  his  best  days  nothing  ever  es- 
caped him.  As  you  say,  we  will  "approach." 

My  uncle  and  myself  then  consulted  on  the  expediency 
of  using  broken  English  with  these  two  old  men,  of  which, 
at  first,  we  saw  no  necessity ;  but  when  we  remembered 
that  others  might  join  us,  and  that  our  communication 
with  the  two  might  be  frequent  for  the  next  few  days,  we 
changed  our  minds,  and  determined  rigidly  to  observe  our 
incognitos. 

As  we  came  up  to  the  door  of  the  hut,  Jaaf  slowly  left 
his  little  garden  and  joined  the  Indian,  who  remained  im- 
movable and  unmoved  on  the  stone  which  served  him  for 
a  seat.  We  could  see  but  little  change  in  either  during- 
the  five  years  of  our  absence,  each  being  a  perfect  picture, 
in  his  way,  of  extreme  but  not  decrepit  old  age  in  the  men 
of  his  race.  Of  the  two,  the  black — if  black  he  could 
now  be  called,  his  color  being  a  muddy  gray — was  the 
most  altered,  though  that  seemed  scarcely  possible  when 
I  saw  him  last.  As  for  the  Trackless,  or  Susquesus,  as  he 
was  commonly  called,  his  temperance  throughout  a  long 
life  did  him  good  service,  and  his  half-naked  limbs  and 
skeleton-like  body,  for  he  wore  the  summer-dress  of  his 
people,  appeared  to  be  made  of  a  leather  long  steeped  in 
a  tannin  of  the  purest  quality.  His  sinews,  too,  though 
much  stiffened,  seemed  yet  to  be  of  whipcord,  and  his 
whole  frame  a  species  of  indurated  mummy  that  retained 
its  vitality.  The  color  of  the  skin  was  less  red  than  for- 
merly, and  more  closely  approached  to  that  of  the  negro, 
as  the  latter  now  was,  though  perceptibly  different. 

"  Sago — sago,"  cried  my  uncle,  as  we  came  quite  near, 
seeing  no  risk  in  using  that  familiar  semi-Indian  saluta- 
tion.* "  Sago,  sago,  dis  charmin'  mornin';  in  my  tongue, 
dat  might  \>s  guten  tag." 

*  The  editor  has  often  had  occasion  to  explain  the  meaning  of  terms  of 
this  nature.  The  colonists  caught  a  great  many  words  from  the  Indians 
they  fii'st  knew,  and  used  them  to  all  other  Indians,  though  not  belonging 
to  their  language ;  and  these  other  tribes  using  them  as  English,  a  sort  of 
limited  lingua  franca  has  grown  up  in  the  country  that  everybody  under- 
stands. It  is  believed  that  "moccason,''  "squaw,"  "pappoose,"  "sago,' 
"tomahawk,"  "wigwam,"  etc.,  etc.,  all  belong  to  this  class  of  words. 
There  can  be  little  doubt  that  the  sobriquet  of  "Yankees"  is  deiived  from 
"Yengees,"  the  manner  in  which  the  tribes  nearest  to  New  England  pro- 
nounced the  word  "  English."  It  is  to  this  hour  a  provincialism  of  that 
part  of  the  country  to  pronounce  this  word  ".AVz^-lish  "  instead  of  "  Ing- 
lish,"  its  conventional  sound.  The  change  from  "-fiVzg'-lish "  to  "K?»- 
gees"  is  *ery  trifling. — EDITOR. 


THE  REDSKINS.  it$ 

"  Sago,"  returned  the  Trackless,  in  his  deep,  guttural 
voice,  while  old  Yop  brought  two  lips  together  that  re- 
sembled thick  pieces  of  overdone  beefsteak,  fastened  his 
red-encircled  gummy  eyes  on  each  of  us  in  turn,  pouted 
once  more,  working  his  jaws  as  if  proud  of  the  excellent 
teeth  they  still  held,  and  said  nothing.  As  the  slave  of  a 
Littlepage,  he  held  pedlers  as  inferior  beings  ;  for  the 
ancient  negroes  of  New  York  ever  identified  themselves, 
more  or  less,  with  the  families  to  which  they  belonged, 
and  in  which  they  so  often  were  born.  "  Sago,"  repeated 
the  Indian  slowly,  courteously,  and  with  emphasis,  after 
he  had  looked  a  moment  longer  at  my  uncle,  as  if  he  saw 
something  about  him  to  command  respect. 

"  Dis  ist  charmin'  day,  frients,"  said  uncle  Ro,  placing 
himself  coolly  on  a  log  of  wood  that  had  been  hauled  for 
the  stove,  and  wiping  his  brow.  "  Vat  might  you  calls  dis 
coontry  ? " 

"  Dis  here  ? "  answered  Yop,  not  without  a  little  con- 
tempt. 4<  Dis  is  York  colony  ;  where  you  come  from  to  ask 
sich  a  question  ?  " 

"  Charmany.  Dat  ist  far  off,  but  a  goot  country  ;  ant 
dis  ist  goot  country,  too." 

"Why  you  leab  him,  den,  if  he  be  good  country,  eh  ? " 

<;  Vhy  you  leaf  Africa,  canst  you  dell  me  dat  ? "  retorted 
uncle  Ro,  somewhat  coolly. 

•  "  Nebber  was  dere,"  growled  old  Yop,  bringing  his  blub- 
ber lips  together  somewhat  in  the  manner  the  boar  works 
his  jaws  when  it  is  prudent  to  get  out  of  his  way.  "  I'm 
York-nigger  born,  and  nebber  seen  no  Africa  ;  and  nebber 
want  to  see  him,  nudder." 

It  is  scarcely  necessary  to  say  that  Jaaf  belonged  to  a 
school  by  which  the  term  of  "colored  gentleman"  was 
never  used.  The  men  of  his  time  and  stamp  called  them- 
selves "  niggers  ;"  and  ladies  and  gentlemen  of  that  age 
took  them  at  their  word,  and  called  them  "  niggers,"  too  ; 
a  word  that  no  one  of  the  race  ever  uses  now,  except  in 
the  way  of  reproach,  and  which,  by  one  of  the  singular 
workings  of  our  very  wayward  and  common  nature,  he  is 
more  apt  to  use  than  any  other,  when  reproach  is  intended. 

My  uncle  paused  a  moment  to  reflect  before  he  contin- 
ued a  discourse  that  had  not  appeared  to  commence  under 
very  flattering  auspices. 

"  Who  might  lif  in  dat  big  stone  house  ?  "  asked  uncle 
Ro,  as  soon  as  he  thought  the  negro  had  had  time  to  cooJ 
a  little. 


120  THE  REDSKINS. 

"  Anybody  can  see  you  no  Yorker,  by  dat  werry  speech," 
answered  Yop,  not  at  all  mollified  by  such  a  question. 
"  Who  should  lib  dere  but  Gin'ral  Littlepage  !  " 

"Veil,  I  dought  he  wast  dead,  long  ago." 

"  What  if  he  be  ?  It  is  his  house,  and  he  lib  in  it  ;  and 
ole yotwg  missus  lib  dere  too." 

Now,  there  had  been  three  generations  of  generals  among 
the  Littlepages,  counting  from  father  to  son.  First,  there 
had  been  Brigadier-General  Evans  Littlepage,  who  held 
that  rank  in  the  militia,  and  died  in  service  during  the  revo- 
lution. The  next  was  Brigadier- General  Cornelius  Little- 
page,  who  got  his  rank  by  brevet,  at  the  close  of  the  same 
war,  in  which  he  had  actually  figured  as  a  colonel  of  the 
New  York  line.  Third,  and  last,  was  my  own  grandfather, 
Major-General  Mordaunt  Littlepage  :  he  had  been  a  cap- 
tain in  his  father's  regiment  at  the  close  of  the  same  strug- 
gle, got  the  brevet  of  major  at  its  termination,  and  rose  to 
be  a  major-general  of  the  militia,  the  station  he  held  for 
many  years  before  he  died.  As  soon  as  the  privates  had 
the  power  to  elect  their  own  officers,  the  position  of  a 
major-general  in  the  militia  ceased  to  be  respectable,  and 
few  gentlemen  could  be  induced  to  serve.  As  might  have 
been  foreseen,  the  militia  itself  fell  into  general  contempt, 
where  it  now  is,  and  where  it  will  ever  remain  until  a  dif- 
ferent class  of  officers  shall  be  chosen.  The  people  can  do 
a  great  deal,  no  doubt,  but  they  cannot  make  a  "  silk  purse 
out  of  a  sow's  ear."  As  soon  as  officers  from  the  old 
classes  shall  be  appointed,  the  militia  will  come  up  ;  for  in 
no  interest  in  life  is  it  so  material  to  have  men  of  certain 
habits,  and  notions,  and  education,  in  authority,  as  in  those 
connected  with  the  military  service.  A  great  many  fine 
speeches  may  be  made,  and  much  patriotic  eulogy  ex- 
pended on  the  intrinsic  virtue  and  intelligence  of  the  peo- 
ple, and  divers  projects  entertained  to  make  "  citizen-sol- 
diers," as  they  are  called  ;  but  citizens  never  can  be,  and 
never  will  be  turned  into  soldiers  at  all,  good  or  bad, 
until  proper  officers  are  placed  over  them.  To  return  to 
Yop— 

"  Bray  vhat  might  be  de  age  of  das  laty  dat  you  callet 
olt  young  missus  ?  "  asked  my  uncle. 

"  Gosh  !  she  nutten  but  gal — born  some  time  just  a'ter 
old  French  war.  Remember  her  well  'nough  when  she 
Miss  Dus  Malbone.  Young  masser  Mordaunt  take  fancy 
to  her,  and  make  her  he  wife." 

"  Veil,  I  hopes  you  hafn't  any  objection  to  der  match?' 


THE   REDSKINS.  i2i 

"Not  I;  she  clebber  young  lady  den,  and  she  werry 
clebber  young  lady  now." 

And  this  of  my  venerable  grandmother,  who  had  fairly 
seen  her  fourscore  years  ! 

"Who  might  be  der  master  of  das  big  house  now  ? " 

"  Gin'ral  Littlepage,  doesn't  I  tell  ye  !  Masser  Mor- 
daunt's  name,  my  young  master.  Sus,  dere,  only  Injin  ;  he 
nebber  so  lucky  as  hab  a  good  master.  Niggers  gettin' 
scarce,  dey  tells  me,  nowadays,  in  dis  world  ! " 

"Injins,  too,  I  dinks  ;  dere  ist  no  more  redskins  might 
be  blenty." 

The  manner  in  which  the  Onoridago  raised  his  figure, 
and  the  look  he  fastened  on  my  uncle,  were  both  fine  and 
startling.  As  yet  he  had  said  nothing  beyond  the  saluta- 
tion ;  but  I  could  see  he  now  intended  to  speak. 

"  New  tribe,"  he  said,  after  regarding  us  for  half  a  min- 
ute intently  :  "  what  you  call  him — where  he  come  from  ?  " 

"  Ja,  ja — das  ist  der  anti-rent  redskins.  Haf  you  seen 
'em,  Trackless?" 

"  Sartain  ;  come  to  see  me — face  in  bag — behave  like 
squaw  ;  poor  Injin — poor  warrior  !  " 

"Yees,  I  believe  dat  ist  true  enough.  I  can't  bear  soch 
Injin — might  not  be  soch  Injin  in  the  world.  Vhat  you 
call  'em,  eh  ? " 

Susquesus  shook  his  head  slowly,  and  with  dignity. 
Then  he  gazed  intently  at  my  uncle  ;  after  which  he  fast- 
ened his  eyes  in  a  similar  manner  on  me.  In  this  manner 
his  looks  turned  from  one  to  the  other  for  some  little  time, 
when  he  again  dropped  them  to  the  earth,  calmly  and  in 
silence.  I  took  out  the  hurdy-gurdy,  and  began  to  play  a 
lively  air — one  that  was  very  popular  among  the  American 
blacks,  and  which,  I  am  sorry  to  say,  is  getting  to  be  not 
less  so  among  the  whites.  No  visible  effect  was  produced 
on  Susquesus,  unless  a  slight  shade  of  contempt  was  visible 
on  his  dark  features.  With  Jaaf,  however,  it  was  very  dif- 
ferent. Old  as  he  was,  I  could  see  a  certain  nervous 
twitching  of  the  lower  limbs,  which  indicated  that  the  old 
fellow  actually  felt  some  disposition  to  dance.  It  soon 
passed  away,  though  his  grim,  hard,  wrinkled,  dusky-gray 
countenance  continued  to  gleam  with  a  sort  of  dull  pleas- 
ure for  some  time.  There  was  nothing  surprising  in  this, 
the  indifference  of  the  Indian  to  melody  being  almost  as 
marked  as  the  negro's  sensitiveness  to  its  power. 

It  was  not  to  be  expected  that  men  so  aged  would  be 
disposed  to  talk  much.  The  Onondago  had  ever  been  a 


122  THE  REDSKWS. 

silent  man  :  dignity  and  gravity  of  character  uniting  with 
prudence  to  render  him  so.  But  Jaaf  was  constitutionally 
garrulous,  though  length  of  days  had  necessarily  much 
diminished  the  propensity.  At  that  moment  a  fit  of 
thoughtful  and  melancholy  silence  came  over  my  uncle, 
too,  and  all  four  of  us  continued  brooding  on  our  own  re. 
flections  for  two  or  three  minutes  after  I  had  ceased  ta 
play.  Presently  the  even,  smooth  approach  of  carriage- 
wheels  was  heard,  and  a  light  summer  vehicle  that  was  an 
old  acquaintance,  came  whirling  round  the  stable,  and 
drew  up  within  ten  feet  of  the  spot  where  we  were  all 
seated. 

My  heart  was  in  my  mouth  at  this  unexpected  interrup- 
tion, and  I  could  perceive  that  my  uncle  was  scarcely  less 
affected.  Amid  the  flowing  and  pretty  drapery  of  summer 
shawls,  and  the  other  ornaments  of  the  female  toilet,  were 
four  youthful  and  sunny  faces,  and  one  venerable  with 
years.  In  a  word,  my  grandmother,  my  sister,  and  my 
uncle's  two  other  wards,  and  Mary  Warren  were  in  the 
carriage  ;  yes,  the  pretty,  gentle,  timid,  yet  spirited  and 
intelligent  daughter  of  the  rector  was  of  the  party,  and 
seemingly  quite  at  home  and  at  her  ease,  as  one  among 
friends.  She  was  the  first  to  speak  even,  though  it  was  in 
a  low,  quiet  voice,  addressed  to  my  sister,  and  in  words 
that  appeared  extorted  by  surprise. 

"There  are  the  very  two  pedlers  of  whom  I  told  you, 
Martha,"  she  said,  "  arid  now  you  may  hear  the  flute  well 
played." 

"I  doubt  if  he  can  play  better  than  Hugh,"  was  my  dear 
sister's  answer.  "  But  we'll  have  some  of  his  music,  if  it 
be  only  to  remind  us  of  him  who  is  so  far  away." 

"  The  music  we  can  and  will  have,  my  child,"  cried  my 
grandmother,  cheerfully  ;  "  though  that  is  not  wanted  to 
remind  us  of  our  absent  boy.  Good-morrow,  Susquesus  ; 
I  hope  this  fine  day  agrees  with  you." 

"Sago,"  returned  the  Indian,  making  a  dignified  and 
even  graceful  forward  gesture  with  one  arm,  though  he 
did  not  rise.  "  Weadder  good — Great  Spirit  good,  dat 
reason.  How  squaws  do  ? " 

"We  are  all  well,  I  thank  you,  Trackless.  Good-mor- 
row, Jaaf  ;  how  do  you  do,  this  fine  morning?" 

Yop,  or  Jaap,  or  Jaaf,  rose  tottering,  made  a  low  obeis- 
ance, and  then  answered  in  the  semi-respectful,  semi- 
familiar  manner  of  an  old,  confidential  family  servant,  as 
the  last  existed  among  our  fathers  : 


THE  REDSKINS.  123 

"Tank  'ee,  Miss  Dus,  wid  all  my  heart,"  he  answered. 
u  Pretty  well  to-day  ;  but  old  Sus,  he  fail,  and  grow  ol'er 
and  ol'er  desp'ate  fast !  " 

Now,  of  the  two,  the  Indian  was  much  the  finest  relic 
of  human  powers,  though  he  was  less  uneasy  and  more 
stationary  than  the  black.  But  the  propensity  to  see  the 
mote  in  the  eye  of  his  friend,  while  he  forgot  the  beam  in 
his  own,  was  a  long-established  and  well-known  weakness 
of  Jaaf,  and  its  present  exhibition  caused  everybody  to  smile. 
I  was  delighted  with  the  beaming,  laughing  eyes  of  Mary 
Warren  in  particular,  though  she  said  nothing. 

"  I  cannot  say  I  agree  with  you,  Jaaf,"  returned  my 
smiling  grandmother.  "The  Trackless  bears  his  years  sur- 
prisingly ;  and  I  think  I  have  not  seem  him  look  better 
this  many  a  day  than  he  is  looking  this  morning.  We  are 
none  of  us  as  young  as  we  were  when  we  first  became  ac- 
quainted, Jaaf — which  is  now  near,  if  not  quite,  threescore 
of  years  ago." 

"  You  nuthin'  but  gal,  nudder,"  growled  the  negro.  "  Ole 
Sus  be  raal  ole  fellow  ;  but  Miss  Dus  and  Masser  Mordaunt, 
dey  get  married  only  tudder  day.  Why  dat  was  a'ter  the 
revylooshen  !  " 

"  It  was,  indeed,"  replied  the  venerable  woman,  with  a 
touch  of  melancholy  in  her  tones;  "but  the  revolution 
took  place  many,  many  a  long  year  since  ! " 

"Well,  now,  I  be  surprise,  Miss  Dus!  How  you  call 
dat  so  long,  when  he  only  be  tudder  day  ? "  retorted  the 
pertinacious  negro,  who  began  to  'grow  crusty,  and  to 
speak  in  a  short,  spiteful  way,  as  if  displeased  by  hearing 
that  to  which  he  could  not  assent.  Masser  Corny  was  lit- 
t.le  ole,  p'r'aps,  if  he  lib,  but  all  de  rest  ob  you  nuttin'  but 
children.  Tell  me  one  t'ing,  Miss  Dus,  be  it  true  dey's 
got  a  town  at  Satanstoe  ?  " 

"  An  attempt  was  made,  a  few  years  since,  to  turn  the 
whole  country  into  towns,  and,  among  other  places,  the 
Neck  ;  but  I  believe  it  will  never  be  anything  more  than  a 
capital  farm." 

"  So  besser.  Dat  good  land,  I  tell  you  !  One  acre  down 
der  wort'  more  than  twenty  acre  up  here." 

"  My  grandson  would  not  be  pleased  to  hear  you  say 
that,  Jaaf." 

"  Who  your  grandson,  Miss  Dus.  Remember  you  had 
little  baby  tudder  day  ;  but  baby  can't  hab  baby." 

"  Ah,  Jaaf,  my  old  friend,  my  babies  have  long  since 
been  men  and  women,  and  are  drawing  on  to  old  age. 


124  THE   REDSKINS. 

One,  and  he  was  my  first-born,  is  gone  before  us  to  a  bet- 
ter world,  and  his  boy  is  now  your  young  master.  This 
young  lady,  that  is  seated  opposite  to  me,  is  the  sister  of 
that  young  master,  and  she  would  be  grieved  to  think  you 
had  forgotten  her." 

Jaaf  labored  under  the  difficulty  so  common  to  old  age, 
he  was  forgetful  of  things  of  more  recent  date,  while  he  re- 
membered those  which  had  occurred  a  century  ago  !  The 
memory  is  a  tablet  that  partakes  of  the  peculiarity  of  all 
our  opinions  and  habits.  In  youth  it  is  easily  impressed, 
and  the  images  then  engraved  on  it  are  distinct,  deep,  and 
lasting,  while  those  that  succeed  become  crowded,  and 
take  less  root,  from  the  circumstance  of  finding  the  ground 
already  occupied.  In  the  present  instance,  the  age  was 
so  great  that  the  change  was  really  startling,  the  old 
negro's  recollections  occasionally  coming  ou  the  mind  like 
a  voice  from  the  grave.  As  for  the  Indian,  as  I  afterward 
ascertained,  he  was  better  preserved  in  all  respects  than 
the  black  ;  his  great  temperance  in  youth,  freedom  from 
labor,  exercise  in  the  open  air,  united  to  the  comforts  and 
abundance  of  semi-civilized  habits,  that  had  now  lasted  for 
nearly  a  century,  contributed  to  preserve  both  mind  and 
body.  As  I  now  looked  at  him,  I  remembered  what  I  had 
heard  in  my  boyhood  of  his  history. 

There  had  ever  been  a  mystery  about  the  life  of  the 
Onondago.  If  any  one  of  our  set  had  ever  been  acquainted 
with  the  facts,  it  was  Andries  Coejemans,  a  half-uncle  of 
my  dear  grandmother,  a  person  who  has  been  known 
among  us  by  the  sobriquet  of  the  Chainbearer.  My  grand- 
mother had  told  me  that  "  uncle  Chainbearer,"  as  we  all 
called  the  old  relative,  did  know  about  Susquesus,  in  his  time 
— the  reason  why  he  had  left  his  tribe,  and  become  a  hunter, 
and  warrior,  and  runner  among  the  pale-faces — and  that  he 
had  always  said  the  particulars  did  his  red  friend  great  cred- 
it, but  that  he  would  reveal  it  no  further.  So  great,  how- 
ever, was  uncle  Chainbearer's  reputation  for  integrity,  that 
such  an  opinion  was  sufficient  to  procure  for  the  Onon- 
dago the  fullest  confidence  of  the  whole  connection,  and 
the  experience  of  fourscore  years  and  ten  had  proved  that 
this  confidence  was  well  placed.  Some  imputed  the  sort 
of  exile  in  which  the  old  man  had  so  long  lived  to  love, 
others  to  war,  and  others,  again,  to  the  consequences  of 
those  fierce  personal  feuds  that  are  known  to  occur  among 
men  in  the  savage  state.  But  all  was  just  as  much  a  mys- 
tery and  matter  of  conjecture,  now  we  were  drawing  near 


THE  REDSKINS.  125 

the  middle  of  the  nineteenth  century,  as  it  had  been  when 
our  forefathers  were  receding  from  the  middle  of  the  eigh- 
teenth !  To  return  to  the  negro. 

Although  Jaaf  had  momentarily  forgotten  me,  and  quite 
forgotten  my  parents,  he  remembered  my  sister,  who  was 
in  the  habit  of  seeing  him  so  often.  In  what  manner  he 
connected  her  with  the  family,  it  is  not  easy  to  say  ;  but 
he  knew  her  not  only  by  sight,  but  by  name,  and,  as  one 
might  say,  by  blood. 

"Yes,  yes,"  cried  the  old  fellow,  a  little  eagerly,  "champ- 
ing" his  thick  lips  together,  somewhat  as  an  alligator 
snaps  his  jaws,  "  yes,  I  knows  Miss  Patty,  of  course.  Miss 
Patty  is  werry  han'some,  and  grows  han'somer  and  han'- 
somer  ebbery  time  I  sees  her — yah,  yah,  yah  !  "  The 
laugh  of  that  old  negro  sounded  startling  and  unnatural, 
yet  there  was  something  of  the  joyous  in  it,  after  all,  like 
every  negro's  laugh.  "  Yah,  yah,  yah  !  Yes,  Miss  Patty 
won'erful  han'some,  and  wefry  like  Miss  Dus.  I  s'pose, 
now,  Miss  Patty  was  born  about  'e  time  dat  Gin'ral  Wash- 
ington die." 

As  this  was  a  good  deal  more  than  doubling  my  sister's 
age,  it  produced  a  common  laugh  among  the  light-hearted 
girls  in  the  carriage.  A  gleam  of  intelligence  that  almost 
amounted  to  a  smile  also  shot  athwart  the  countenance  of 
the  Onondago,  while  the  muscles  of  his  face  worked,  but 
he  said  nothing.  I  had  reason  to  know  afterward  that  the 
tablet  of  his  memory  retained  its  records  better. 

"  What  friends  have  you  with  you  to-day,  Jaaf  ? "  in- 
quired my  grandmother,  inclining  her  head  toward  usped- 
lers  graciously,  at  the  same  time  ;  a  salutation  that  my 
uncle  Ro  and  myself  rose  hastily  to  acknowledge. 

As  for  myself,  I  own  honestly  that  I  could  have  jumped 
into  the  vehicle  and  kissed  my  dear  grandmother's  still 
good-looking,  but  colorless  cheeks,  and  hugged  Patt,  and 
possibly  some  of  the  others,  to  my  heart.  Uncle  Ro  had 
more  command  of  himself,  though  I  could  see  that  the 
sound  of  his  venerable  parent's  voice,  in  which  the  tremor 
was  barely  perceptible,  was  near  overcoming  him. 

"Dese  be  pedler,  ma'am,  I  do  s'pose,"  answered  the 
black.  "  Dey's  got  box  wid  somet'in'  in  him,  and  dey's 
got  new  kind  of  fiddle.  Come,  young  man,  gib  Miss  Dus 
a  tune — a  libely  one  ;  sich  as  make  an  ole  nigger  dance." 

I  drew  round  the  hurdy-gurdy,  and  was  beginning  to 
flourish  away,  when  a  gentle  sweet  voice,  raised  a  little 
louder  than  usual  by  eagerness,  interrupted  me. 


126  THE  REDSKINS, 

11  Oh  !  not  that  thing,  not  that  ;  the  flute,  the  flute  ! " 
exclaimed  Mary  Warren,  blushing  to  the  eyes  at  her  own 
boldness,  the  instant  she  saw  that  she  was  heard,  and  that 
I  was  about  to  comply. 

It  is  hardly  necessary  to  say  that  I  bowed  respectfully, 
laid  down  the  hurdy-gurdy,  drew  the  flute  from  my  pocket, 
and,  after  a  few  flourishes,  commenced  playing  one  of  the 
newest  airs,  or  melodies,  from  a  favorite  opera.  I  saw  the 
color  rush  into  Martha's  cheeks  the  moment  I  had  got 
through  a  bar  or  two,  and  the  start  she  gave  satisfied  me 
that  the  dear  girl  remembered  her  brother's  flute.  I  had 
played  on  that  very  instrument  ever  since  I  was  sixteen, 
but  I  had  made  an  immense  progress  in  the  art  during 
the  five  years  just  passed  in  Europe.  Masters  at  Naples, 
Paris,  Vienna,  and  London  had  done  a  great  deal  for  me  ; 
and  T  trust  I  shall  not  be  thought  vain  if  I  add,  that  nat- 
ure had  done  something  too.  My  excellent  grandmother 
listened  in  profound  attention,  and  all  four  of  the  girls 
were  enchanted. 

"  That  music  is  worthy  of  being  heard  in  a  room,"  ob- 
served the  former,  as  soon  as  I  concluded  the  air  ;  "  and 
we  shall  hope  to  hear  it  this  evening,  at  the  Nest  House, 
if  you  remain  anywhere  near  us.  In  the  meantime,  we 
must  pursue  our  airing." 

As  my  grandmother  spoke  she  leaned  forward,  and  ex- 
tended her  hand  to  me,  with  a  benevolent  smile.  I  ad- 
vanced, received  the  dollar  that  was  offered,  and,  unable 
to  command  my  feelings,  raised  the  hand  to  my  lips,  re- 
spectfully but  with  fervor.  Had  Martha's  face  been  near 
me,  it  would  have  suffered  also.  I  suppose  there  was  noth- 
ing in  this  respectful  salutation  that  struck  the  spectators 
as  very  much  out  of  the  way,  foreigners  having  foreign 
customs,  but  I  saw  a  flush  in  my  venerable  grandmother's 
cheek,  as  the  carriage  moved  off.  She  had  noted  the 
warmth  of  the  manner.  My  uncle  had  turned  away,  I  dare 
say  to  conceal  the  tears  that  started  to  his  eyes,  and  Jaaf 
followed  toward  the  door  of  the  hut,  whither  my  uncle 
moved,  in  order  to  do  the  honors  of  the  place.  This  left 
me  quite  alone  with  the  Indian. 

"Why  no  kiss  face  of  grandmodder  ? "  asked  the  Onon- 
dago,  coolly  and  quietly. 

Had  a  clap  of  thunder  broken  over  my  head,  I  could 
not  have  been  more  astonished !  The  disguise  that  had 
deceived  my  nearest  relations — that  had  baffled  Seneca 
Newcome,  and  had  set  at  naught  even  his  sister  Oppor- 


THE  REDSKINS.  127 

tunity — had  failed  to  conceal  me  from  that  Indian,  whose 
faculties  might  be  supposed  to  have  been  numbed  with 
age! 

"Is  it  possible  that  you  know  me,  Susquesus  ! "  I  ex- 
claimed, signing  toward  the  negro  at  the  same  time,  by 
way  of  caution  ;  "  that  you  remember  me  at  all  !  I  should 
have  thought  this  wig,  these  clothes,  would  have  concealed 
me." 

"Sartain,"  answered  the  aged  Indian,  calmly.  "Know 
young  chief  soon  as  see  him  ;  know  fader — know  m udder  ; 
know  gran'fader,  gran'mudder — great-gran'fader  ;  his  fader, 
too  ;  kno\v  all.  Why  forget  young  chief  ?  " 

"  Did  you  know  me  before  I  kissed  my  grandmother's 
hand,  or  only  by  that  act  ?  " 

"  Know  as  soon  as  see  him.  What  eyes  good  for,  if 
don't  know  ?  Know  uncle,  dere,  sartain  ;  welcome 
home ! " 

"  But  you  will  not  let  others  know  us,  too,  Trackless  ? 
We  have  always  been  friends,  I  hope  ?  " 

"Be  sure,  friends.  Why  ole  eagle,  wid  white  head, 
strike  young  pigeon  ?  Nebber  hatchet  in  'e  path  between 
Susquesus  and  any  of  de  tribe  of  Ravensnest.  Too  ole  to 
dig  him  up  now." 

"  There  are  good  reasons  why  my  uncle  and  myself 
should  not  be  known  for  a  few  days.  Perhaps  you  have 
heard  something  of  the  trouble  that  has  grown  up  between 
the  landlords  and  the  tenants,  in  the  land  ?  " 

" What  dat  trouble?" 

"  The  tenants  are  tired  of  paying  rent,  and  wish  to  make 
a  new  bargain,  by  which  they  can  become  owners  of  the 
farms  on  which  they  live." 

A  grim  light  played  upon  the  swarthy  countenance  of 
the  Indian  :  his  lips  moved,  but  he  uttered  nothing  aloud. 

"  Have  you  heard  anything  of  this,  Susquesus  ? " 

"  Little  bird  sing  sich  song  in  my  ear — didn't  like  to  hear 
it." 

"And  of  Indians  who  are  moving  up  and  down  the 
country,  armed  with  rifles  and  dressed  in  calico  ?" 

"What  tribe,  dem  Injin,"  asked  the  Trackless,  with  a 
quickness  and  a  fire  I  did  not  think  it  possible  for  him 
to  retain.  "  What  'ey  do,  marchin'  'bout  ? — on  war-path, 
eh?" 

"  In  one  sense  they  may  be  said  to  be  so.  They  belong 
to  the  anti-rent  tribe  ;  do  you  know  such  a  nation  ? " 

"  Poor  Injin  dat,  b'lievc.     Why  come  so  late  ? — why  no 


128  THE  REDSKINS. 

come  when  'e  foot  of  Susquesus  light  as  feather  of  bird  \ 
— why  stay  away  till  pale-faces  plentier  dan  leaf  on  tree, 
or  snow  in  air  ?  Hundred  year  ago,  when  dat  oak  little, 
sich  Injin  might  be  good  ;  now,  he  good  for  nuttin'." 

"  But  you  will  keep  our  secret,  Sus  ? — will  not  even  tell 
the  negro  who  we  are  ? " 

The  Trackless  simply  nodded  his  head  in  assent.  After 
this  he  seemed  to  me  to  sink  back  in  a  sort  of  brooding 
lethargy,  as  if  indisposed  to  pursue  the  subject.  I  left  him 
to  go  to  my  uncle,  in  order  to  relate  what  had  just  passed. 
Mr.  Roger  Littlepage  was  as  much  astonished  as  I  had 
been  myself,  at  hearing  that  one  so  aged  should  have  de- 
tected us  through  disguises  that  had  deceived  our  nearest 
of  kin.  But  the  quiet  penetration  and  close  observation 
of  the  man  had  long  been  remarkable.  As  his  good  faith 
was  of  proof,  however,  neither  felt  any  serious  apprehen- 
sion of  being  betrayed,  as  soon  as  he  had  a  moment  for  re- 
flection. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

"  He  saw  a  cottage  with  a  double  coach-house, 

A  cottage  of  gentility  ; 
And  the  devil  did  grin,  for  his  darling  sin 

Is  the  pride  that  apes  humility." — DeviFs  Thoughts. 

IT  was  now  necessary  to  determine  what  course  we  ought 
next  to  pursue.  It  might  appear  presuming  in  men  of 
our  pursuits  to  go  to  the  Nest  before  the  appointed  time  ; 
and  did  we  proceed  on  to  the  village,  we  should  have  the 
distance  between  the  two  places  to  walk  over  twice,  carry- 
ing our  instruments  and  jewel-box.  After  a  short  consul- 
tation, it  was  decided  to  visit  the  nearest  dwellings,  and  to 
remain  as  near  my  own  house  as  was  practicable,  making 
an  arrangement  to  sleep  somewhere  in  its  immediate  vicin- 
ity. Could  we  trust  any  one  with  our  secret,  our  fare  would 
probably  be  all  the  better  ;  but  my  uncle  thought  it  most 
prudent  to  maintain  a  strict  incognito  until  he  had  ascer- 
tained the  true  state  of  things  in  the  town. 

We  took  leave  of  the  Indian  and  the  negro,  therefore, 
promising  to  visit  them  again  in  the  course  of  that  or  the 
succeeding  day,  and  followed  the  path  that  led  to  the  farm- 
house. It  was  our  opinion  that  we  might,  at  least,  expect 
to  meet  with  friends  in  the  occupants  of  the  home  farm. 


THE  REDSKINS.  12$ 

The  same  family  had  been  retained  in  possession  there  for 
three  generations,  and  being  hired  to  manage  the  hus- 
bandry and  to  take  care  of  the  dairy,  there  was  not  the 
same  reason  for  the  disaffection,  that  was  said  so  generally 
to  exist  among  the  tenantry,  prevailing  among  them.  The 
name  of  this  family  was  Miller,  and  it  consisted  of  the  two 
heads  and  some  six  or  seven  children,  most  of  the  latter 
being  still  quite  young. 

"  Tom  Miller  was  a  trusty  lad,  when  I  knew  much  of 
him,"  said  my  uncle,  as  we  drew  near  to  the  barn,  in  which 
we  saw  the  party  mentioned,  at  work  ;  "  and  he  is  said  to 
have  behaved  well  in  one  or  two  alarms  they  have  had  at 
the  Nest,  this  summer  ;  still,  it  may  be  wiser  not  to  let 
even  him  into  our  secret  as  yet." 

"  I  am  quite  of  your  mind,  sir,"  I  answered  ;  "for  who 
knows 'that  he  has  not  just  as  strong  a  desire  as  any  of 
them  to  own  the.  farm  on  which  he  lives  ?  He  is  the 
grandson  of  the  man  who  cleared  it  from  the  forest,  and 
has  much  the  same  title  as  the  rest  of  them." 

"Very  true  ;  and  why  should  not  that  give  him  just  as 

food  a  right  to  claim  an  interest  in  the  farm,  beyond  that 
e  has  got  under  his  contract  to  work  it,  as  if  he  held  a 
lease  ?  He  who  holds  a  lease  gets  no  right  beyond  his 
bargain  ;  nor  does  this  man.  The  one  is  paid  for  his  labor 
by  the  excess  of  his  receipts  over  the  amount  of  his  annual 
rent,  while  the  other  is  paid  partly  in  what  he  raises,  and 
partly  in  wages.  In  principle  there  is  no  difference  what- 
ever, not  a  particle  ;  yet  I  question  if  the  veriest  dema- 
gogue in  the  State  would  venture  to  say  that  the  man,  or 
the  family,  which  works  the  farm  for  hire,  even  for  a  hun- 
dred years,  gets  the  smallest  right  to  say  he  shall  not  quit 
it,  if  its  owner  please,  as  soon  as  his  term  of  service  is  up  ! " 
"  'The  love  of  money  is  the  root  of  all  evil ;'  and  when 
that  feeling  is  uppermost,  one  can  never  tell  what  a  man 
will  do.  The  bribe  of  a  good  farm,  obtained  for  nothing, 
.or  for  an  insignificant  price,  is  sufficient  to  upset  the 
morality  of  even  Tom  Miller." 

"  You  are  right,  Hugh  ;  and  here  is  one  of  the  points  in 
which  our  political  men  betray  the  cloven  foot.  They 
write,  and  proclaim,  and  make  speeches,  as  if  the  anti-rent 
troubles  grew  out  of  the  durable  lease  system  solely, 
whereas  we  all  know  that  it  is  extended  to  all  descriptions 
of  obligations  given  for  the  occupancy  of  land — life  leases, 
leases  for  a  term  of  years,  articles  for  deeds,  and  bonds 
and  mortgages.  It  is  a  wide-spread,  though  not  yet  uni 


130  THE  REDSKINS. 

versal  attempt  of  those  who  have  the  least  claim  to  the 
possession  of  real  estate,  to  obtain  the  entire  right,  and 
that  by  agencies  that  neither  the  law  rior  good  morals  will 
justify.  It  is  no  new  expedient  for  partisans  to  place  en  evi- 
dence no  more  of  their  principles  and  intentions  than  suits 
their  purposes.  But,  here  we  are  within  ear-shot,  and 
must  resort  to  the  High  Dutch.  Guten  tag,  guten  tag"  con- 
tinued uncle  Ro,  dropping  easily  into  the  broken  English 
of  our  masquerade,  as  we  walked  into  the  barn,  where 
Miller,  two  of  his  older  boys,  and  a  couple  of  hired  men 
were  at  work,  grinding  scythes  and  preparing  for  the  ap- 
proaching hay-harvest.  "  It  might  be  warm  day,  dis  fine 
mornin'." 

"  Good-day,  good-day,"  cried  Miller,  hastily,  and  glanc- 
ing his  eye  a  little  curiously  at  our  equipments.  "  What 
have  you  got  in  your  box — essences  ? " 

"  Nein  ;  vatches  and  drinkets;"  setting  down  the  box 
and  opening  it  at  once,  for  the  inspection  of  all  present. 
"  Von't  you  burchase  a  goot  vatch,  dis  bleasant  mornin'  ?" 

"Be  they  ra-al  gold?"  asked  Miller,  a  little  doubt- 
ingiy.  "And  all  them  chains  and  rings,  be  they  gold  too  ?  " 

"  Not  true  golt  ;  nein,  I  might  not  say  dat.  But  goot 
enough  golt  for  blain  folks,  like  you  and  me." 

"  Them  tilings  would  never  do  for  the  grand  quality 
over  at  the  big  house  !"  cried  one  of  the  laborers,  who 
was  unknown  to  me,  but  whose  name  I  soon  ascertained 
was  Joshua  Brigham,  and  who  spoke  with  a  sort  of  mali- 
cious sneer  that  at  once  betrayed  he  was  no  friend.  "  You 
mean  'em  for  poor  folks,  I  s'pose  ?" 

"  I  means  dem  for  any  bodies  dat  vill  pay  deir  money 
for  'em,"  answered  my  uncle.  "  Vould  you  like  a  vatch  ?  " 

"  That  would  I  ;  and  a  farm,  too,  if  I  could  get  'em 
cheap,"  answered  Brigham,  with  a  sneer  he  did  not  at- 
tempt to  conceal.  "  How  do  you  sell  farms  to-day  ?" 

"  I  haf  got  no  farms  ;  I  sells  drinkets  and  vatches,  but  I 
doesn't  sell  farms.     Vhat  I  haf  got  I  vill  sell,  but  I  cannot- 
sells  vhat  I  haf  not  got." 

"  Oh  !  you'll  get  all  you  want  if  you'll  stay  long  enough 
in  this  country  !  This  is  a  free  land,  and  just  the  place 
for  a  poor  man  ;  or  4t  will  be,  as  soon  as  we  get  all  the 
lords  and  aristocrats  out  of  it." 

This  was  the  first  time  I  had  ever  heard  this  political 
blarney  with  my  own  ears,  though  I  had  understood  it 
was  often  used'  by  those  who  wish  to  give  to  their  own 
particular  envy  and  covetousness  a  grand  and  sounding  air. 


THE   REDSKIN'S.  131 

"Veil,  I  haf  beards  dat  in  America  dere  might  not  be 
any  noples  ant  aristocrats,"  put  in  my  uncle>  with  an  ap- 
pearance of  beautiful  simplicity  ;  "  and  dat  dere  1st  not  ein 
graaf  in  der  whole  coontry." 

"  Oh  !  there's  all  sorts  of  folks  here,  just  as  they  are  to  be 
found  elsewhere,"  cried  Miller,  seating  himself  coolly  on 
the  end  of  the  grindstone-frame,  to  open  and  look  into  the 
mysteries  of  one  of  the  watches.  "  Now,  Joseph  Brigham, 
here,  calls  all  that's  above  him  in  the  world  aristocrats,  but 
lie  doesn't  call  all  that's  below  him  his  equals." 

I  liked  that  speech  ;  and  I  liked  the  cool,  decided  way 
in  which  it  was  uttered.  It  denoted,  in  its  spirit,  a  man 
who  saw  things  as  they  are,  and  who  was  not  afraid  to  say 
what  he  thought  about  them.  My  uncle  Ro  was  surprised, 
and  that  agreeably,  too,  and  he  turned  to  Miller  to  pursue 
the  discourse. 

"  Den  dere  might  not  be  any  nopility  in  America,  after 
all?"  he  asked,  inquiringly. 

"  Yes,  there's  plenty  of  such  lords  as  Josh  here,  who 
want  to  be  uppermost  so  plaguily  that  they  don't  stop  to 
touch  all  the  rounds  of  the  ladder.  I  tell  him,  friend,  he 
wants  to  get  on  too  fast,  and  that  he  mustn't  set  up  for  a 
gentleman  before  he  knows  how  to  behave  himself." 

Josh  looked  a  little  abashed  at  a  rebuke  that  came  from 
one  of  his  own  class,  and  which  he  must  have  felt,  in 
secret,  was  merited.  But  the  demon  was  at  work  in  him, 
and  he  had  persuaded  himself  that  he  was  the  champion 
of  a  quality  as  sacred  as  liberty,  when,  in  fact,  he  was 
simply  and  obviously  doing  neither  more  nor  less  than 
breaking  the  tenth  commandment.  He  did  not  like  to 
give  up,  while  he  skirmished  with  Miller,  as  the  dog  that 
has  been  beaten  already  two  or  three  times  growls  over  a 
bone  at  the  approach  of  his  conqueror. 

"  Well,  thank  heaven,"  he  cried,  "  /  have  got  some  spirit 
in  my  body." 

"  That's  very  true,  Joshua,"  answered  Miller,  laying 
down  one  watch  and  taking  up  another;  "  but  it  happens 
to  be  an  evil  spirit." 

"  Now,  here's  them  Littlepages  ;  what  makes  them  bet- 
ter than  other  folks  ?  " 

"  You  had  better  let  the  Littlepages  alone,  Joshua,  seein' 
they're  a  family  that  you  know  nothing  at  all  about." 

"  I  don't  want  to  know  them  ;  though  I  do  happen  to 
know  all  I  want  to  know.  I  despise  'em." 

"No,  you  don't,  Joshy,  my  boy  ;  nobody  despises  folks 


i32  THE   REDSKINS. 

they  talk  so  spitefully  about.  What's  the  price  of  this  here 
watch,  friend  ? " 

"  Four  dollars,"  said  my  uncle,  eagerly,  falling  lower 
than  was  prudent,  in  his  desire  to  reward  Miller  for  his 
good  feeling  and  sound  sentiments.  "  Ja,  ja — you  might 
haf  das  vatch  for  four  dollars." 

"I'm  afraid  it  isn't  good  for  anything,"  returned  Mil- 
ler, feeling  the  distrust  that  was  natural  at  hearing  a  price 
so  low.  u  Let's  have  another  look  at  its  inside." 

No  man,  probably,  ever  bought  a  watch  without  looking 
into  its  works  with  an  air  of  great  intelligence,  though 
none  but  a  mechanician  is  any  wiser  for  his  survey.  Tom 
Miller  acted  on  this  principle,  for  the  good  looks  of  the 
machine  he  held  in  his  hand,  and  the  four  dollars,  tempted 
him  sorely.  It  had  its  effect,  too,  on  the  turbulent  and 
envious  Joshua,  who  seemed  to  understand  himself  very 
well  in  a  bargain.  Neither  of  the  men  had  supposed  the 
watches  to  be  of  gold,  for  though  the  metal  that  is  in  a 
watch  does  not  amount  to  a  great  deal,  it  is  usually  of 
more  value  than  all  that  was  asked  for  the  "  article  "  now 
under  examination.  In  point  of  fact,  my  uncle  had  this 
very  watch  "  invoiced  to  him  "  at  twice  the  price  he  now 
put  it  at. 

"  And  what  do  you  ask  for  this  ? "  demanded  Joshua, 
taking  up  another  watch  of  very  similar  looks  and  of  equal 
value  to  the  one  that  Miller  still  retained  open  in  his  hand. 
"  Won't  you  let  this  go  for  three  dollars  ?" 

"  No  ;  der  brice  of  dat  is  effery  cent  of  forty  dollars," 
answered  Uncle  Ro,  stubbornly. 

The  two  men  now  looked  at  the  pedler  in  surprise.  Mil- 
ler took  the  watch  from  his  hired  man,  examined  it  atten- 
tively, compared  it  with  the  other,  and  then  demanded  its 
price  anew. 

"  You  might  haf  eider  of  dem  vatches  for  four  dollars," 
returned  my  uncle,  as  I  thought,  incautiously. 

This  occasioned  a  new  surprise,  though  Brigham  fort- 
unately referred  the  difference  to  a  mistake. 

"  Oh  !  "  he  said,  "  I  understood  you  to  say  forty  dollars. 
Four  dollars  is  a  different  matter." 

"Josh,"  interrupted  the  more  observant  and  cooler- 
headed  Miller,  "  it  is  high  time,  now,  you  and  Peter  go  and 
look  a'ter  them  sheep.  The  conch  will  soon  be  blowing 
for  dinner.  If  you  want  a  trade,  you  can  have  one  when 
you  get  back." 

Notwithstanding  the  plainness  of  his  appearance  and 


THE  REDSKINS.  133 

language,  Tom  Miller  was  captain  of  his  own  company. 
He  gave  this  order  quietly,  and  in  his  usual  familiar  way, 
but  it  was  obviously  to  be  obeyed  without  a  remonstrance. 
In  a  minute  the  two  hired  men  were  off  in  company,  leav- 
ing no  one  behind  in  the  barn  but  Miller,  his  sons,  and  us 
two.  I  could  see  there  was  a  motive  for  all  this,  but  did 
not  understand  it. 

"  Now  he's  gone,"  continued  Tom,  quietly,  but  laying  an 
emphasis  that  sufficiently  explained  his  meaning,  "  per- 
haps you'll  let  me  know  the  true  price  of  this  watch.  I've 
a  mind  for  it,  and  maybe  we  can  agree." 

"  Four  dollars,"  answered  my  uncle,  distinctly.  "I  haf 
said  you  might  haf  it  for  dat  money,  and  vhat  I  haf  said 
once  might  always  be." 

"  I  will  take  it,  then.  I  almost  wish  you  had  asked  eight, 
though  four  dollars  saved  is  suthin'  for  a  poor  man.  It's 
so  plaguy  cheap  I'm  a  little  afraid  on't  ;  but  I'll  ventur'. 
There  ;  there's  your  money,  and  in  hard  cash." 

"  Dank  you,  sir.  Won't  das  ladies  choose  to  look  at  my 
drinkets?" 

"Oh  !  if  you  want  to  deal  with  ladies  who  buy  chains 
and  rings,  the  Nest  house  is  the  place.  My  woman  wouldn't 
know  what  to  do  with  sich  things,  and  don't  set  herself  up 
for  a  fine  lady  at  all.  That  chap  who  has  just  gone  for  the 
sheep  is  the  only  great  man  we  have  about  this  farm." 

"  Ja,  ja  ;  he  ist  a  nople  in  a  dirty  shirt,  ja,  ja  ;  why  hast 
he  dem  pig  feelin's  ?  " 

"  I  believe  you  have  named  them  just  as  they  ought  to 
be,  pig's  feelin's.  It's  because  he  wishes  to  thrust  his  own 
snout  all  over  the  trough,  and  is  mad  when  he  finds  any- 
body else's  in  the  way.  We're  getting  to  have  plenty  of 
such  fellows  up  and  down  the  country,  and  an  uncomforta- 
ble time  they  give  us.  Boys,  I  do  believe  it  will  turn  out 
a'ter  all,  that  Josh  is  an  Injin  !  " 

"  I  know  he  is,"  answered  the  oldest  of  the  two  sons,  a 
lad  of  nineteen;  "where  else  should  he  be  so  much  of 
nights  and  Sundays,  but  at  their  trainin's  ? — and  what  was 
the  meanin'  of  the  calico  bundle  I  saw  under  his  arm  a 
month  ago,  as  I  told  you  on  at  the  time  ? " 

"  If  I  find  it  out  to  be  as  you  say,  Harry,  he  shall  tramp 
off  of  this  farm.  I'll  have  no  Injins  here  !  " 

"  Veil,  I  dought  I  dit  see  an  olt  Injin  in  a  hut  up  yonder 
ast  by  der  woots  ! "  put  in  my  uncle,  innocently. 

"  Oh  '.  that  is  Susquesus,  an  Onondago  ;  he  is  a  true 
Injin,  and  a  gentleman  ;  but  we  have  a  parcel  of  the  mock 


134  THE  REDSKINS. 

gentry  about,  who  are  a  pest  and  an  eyesore  to  every  honest 
man  in  the  country.  Half  on  'em  are  nothing  but  thieves 
in  mock  Injin  dresses.  The  law  is  ag'in  'em,  right  is  ag'in 
'em,  and  every  true  friend  of  liberty  in  the  country  ought 
to  be  ag'in  'em." 

"  Vhat  ist  der  matter  in  dis  coontry  ?  I  hear  in  Europe 
how  America  ist  a  free  lant,  ant  how  efery  man  hast  his 
rights  ;  but  since  I  got  here  dey  do  nothin'  but  talk  of 
barons,  and  noples,  and  tenants,  and  arisdograts,  and  all 
der  bat  dings  I  might  leaf  behint  me  in  der  Olt  Worlt." 

"  The  plain  matter  is,  friend,  that  they  who  have  got  little, 
envy  them  that's  got  much  ;  and  the  struggle  is,  to  see 
which  is  the  strongest.  On  the  one  side  is  the  law,  and 
right,  and  bargains,  and  contracts  ;  and  on  the  other  thou- 
sands— not  of  dollars,  but  of  men.  Thousands  of  voters  ; 
d'ye  understand?" 

"  Ja,  ja — I  oonderstands  ;  dat  ist  easy  enough.  But  vhy 
do  dey  dalk  so  much  of  noples  and  arisdograts  ? — ist  der 
noples  and  arisdograts  in  America  ?  " 

"Well,  I  don't  much  understand  the  natur'  of  sich 
things  ;  there  sartainly  is  a  difference  in  men,  and  a  differ- 
ence in  their  fortun's,  and  edications,  and  such  sort  of 
things." 

"  Und  der  law,  den,  favors  der  rich  man  at  der  cost  of 
der  poor,  in  America,  too,  does  it  ?  Und  you  haf  arisdo- 
grats who  might  not  pay  taxes,  and  who  holt  all  der  offices, 
and  get  all  der  pooblic  money,  and  who  ist  petter  pefore 
de  law,  in  all  dings,  dan  ast  dem  dat  be  not  arisdograts  ? 
Is  it  so?" 

Miller  laughed  outright,  and  shook  his  head  at  this  ques- 
tion, continuing  to  examine  the  trinkets  the  whole  time. 

"  No,  no,  my  friend,  we've  not  much  of  that,  in  this  part 
of  the  world,  either.  Rich  men  get  very  few  offices,  to 
begin  with  ;  for  it's  an  argooment  in  favor  of  a  man  for  an 
office,  that  he's  poor,  and  wants  it.  Folks  don't  so  much 
ask  who  the  office  wants,  as  who  wants  the  office.  Then, 
as  for  taxes,  there  isn't  much  respect  paid  to  the  rich  on 
that  score.  Young  'Squire  Littlepage  pays  the  tax  on  this 
farm  directly  himself,  and  it's  assessed  half  as  high  ag'in, 
all  things  considered,  as  any  other  farm  on  his  estate." 

"But  dat  is  not  right." 

"  Right  !  Who  says  it  is  ? — or  who  thinks  there  is  any- 
thing right  about  assessments,  anywhere  ?  I  have  heard 
assessors,  with  my  own  ears,  use  such  words  as  these: — 
'  Sich  a  man  is  rich,  and  can  afford  to  pay,'  and  <  sich  a 


THE   REDSKINS.  135 

man  is  poor,  and  it  will  come  hard  on  him.'  Oh  !  they 
kiver  up  dishonesty,  nowadays,  under  all  sorts  of  argoo 
ments." 

"  But  der  law  ;  der  rich  might  haf  der  law  on  deir  side, 
surely  ! " 

"In  what  way,  I  should  like  to  know?  Juries  be  every- 
thing, and  juries  will  go  accordin'  to  their  feelin's,  as  well 
as  other  men.  I've  seen  the  things  with  my  own  eyes. 
The  country  pays  just  enough  a  day  to  make  poor  men 
like  to  be  on  juries,  and  they  never  fail  to  attend,  while 
them  that  can  pay  their  fines  stay  away,  and  so  leave  the 
law  pretty  much  in  the  hands  of  one  party.  No  rich  man 
gains  his  cause,  unless  his  case  is  so  strong  it  can't  be 
helped." 

I  had  heard  this  before,  there  being  a  very  general  com- 
plaint throughout  the  country  of  the  practical  abuses  con- 
nected with  the  jury  system.  I  have  heard  intelligent 
lawyers  complain,  that  whenever  a  cause  of  any  interest  is 
to  be  tried,  the  first  question  asked  is  not  "  what  are  the 
merits  ?  "  "  which  has  the  law  and  the  facts  on  his  side  ? " 
but  "who  is  likely  to  be  on  the  jury?" — thus  obviously 
placing  the  composition  of  the  jury  before  either  law  or 
evidence.  Systems  may  have  a  very  fair  appearance  on 
paper  and  as  theories,  that  are  execrable  in  practice.  As 
for  juries,  I  believe  the  better  opinion  of  the  intelligent  of 
all  countries  is,  that.while  they  are  a  capital  contrivance 
to  resist  the  abuse  of  power  in  narrow  governments,  in 
governments  of  a  broad  constituency  they  have  the  effect, 
which  might  easily  be  seen,  of  placing  the  control  of  the 
law  in  the  hands  of  those  who  would  be  most  apt  to  abuse 
it ;  since  it  is  adding  to,  instead  of  withstanding  and  resist- 
ing the  controlling  authority  of  the  State,  from  which,  in  a 
popular  government,  most  of  the  abuses  must  unavoidably 
proceed. 

As  for  my  uncle  Ro,  he  was  disposed  to  pursue  the  sub- 
ject with  Miller,  who  turned  out  to  be  a  discreet  and  con- 
scientious man.  After  a  very  short  pause,  as  if  to  reflect 
on  what  had  been  said,  he  resumed  the  discourse. 

"  Vhat,  den,  makes  arisdograts  in  dis  coontry  ?"  asked 
my  uncle. 

"Wa-a-1" — no  man  but  an  American  of  New  England 
descent,  as  was  the  case  with  Miller,  can  give  this  word  its 
Attic  sound— "Wa-a-1,  it's  hard  to  say.  I  hear  a  great 
deal  about  aristocrats,  and  I  read  a  great  deal  about  aris- 
tocrats, in  this  country  and  I  know  that  most  folks  look 


136  TffE   REDSKINS. 

upon  them  as  hateful,  but  I'm  by  no  means  sartain  I  know 
what  an  aristocrat  is.  Do  you  happen  to  know  anything 
about  it,  friend  ?  " 

"  Ja,  ja  ;  an  arisdograt  ist  one  of  a  few  men  dat  hast  all 
de  power  of  de  go\7ernment  in  deir  own  hands." 

"  King  !  That  isn't  what  we  think  an  aristocrat  in  this 
part  of  the  world.  Why,  we  call  them  critters  here  DIMI- 
GOGUES!  Now,  young  'Squire  Littlepage,  who  owns  the 
Nest  house,  over  yonder,  and  who  is  owner  of  all  this 
estate,  far  and  near,  is  what  we  call  an  aristocrat,  and  he 
hasn't  power  enough  to  be  named  town-clerk,  much  less 
to  anything  considerable,  or  what  is  worth  having." 

"  How  can  he  be  an  arisdograt,  den  ? " 

"  How,  sure  enough,  if  your  account  be  true  !  I  tell  you 
'tis  the  dimigogues  that  be  the  aristocrats  of  America. 
Why,  Josh  Brigham,  who  has  just  gone  for  the  sheep,  can 
get  more  votes  for  any  office  in  the  country  than  young 
Littlepage !  " 

"  Berhaps  dis  young  Littlebage  ist  a  pat  yoong  man  ?" 

"  Not  he  ;  he's  as  good  as  any  on  'em,  and  better  than 
most.  Besides,  if  he  was  as  wicked  as  Lucifer,  the  folks 
of  the  country  don't  know  anything  about  it,  sin'  he's  be'n 
away  ever  sin'  he  has  be'n  a  man." 

"  Vhy,  den,  gan't  he  haf  as  many  votes  as  dat  poor, 
ignorant  fellow  might  haf? — das  ist  ott." 

"  It  is  odd,  but  it's  true  as  gospel.  *  Why,  it  may  not  be 
so  easy  to  tell.  Many  men,  many  minds,  you  know.  Some 
folks  don't  like  him  because  he  lives  in  a  big  house  ;  some 
hate  him  because  they  think  he  is  better  off  than  they  are 
themselves  ;  others  mistrust  him  because  he  wears  a  fine 
coat  ;  and  some  pretend  to  laugh  at  him  because  he  got 
his  property  from  his  father,  and  grand'ther,  and  so  on, 
and  didn't  make  it  himself.  Accordin'  to  some  folks'  no- 
tions, nowadays,  a  man  ought  to  enj'y  only  the  property 
he  heaps  together  himself." 

"  If  dis  be  so,  your  Herr  Littlebage  ist  no  arisdograt." 

"  Wa-a-1,  that  isn't  the  idee,  hereaway.  We  have  had  a 
great  many  meetin's,  latterly,  about  the  right  of  the  peo* 
pie  to  their  farms  ;  and  there  has  been  a  good  deal  of  talk 
at  them  meetin's  consarnin'  aristocracy  and  feudal  tenors  ; 
do  you  know  what  a  feudal  tenor  is  ?  " 

"  Ja  ;  dere  ist  moch  of  dat  in  Teutchland — in  mine 
coontry.  It  ist  not  ferry  easy  to  explain  it  in  a  few  vords, 
but  der  brincipal  ding  ist  dat  der  vassal  o\ves  a  serfice  to 
hist  lort.  in  de  olten  dimes  dis  serfice  vast  military,  und 


THE   REDSKINS.  137 

dere  ist  someding  of  dat  now.  It  1st  de  noples  who  owe 
der  feudal  serfice,  brincipally,  in  mine  coontry,  and  dey 
owes  it  to  the  kings  and  brinces." 

"  And  don't  you  call  giving  a  chicken  for  rent  feudal 
service,  in  Germany?" 

Uncle  Ro  and  I  laughed,  in  spite  of  our  efforts  to  the 
contrary,  there  being  a  bathos  in  this  question  that  was 
supremely  ridiculous.  Curbing  his  merriment,  however, 
as  soon  as  he  could,  my  uncle  answered  the  question. 

"  If  der  landlort  has  a  right  to  coome  and  dake  as  many 
chickens  as  he  bleases,  und  ast  often  ast  he  bleases,  den  dat 
wouldt  look  like  a  feudal  right  ;  but  if  de  lease  says  dat 
so  many  chickens  moost  be  paid  a  year,  for  der  rent,  vhy 
dat  ist  all  der  same  as  baying  so  much  moneys  ;  und  it 
might  be  easier  for  der  tenant  to  bay  in  chicken  ast  it 
might  be  to  bay  in  der  silver.  Vhen  a  man  canst  bay  his 
debts  in  vhat  he  makes  himself,  he  ist  ferry  interpentent." 

"  It  does  seem  so,  I  vow  !  Yet  there's  folks  about  here 
and  some  at  Albany,  that  call  it  feudal  for  a  man  to  have 
to  carry  a  pair  of  fowls  to  the  landlord's  office,  and  the 
landlord  an  aristocrat  for  asking  it ! " 

"  But  der  man  canst  sent  a  poy,  or  a  gal,  or  a  nigger  wid 
his  fowls,  if  he  bleases  ?" 

"  Sartain  ;  all  that  is  asked  is  that  the  fowls  should 
come." 

"  Und  vhen  der  batroon  might  owe  hist  tailor,  or  hist 
shoemaker,  must  he  not  go  to  hist  shop,  or  find  him  and 
bay  him  vhat  he  owes,  or  be  suet  for  der  debt  ?  " 

"  That's  true,  too  ;  boys,  put  me  in  mind  of  telling  that 
to  Josh,  this  evening.  Yes,  the  greatest  landlord  in  the 
land  must  hunt  up  his  creditor,  or  be  sued,  all  the  same  as 
the  lowest  tenant." 

"  Und  he  most  bay  in  a  partic'lar  ding  ;  he  most  bay  in 
golt  or  silver  ?  " 

"  True  ;  lawful  tender  is  as  good  for  one  as  'tis  for 
t'other." 

"  Und  if  your  Herr  Littlebage  signs  a  baper  agreein'  to 
gif  der  apples  from  dat  orchart  to  somebody  on  his  landts, 
most  he  send  or  carry  der  apples,  too  ?  " 

"  To  be  sure  ;  that  would  be  the  bargain." 

"Und  he  most  carry  der  ferry  apples  dat  grows  on  dem 
ferry  drees,  might  it  not  be  so  ?" 

"All  true  as  gospel.  If  a  man  contracts  to  sell  the 
apples  of  one  orchard,  he  can't  put  off  the  purchaser  with 
the  apples  of  another." 


138  THE  REDSKINS. 

"  Und  der  law  ist  der  same  for  one  ast  for  anudder^  in 
dese  t'ings  ? " 

"There  is  no  difference  ;  and  there  should  be  none." 

"  Und  der  batroons  und  der  landlordts  wants  to  haf  der 
law  changet,  so  dat  dey  may  be  excuset  from  baying  der 
debts  accordin'  to  der  bargains,  und  to  gif  dem  advantages 
over  der  poor  tenants  ? " 

"  I  never  heard  anything  of  the  sort,  and  don't  believe 
they  want  any  such  change." 

"  Of  vhat,  den,  dost  der  beople  complain  ?  " 

"  Of  having  to  pay  rent  at  all  ;  they  think  the  landlords 
ought  to  be  made  to  sell  their  farms,  or  give  them  away. 
Some  stand  out  for  the  last." 

"  But  der  landlordts  don't  vant  to  sell  deir  farms  ;  und 
dey  might  not  be  made  to  sell  vhat  ist  deir  own,  and  vhat 
dey  don't  vant  to  sell,  any  more  dan  der  tenants  might  be 
made  to  sell  deir  hogs  and  deir  sheep,  vhen  dey  don't  vant 
to  sell  dem." 

"It  does  seem  so,  boys,  as  I've  told  the  neighbors,  all 
along.  But  I'll  tell  this  Dutchman  all  about  it,  Some 
folks  want  the  State  to  look  a'ter  the  title  of  young  Little- 
page,  pretending  he  has  no  title." 

"  But  der  State  wilt  do  dat  widout  asking  for  it  particu- 
larly, vill  it  not  ? " 

"  I  never  heard  that  it  would." 

"  If  anybody  hast  a  claim  to  der  broperty,  vilt  not  der 
courts  try  it  ? " 

"  Yes,  yes — in  that  way  ;  but  a  tenant  can't  set  up  a  title 
ag'n  his  landlord." 

"  Vhy  should  he  ?  He  canst  haf  no  title  but  his  land- 
lort's,  and  it  vould  be  roguery  and  cheatery  to  let  a  man 
get  into  der  bossession  of  a  farm  under  der  pretence  of 
hiring  it,  und  den  come  out  und  claim  it  as  owner.  If  any 
tenant  dinks  he  hast  a  better  right  dan  his  landlort,  he  can 
put  der  farm  vhere  it  vast  before  he  might  be  a  tenant,  und 
den  der  State  wilt  examine  into  der  title,  I  fancy." 

"  Yes,  yes — in  that  way  ;  but  these  men  want  it  another 
way.  What  they  want  is,  for  the  State  to  set  up  a  legal 
examination,  and  turn  the  landlords  off  altogether,  if  they 
can,  and  then  let  themselves  have  the  farms  in  their  stead." 

"  But  dat  would  not  be  honest  to  dem  dat  hafen't  noth- 
ing to  do  wid  der  farms.  If  der  State  owns  der  farms,  it 
ought  to  get  as  moch  as  it  can  for  dem,  and  so  safe  all  der 
people  from  baying  taxes.  It  looks  like  roguery,  all 
roundt" 


THE  REDSKItfS.  139 

"  I  believe  it  is  that,  and  nothing  else  !  As  you  say, 
the  State  will  examine  into  the  title  as  it  is,  and  there  is 
no  need  of  any  laws  about  it." 

"Would  der  State,  dink  you,  pass  a  law  dat  might  in- 
quire into  de  demands  dat  are  made  against  der  batroons, 
vhen  der  tratesman  sent  in  deir  bills  ? " 

"  I  should  like  to  see  any  patroon  ask  sich  a  thing  !  He 
would  be  laughed  at  from  York  to  Buffalo." 

"  Und  he  would  desarf  if.  By  vhat  I  see,  frient,  your 
denants  be  der  arisdograts,  und  der  landlordts  der  vassals." 

"  Why,  you  see — what  may  your  name  be  ? — as  we're 
likely  to  become  acquainted,  I  should  like  to  know  your 
name." 

"  My  name  is  Greisenbach,  und  I  comes  from  Preussen." 

"Well,  Mr.  Greisenbach,  the  difficulty  about  aristocracy 
is  this  :  Hugh  Littlepage  is  rich,  and  his  money  gives  him 
advantages  that  other  men  can't  enj'y.  Now,  that  sticks 
in  some  folks'  crops." 

"  Oh  !  den  it  ist  meant  to  divite  broperty  in  dis  coontry  ; 
und  to  say  no  man  might  haf  more  ast  anudder !" 

"  Folks  don't  go  quite  as  far  as  that,  yet  ;  though  some 
of  their  talk  does  squint  that-a-way,  I  must  own.  Now, 
there  are  folks  about  here  that  complain  that  old  Madam 
Littlepage  and  her  young  ladies  don't  visit  the  poor." 

"Veil,  if  deys  be  hard-hearted,  und  hast  no  feelin's  for 
der  poor  and  miseraple  " 

"  No,  no  ;  that  is  not  what  I  mean,  neither.  As  for  that 
sort  of  poor,  everybody  allows  they  do  more  for  them  than 
anybody  else  about  here.  But  they  don't  visit  the  poor 
that  isn't  in  want." 

"Veil,  it  ist  a  ferry  coomfortable  sort  of  poor  dat  ist  not 
in  any  vant.  Berhaps  you  mean  dey  don't  associate  wid 
'em,  as  equals  ? " 

"  That's  it.  Now,  on  that  head,  I  must  say  there  is  some 
truth  in  the  charge,  for  the  gals  over  at  the  Nest  never 
come  here  to  visit  my  gal,  and  Kitty  is  as  nice  a  young 
thing  as  there  is  about." 

"  Und  Gitty  goes  to  visit  the  gal  of  the  man  who  lives 
over  yonter,  in  de  house  on  der  hill  ?"  pointing  to  a  resi- 
dence of  a  man  of  the  very  humblest  class  in  the  town. 

"  Hardly  !  Kitty's  by  no  means  proud,  but  I  shouldn't 
like  her  to  be  too  thick  there." 

"-Oh!  you're  an  arisdograt,  den,  after  all;  else  might 
your  daughter  visit  dat  man's  daughter." 

"  I  tell  you,  Grunzebach,  or  whatever  your  name  may 


140  THE  REDSKINS. 

be,"  returned  Miller,  a  little  angrily,  though  a  particularly 
good-natured  man  in  the  main,  "  that  my  gal  shall  not  visit 
old  Steven's  da'ghters." 

"Veil,  I'm  sure  she  might  do  as  she  bleases  ;  but  I 
dinks  der  Mademoiselles  Littlepage  might  do  ast  dey 
pleases,  too." 

"  There  is  but  one  Littlepage  gal  ;  if  you  saw  them  out 
this  morning  in  the  carriage,  you  saw  two  York  gals  and 
parson  Warren's  da'ghter  with  her." 

"  Und  dis  parson  Warren  might  be  rich,  too  ? " 

"  Not  he  ;  he  hasn't  a  sixpence  on  'arth  but  what  he  gets 
from  the  parish.  Why,  he  is  so  poor  his  friends  had  to  edi- 
cate  his  da'ghter,  I  have  heern  say,  over  and  over ! " 

"  Und  das  Littlepage  gal  und  de  Warren  gal  might  be 
goot  friends  ? " 

"They  are  the  thickest  together  of  any  two  young 
women  in  this  part  of  the  world.  I've  never  seen  two  gals 
more  intimate.  Now,  there's  a  young  lady  in  the  town, 
one  Opportunity  Newcome,  who,  one  might  think,  would 
stand  before  Mary  Warren  at  the  big  house,  any  day  in 
the  week,  but  she  doesn't !  Mary  takes  all  the  shine  out 
on  her." 

"Which  ist  der  richest,  Obbordunity  or  Mary?" 

"  By  all  accounts  Mary  Warren  has  nothing,  while  Op- 
portunity is  thought  to  come  next  to  Matty  herself,  as  to 
property,  of  all  the  young  gals  about  here.  But  Oppor- 
tunity is  no  favorite  at  the  Nest." 

"  Den  it  would  seem,  after  all,  dat  dis  Miss  Littlebage 
does  not  choose  her  friends  on  account  of  riches.  She  likes 
Mary  Warren,  who  ist  boor,  und  she  does  not  like  Obbor- 
dunity, who  ist  veil  to  do  in  de  vorlt.  Berhaps  der  Little- 
pages  be  not  as  big  arisdograts  as  you  supposes." 

Miller  was  bothered,  while  I  felt  a  disposition  to  laugh. 
One  of  the  commonest  errors  of  those  who,  from  position 
and  habits,  are  unable  to  appreciate  the  links  which  con- 
nect cultivated  society  together,  is  to  refer  everything  to 
riches.  Riches,  in  a  certain  sense,  as  a  means  and  through 
their  consequences,  may  be  a  principal  agent  in  dividing 
society  into  classes ;  but,  long  after  riches  have  taken 
wings,  their  fruits  remain,  when  good  use  has  been  made 
of  their  presence.  So  untrue  is  the  vulgar  opinion — or  it 
might  be  better  to  say  the  opinion  of  the  vulgar — that 
money  is  the  one  tie  which  unites  polished  society,  that  it 
is  a  fact  which  all  must  know  who  have  access  to  the  bet- 
ter circles,  of  even  our  own  commercial  towns,  that  those 


THE  REDSKIN'S.  141 

circles,  loosely  and  accidentally  constructed  as  they  are. 
receive  with  reluctance,  nay,  often  sternly  exclude,  vul- 
gar wealth  from  their  associations,  while  the  door  is  open 
to  the  cultivated  who  have  nothing.  The  young,  in  par- 
ticular, seldom  think  much  of  money,  while  family  con- 
nections, early  communications,  similarity  of  opinions, 
and,  most  of  all,  of  tastes,  bring  sets  together,  and  often 
keep  them  together  long  after  the  golde.n  band  has  been 
broken. 

But  men  have  great  difficulty  in  comprehending  things 
that  lie  beyond  their  reach  ;  and  money  being  apparent  to 
the  senses,  while  refinement,  through  its  infinite  gradations, 
is  visible  principally,  and  in  some  cases  exclusively,  to  its 
possessors,  it  is  not  surprising  that  common  minds  should 
refer  a  tie  that,  to  them,  would  otherwise  be  mysterious, 
to  the  more  glittering  influence,  and  not  to  the  less  ob- 
vious. Infinite,  indeed,  are  the  gradations  of  cultivated 
habits  ;  nor  are  as  many  of  them  the  fruits  of  caprice  and 
self-indulgence  as  men  usually  suppose.  There  is  a  com- 
mon sense,  nay,  a  certain  degree  of  wisdom,  in  the  laws 
of  even  etiquette,  while  they  are  confined  to  equals,  that 
bespeak  the  respect  of  those  who  understand  them.  As 
for  the  influence  of  associations  on  men's  manners,  on 
their  exteriors,  and  even  on  their  opinions,  my  uncle  Ro 
has  long  maintained  that  it  is  so  apparent,  that  one  of  his 
time  of  life  could  detect  the  man  of  the  world,  at  such  a 
place  as  Saratoga  even,  by  an  intercourse  of  five  minutes  ; 
and  what  is  more,  that  he  could  tell  the  class  in  life  from 
which  he  originally  emerged.  He  tried  it,  the  last  sum- 
mer, on  our  return  from  Ravensnest,  and  I  was  amused 
with  his  success,  though  he  made  a  few  mistakes,  it  must 
be  admitted. 

"  That  young  man  comes  from  the  better  circles,  but 
he  has  never  travelled,"  he  said,  alluding  to  one  of  a  group 
which  still  remained  at  table  ;  "  while  he  who  is  next  him 
has  travelled,  but  commenced  badly."  This  may  seem  a 
very  nice  distinction,  but  I  think  it  is  easily  made.  "There 
are  two  brothers,  of  an  excellent  family  in  Pennsylvania," 
he  continued,  "  as  one  might  know  from  the  name  ;  the 
eldest  has  travelled,  the  youngest  has  not."  This  was  a 
still  harder  distinction  to  make,  but  one  who  knew  the 
world  as  well  as  my  uncle  Ro  could  do  it.  He  went  on  amus- 
ing me  by  his  decisions — all  of  which  were  respectable, 
and  some  surprisingly  accurate — in  this  way  for  several 
minutes.  Now,  like  has  an  affinity  to  like,  and  in  this 


142  THE  REDSKINS. 

natural  attraction  is  to  be  found  the  secret  of  the  ordinary 
construction  of  society.  You  shall  put  two  men  of  superior 
minds  in  a  room  full  of  company,  and  they  will  find  each 
other  out  directly,  and  enjoy  the  accident.  The  same  is 
true  as  to  the  mere  modes  of  thinking  that  characterize 
social  castes  ;  and  it  is  truer  in  this  country,  perhaps,  than 
most  others,  from  the  mixed  character  of  our  associations. 
Of  the  two,  I  am  really  of  opinion  that  the  man  of  high 
intellect,  who  meets  with  one  of  moderate  capacity,  but 
of  manners  and  social  opinions  on  a  level  with  his  own, 
has  more  pleasure  in  the  communication  than  with  one  of 
equal  mind,  but  of  inferior  habits. 

That  Patt  should  cling  to  one  like  Mary  Warren  seemed 
to  me  quite  as  natural  as  that  she  should  be  averse  to  much 
association  with  Opportunity  Newcome.  The  money  of 
the  latter,  had  my  sister  been  in  the  least  liable  to  sucli 
an  influence,  was  so  much  below  what  she  had  been  ac- 
customed, all  her  life,  to  consider  affluence,  that  it  would 
have  had  no  effect,  even  had  she  been  subject  to  so  low 
a  consideration  in  regulating  her  intercourse  with  others. 
But  this  poor  Tom  Miller  could  not  understand.  He  could 
"only  reason  from  what  he  knew,"  and  he  knew  little  of 
the  comparative  notions  of  wealth,  and  less  of  the  powers 
of  cultivation  on  the  mind  and  manners.  He  was  struck, 
however,  with  a  fact  that  did  come  completely  within  the 
circle  of  his  own  knowledge,  and  that  was  the  circumstance 
that  Mary  Warren,  while  admitted  to  be  poor,  was  the  bosom 
friend  of  her  whom  he  was  pleased  to  call,  sometimes,  the 
"  Littlepage  gal."  It  was  easy  to  see  he  felt  the  force  of 
this  circumstance  ;  and  it  is  to  be  hoped  that,  as  he  was 
certainly  a  wiser,  he  also  became  a  better  man,  on  one  of 
the  most  common  of  the  weaknesses  of  human  frailty. 

"Wa-a-1,"  he  replied  to  my  uncle's  last  remark,  after 
fully  a  minute  of  silent  reflection,  "  I  don't  know !  It 
would  seem  so,  I  vow  ;  and  yet  it  hasn't  been  my  wife's 
notion,  nor  is  it  Kitty's.  You're  quite  upsetting  my  idees 
about  aristocrats  ;  for  though  I  like  the  Littlepages,  I've 
always  set  'em  down  as  desp'rate  aristocrats.' 

"Nein,  nein  ;  dem  as  vat  you  calls  dimigogues  be  der 
American  arisdograts.  Dey  gets  all  der  money  of  der 
pooblic,  und  haf  all  der  power,  but  dey  gets  a  little  mads 
because  dey  might  not  force  demselves  on  der  gentlemen 
and  laties  of  der  coontry,  as  well  as  on  der  lands  und  der 
offices  !  " 

"  I  swan  !    I  don't  know  but  this   may  be   true  !     A'tef 


TffK   REDSKINS.  143 

all,  I  don't  know  what  right  anybody  has  to  complain  of 
the  Littlepages." 

"  Does  dey  dreat  beoples  veil,  as  might  coome  to  see 
dem  ? " 

"  Yes,  indeed  !  if  folks  treat  them  well,  as  sometimes 
doesn't  happen.  I've  seen  hogs  here  " — Tom  was  a  little 
Saxon  in  his  figures,  but  their  nature  will  prove  their  justi- 
fication— "  I've  seen  hogs  about  here,  bolt  right  in  before 
old  Madam  Littlepage,  and  draw  their  chairs  up  to  her 
fire,  and  squirt  about  the  tobacco,  and  never  think  of  even 
taking  off  their  hats.  Them  folks  be  always  huffy  about 
their  own  importance,  though  they  never  think  of  other 
people's  feelin's." 

We  were  interrupted  by  the  sound  of  wheels,  and  look- 
ing round,  we  perceived  that  the  carriage  of  my  grand- 
mother had  driven  up  to  the  farm-house  door,  on  its  return 
home.  Miller  conceived  it  to  be  no  more  than  proper  to 
go  and  see  if  he  were  wanted,  and  we  followed  him  slowly, 
it  being  the  intention  of  my  uncle  to  offer  his  mother  a 
watch,  by  way  of  ascertaining  if  she  could  penetrate  his 
disguise. 


CHAPTER  X. 

"  Will  you  buy  any  tape, 
Or  lace  for  your  cape  ? — 
Come  to  the  peddler, 
Money's  a  meddler 
That  doth  utter  all  men's  ware-a."—  Winter's  Tale. 

THERE  they  sat,  those  four  young  creatures,  a  perfect 
galaxy  of  bright  and  beaming  eyes.  There  was  not  a  plain 
face  among  them  ;  and  I  was  struck  with  the  circumstance 
of  how  rare  it  was  to  meet  with  a  youthful  and  positively 
ugly  American  female.  Kitty,  too,  was  at  the  door  by  the 
time  we  reached  the  carriage,  and  she  also  was  a  blooming 
and  attractive-looking  girl.  It  was  a  thousand  pities  that 
she  spoke,  however  ;  the  vulgarity  of  her  utterance,  tone 
of  voice,  cadences,  and  accents,  the  latter  a  sort  of  singing 
whine,  being  in  striking  contrast  to  a  sort  of  healthful  and 
vigorous  delicacy  that  marked  her  appearance.  All  the 
bright  eyes  grew  brighter  as  I  drew  nearer,  carrying  the 
flute  in  my  hand  ;  but  neither  of  the  young  ladies  spoke. 

"Buy  a  vatch,  ma'ams,"  said  uncle  Ro,  approaching  his 
mother,  cap  in  hand,  with  his  box  open. 


144  THE  REDSKINS. 

"  I  thank  you,  friend  ;  but  I  believe  all  here  are  provid 
ed  with  watches  already." 

"  Mine  ist  ferry  sheaps." 

"  I  dare  say  they  may  be,"  returned  dear  grandmother, 
smiling  ;  "  though  cheap  watches  are  not  usually  the  best. 
Is  that  very  pretty  pencil  gold  ? " 

"Yes,  ma'ams  ;  it  ist  of  goot  gold.  If  it  might  not  be  1 
might  not  say  so." 

I  saw  suppressed  smiles  among  the  girls  ;  all  of  whom, 
however,  were  too  well-bred  to  betray  to  common  ob- 
servers the  sense  of  the  ridiculous  that  each  felt  at 
the  equivoque  that  suggested  itself  in  my  uncle's 
words. 

"  What  is  the  price  of  this  pencil  ? "  asked  my  grand- 
mother. 

Uncle  Roger  had  too  much  tact  to  think  of  inducing 
his  mother  to  take  a  purchase  as  he  had  influenced  Miller, 
and  he  mentioned  something  near  the  true  value  of  the 
"  article,"  which  was  fifteen  dollars. 

"  I  will  take  it,"  returned  my  grandmother,  dropping 
three  half-eagles  into  the  box  ;  when,  turning  to  Mary 
Warren,  she  begged  her  acceptance  of  the  pencil,  with  as 
much  respect  in  her  manner  as  if  she  solicited  instead  of 
conferred  a  favor. 

Mary  Warren's  handsome  face  was  covered  with  blushes  ; 
she  looked  pleased,  and  she  accepted  the  offering,  though 
I  thought  she  hesitated  one  moment  about  the  propriety 
of  so  doing,  most  probably  on  account  of  its  value.  My 
sister  asked  to  look  at  this  little  present,  and  after  admir- 
ing it,  it  passed  from  hand  to  hand,  each  praising  its  shape 
and  ornaments.  All  my  uncle's  wares,  indeed,  were  in 
perfect  good  taste,  the  purchase  having  been  made  of  an 
importer  of  character,  and  paid  for  at  some  cost.  The 
watches,  it  is  true,  were,  with  one  or  two  exceptions,  cheap, 
as  were  most  of  the  trinkets  ;  but  my  uncle  had  about  his 
person  a  watch  or  two,  and  some  fine  jewelry,  that  he  had 
brought  from  Europe  himself,  expressly  to  bestow  in  pres- 
ents, among  which  had  been  the  pencil  in  question,  and 
which  he  had  dropped  into  the  box  but  a  moment  before 
it  was  sold. 

"  Wa-a-1,  Madam  Littlepage,"  cried  Miller,  who  used  the 
familiarity  of  one  born  on  the  estate,  "  this  is  the  queerest 
watch-pedler  I've  met  with  yet.  He  asks  fifteen  dollars 
for  that  pencil,  and  only  four  for  this  watch  !"  showing  his 
own  purchase  as  he  concluded. 


THE   REDSKINS.  145 

My  grandmother  took  the  watch  in  her  hand,  and  ex 
amined  it  attentively. 

"It  strikes  me  as  singularly  cheap!"  she  remarked, 
glancing  a  little  distrustfully,  as  I  fancied,  at  her  son,  as  if 
she  thought  he  might  be  selling  his  brushes  cheaper  than 
those  who  only  stole  the  materials,  because  he  stole  them 
ready  made.  "I  know  that  these  watches  are  made  for 
very  little  in  the  cheap  countries  of  Europe,  but  one  can 
hardly  see  how  this  machinery  was  put 'together  for  so 
small  a  sum." 

"  I  has  'em,  matam,  at  all  brices,"  put  in  my  uncle. 

"  I  have  a  strong  desire  to  purchase  %.good  lady's  watch, 
but  should  a  little  fear  buying  of  any  but  a  known  and  reg- 
ular dealer." 

"  You  needn't  fear  us,  ma'am,"  I  ventured  to  say.  "  If  we 
might  sheat  anypodies,  we  shouldn't  sheat  so  goot  a  laty." 

I  do  not  know  whether  my  voice  struck  Patt's  ear  pleas- 
antly, or  a  wish  to  see  the  project  of  her  grandmother  car- 
ried out  at  once  induced  my  sister  to  interfere  ;  but  interfere 
she  did,  and  that  by  urging  her  aged  parent  to  put  confi- 
dence in  us.  Years  had  taught  my  grandmother  caution, 
and  she  hesitated. 

"  But  all  these  watches  are  of  base  metal,  and  I  want  one 
of  good  gold  and  handsome  finish,"  observed  my  grand- 
mother. 

My  uncle  immediately  produced  a  watch  that  he  had 
bought  of  Blondel,  in  Paris,  for  five  hundred  francs,  and 
which  was  a  beautiful  little  ornament  for  a  lady's  belt. 
He  gave  it  to  my  grandmother,  who  read  the  name  of  the 
manufacturer  with  some  little  surprise.  The  watch  itself 
was  then  examined  attentively,  and  was  applauded  by  all. 

"  And  what  may  be  the  price  of  this  ? "  demanded  my 
grandmother. 

"  One  hoondred  dollars,  matam  :  and  sheaps  at  dat" 

Tom  Miller  looked  at  the  bit  of  tinsel  in  his  own  hand, 
and  at  the  smaller,  but  exquisitely-shaped  "  article  "  that 
my  grandmother  held  up  to  look  at,  suspended  by  its  bit 
of  ribbon,  and  was  quite  as  much  puzzled  as  he  had  evi- 
dently been  a  little  while  before,  in  his  distinctions  between 
the  rich  and  the  poor.  Tom  was  not  able  to  distinguish 
the  base  from  the  true  ;  that  was  all. 

My  grandmother  did  not  appear  at  all  alarmed  at  the 
price,  though  she  cast  another  distrustful  glance  or  two 
over   her  spectacles  at  the  imaginary  pedler.     At  length 
the  beauty  of  the  watch  overcame  her. 
fo 


146  THE   REDSKINS. 

"  If  you  will  bring  this  watch  to  yonder  large  dwelling, 
I  will  pay  you  the  hundred  dollars  for  it,"  she  said  ;  "  I 
have  not  as  much  money  with  me  here." 

"Ja,  ja — ferry  goot  ;  you  might  keep  das  vatch,  laty, 
und  I  will  coome  for  der  money  after  I  haf  got  some  din- 
ners of  somebodys." 

My  grandmother  had  no  scruple  about  accepting  of  the 
credit,  of  course,  and  she  was  about  to  put  the  watch  in 
her  pocket,  when  Patt  laid  her  little  gloved  hand  on  it, 
and  cried  — 

"  Now,  dearest  grandmother,  let  it  be  done  at  once — 
there  is  no  one  but  us  three  present,  you  know !  " 

"  Such  is  the  impatience  of  a  child  !  "  exclaimed  the 
elder  lady,  laughing.  "  Well,  you  shall  be  indulged.  I 
gave  you  that  pencil  for  a  keepsake,  Mary,  only  en  attend- 
ant, it  having  been  my  intention  to  offer  a  watch,  as  soon 
as  a  suitable  one  could  be  found,  as  a  memorial  of  the 
sense  I  entertain  of  the  spirit  you  showed  during  that  dark 
week  in  which  the  anti-renters  were  so  menacing.  Here, 
then,  is  such  a  watch  as  I  might  presume  to  ask  you  to 
have  the  goodness  to  accept." 

Mary  Warren  seemed  astounded !  The  color  mounted 
to  her  temples  ;  then  she  became  suddenly  pale.  I  had 
never  seen  so  pretty  a  picture  of  gentle  female  distress — a 
distress  that  arose  from  conflicting,  but  creditable  feelings. 

"Oh!  Mrs.  Littlepage  !  "  she  exclaimed,  after  looking 
in  astonishment  at  the  offering  for  a  moment,  and  in  silence. 
"  You  cannot  have  intended  that  beautiful  watch  for  me  !  " 

"  For  you,  my  dear  ;  the  beautiful  watch  is  not  a  whit 
too  good  for  my  beautiful  Mary." 

"But,  dear,  dear  Mrs.  Littlepage,  it  is  altogether  too 
handsome  for  my  station — for  my  means." 

"  A  lady  can  very  well  wear  such  a  watch  ;  and  you  are 
a  lady  in  every  sense  of  the  word,  and  so  you  need  have 
no  scruples  on  that  account.  As  for  the  means,  you  will 
not  misunderstand  me  if  I  remind  you  that  it  will  be  bought 
with  my  means,  and  there  can  be  no  extravagance  in  the 
purchase." 

"  But  we  are  so  poor,  and  that  watch  has  so  rich  an  ap- 
pearance !  It  scarcely  seems  right." 

"I  respect  your  feelings  and  sentiments,  my  dear  girl, 
and  can  appreciate  them.  I  suppose  you  know  I  was  once 
as  poor,  nay,  much  poorer  than  you  are  yourself." 

"You,  Mrs.  Littlepage  !  No,  that  can  hardly  be.  You 
are  of  an  affluent  and  very  respectable  family,  I  know." 


THE   REDSKINS.  147 

"  It  is  quite  true,  nevertheless,  my  dear.  I  shall  not  af- 
fect extreme  humility,  and  deny  that  the  Malbones  did  and 
do  belong  to  the  gentry  of  the  land,  but  my  brother  and 
myself  were  once  so  much  reduced  as  to  toil  with  the  sur- 
veyors, in  the  woods,  quite  near  this  property.  We  had 
then  no  claim  superior  to  yours,  and  in  many  respects  were 
reduced  much  lower.  Besides,  the  daughter  of  an  educated 
and  well-connected  clergyman  has  claims  that,  in  a  world- 
ly point  of  view  alone,  entitle  her  to  a  certain  consideration. 
You  will  do  me  the  favor  to  accept  my  offering  ?  " 

"Dear  Mrs.  Littlepage  !  I  do  not  know  how  to  refuse 
you,  or  how  to  accept  so  rich  a  gift  !  You  will  let  me  con- 
sult my  father,  first  ?  " 

"  That  will  be  no  more  than  proper,  my  dear,"  returned 
my  beloved  grandmother,  quietly  putting  the  watch  into 
her  own  pocket ;  "  Mr.  Warren,  luckily,  dines  with  us,  and 
the  matter  can  be  settled  before  we  sit  down  to  table  " 

This  ended  the  discussion,  which  had  commenced  under 
an  impulse  of  feeling  that  left  us  all  its  auditors.  As  for 
my  uncle  and  myself,  it  is  scarcely  necessary  to  say  we 
were  delighted  with  the  little  scene.  The  benevolent  wish 
to  gratify,  on  the  one  side,  with  the  natural  scruples  on 
the  other,  about  receiving,  made  a  perfect  picture  for  our 
contemplation.  The  three  girls,  who  were  witnesses  of 
what  passed,  too  much  respected  Mary's  feelings  to  inter- 
fere, though  Patt  restrained  herself  with  difficulty.  As  to 
Tom  Miller  and  Kitty,  they  doubtless  wondered  why  "War- 
ren's gal  "  was  such  a  fool  as  to  hesitate  about  accepting 
a  watch  that  was  worth  a  hundred  dollars.  This  was  an- 
other point  they  did  not  understand. 

"You  spoke  of  dinner,"  continued  my  grandmother, 
looking  at  my  uncle.  "  If  you  and  your  companion  will 
follow  us  to  the  house,  I  will  pay  you  for  the  watch,  and 
order  you  a  dinner  in  the  bargain." 

We  were  right  down  glad  to  accept  this  offer,  making 
our  bows  and  expressing  our  thanks,  as  the  carriage 
whirled  off.  We  remained  a  moment,  to  take  our  leave  of 
Miller. 

"  When  you've  got  through  at  the  Nest,"  said  that  semi- 
worthy  fellow,  "give  us  another  call  here.  I  should  like 
my  woman  and  Kitty  to  have  a  look  at  your  finery,  before 
you  go  down  to  the  village  with  it." 

With  a  promise  to  return  to  the  farm-house,  we  proceed- 
ed on  our  way  to  the  building  which,  in  the  familiar  par- 
lance of  the  country,  was  called  the  Nest,  or  the  Nest 


148  THE  REDSKIN'S. 

house,  from  Ravensnest,  its  true  name,  and  which  Tom 
Miller,  in  his  country  dialect,  called  the  "  Neest."  The 
distance  between  the  two  buildings  was  less  than  half  a 
mile,  the  grounds  of  the  family  residence  lying  partly  be- 
tween them.  Many  persons  would  have  called  the  exten- 
sive lawns  which  surrounded  my  paternal  abode  a  park, 
but  it  never  bore  that  name  with  us.  They  were  too  large 
for  a  paddock,  and  might  very  well  have  come  under  the 
former  appellation  ;  but,  as  deer,  or  animals  of  any  sort, 
except  those  that  are  domestic,  had  never  been  kept  within 
it,  the  name  had  not  been  used.  We  called  them  the 
grounds — a  term  which  applies  equally  to  large  and  small 
enclosures  of  this  nature — while  the  broad  expanse  of 
verdure  which  lies  directly  under  the  windows  goes  by  the 
name  of  the  lawn.  Notwithstanding  the  cheapness  of  land 
among  us,  there  has  been  very  little  progress  made  in  the 
art  of  landscape  gardening  ;  and  if  we  have  anything  like 
park  scenery,  it  is  far  more  owing  to  the  gifts  of  a  bounti- 
ful nature  than  to  any  of  the  suggestions  of  art.  Thanks 
to  the  cultivated  taste  of  Downing,  as  well  as  to  his  well- 
directed  labors,  this  reproach  is  likely  to  be  soon  removed, 
and  country  life  will  acquire  this  pleasure,  among  the 
many  others  that  are  so  peculiarly  its  own.  After  lying 
for  more  than  twenty  years — a  stigma  on  the  national  taste 
— disfigured  by  ravines  or  gullies,  and  otherwise  in  a  rude 
and  discreditable  condition,  the  grounds  of  the  White 
House  have  been  brought  into  a  condition  to  denote  that 
they  are  the  property  of  a  civilized  country.  The  Ameri- 
cans are  as  apt  at  imitation  as  the  Chinese,  with  a  far 
greater  disposition  to  admit  of  change  ;  and  little  beyond 
good  models  is  required  to  set  them  on  the  right  track.  But 
it  is  certain  that,  as  a  nation,  we  have  yet  to  acquire  nearly 
all  that  belongs  to  the  art  I  have  mentioned  that  lies  be- 
yond avenues  of  trees,  with  an  occasional  tuft  of  shrubbery. 
The  abundance  of  the  latter,  that  forms  the  wilderness  of 
sweets,  the  masses  of  flowers  that  spot  the  surface  of  Eu- 
rope, the  beauty  of  curved  lines,  and  the  whole  finesse  of 
surprises,  reliefs,  backgrounds  and  vistas,  are  things  so  lit- 
tle known  among  us  as  to  be  almost  "  arisdogratic,"  as  my 
uncle  Ro  would  call  the  word. 

Little  else  had  been  done  at  Ravensnest  than  to  profit  by 
the  native  growth  of  the  trees,  and  to  take  advantage  of 
the  favorable  circumstances  in  the  formation  of  the 
grounds.  Most  travellers  imagine  thmt  it  might  be  an  easy 
thing  to  lay  out  a  park  in  the  virgin  forest,  as  the  axe 


THE  REDSKINS.       .  149 

might  spare  the  thickets,  and  copses,  and  woods,  that  else- 
where are  the  fruits  of  time  and  planting.  This  is  all  a 
mistake,  however,  as  the  rule  ;  though  modified  exceptions 
may  and  do  exist.  The  tree  of  the  American  forest  shoots 
upward  toward  the  light,  growing  so  tall  and  slender  as  to 
be  unsightly  ;  and  even  when  time  has  given  its  trunk  a 
due  size,  the  top  is  rarely  of  a  breadth  to  ornament  a  park 
or  a  lawn,  while  its  roots,  seeking  their  nourishment  in  the 
rich  alluvium  formed  by  the  decayed  leaves  of  a  thousand 
years,  lie  too  near  the  surface  to  afford  sufficient  support 
after  losing  the  shelter  of  its  neighbors.  It  is  owing  to 
reasons  like  these  that  the  ornamental  grounds  of  an 
American  country-house  have  usually  to  be  commenced 
ab  origine,  and  that  natural  causes  so  little  aid  in  furnish- 
ing them. 

My  predecessors  had  done  a  little  toward  assisting  na- 
ture, at  the  Nest,  and  what  was  of  almost  equal  importance, 
in  the  state  of  knowledge  on  this  subject  as  it  existed  in 
the  country  sixty  years  since,  they  had  done  little  to  mar 
her  efforts.  The  results  were,  that  the  grounds  of  Ravens- 
nest  possess  a  breadth  that  is  the  fruit  of  the  breadth  of 
our  lands,  and  a  rural  beauty  which,  without  being  much 
aided  by  art,  was  still  attractive.  The  herbage  was  kept 
short  by  sheep,  of  which  one  thousand,  of  the  fine  wool, 
were  feeding  on  the  lawns,  along  the  slopes,  and  particu- 
larly on  the  distant  heights,  as  we  crossed  the  grounds  on 
our  way  to  the  doors. 

The  Nest  house  was  a  respectable  New  York  country 
dwelling,  as  such  buildings  were  constructed  among  us  in 
the  last  quarter  of  the  past  century,  a  little  improved  and 
enlarged  by  the  second  and  third  generations  of  its  owners. 
The  material  was  of  stone,  the  low  cliff  on  which  it  stood 
supplying  enough  of  an  excellent  quality  ;  and  the  shape 
of  the  main  corps  de  bailment  as  near  a  square  as  might  be. 
Each  face  of  this  part  of  the  constructions  offered  five  win- 
dows to  view,  this  being  almost  the  prescribed  number  for  a 
country  residence  in  that  day,  as  three  have  since  got  to 
be  in  towns.  These  windows,  however,  had  some  size,  the 
main  building  being  just  sixty  feet  square,  which  was 
about  ten  feet  in  each  direction  larger  than  was  common 
so  soon  after  the  revolution.  But  wings  had  been  added 
to  the  original  building,  and  that  on  a  plan  which  con- 
formed to  the  shape  of  a  structure  in  square  logs,  that  had 
been  its  predecessor  on  its  immediate  site.  These  wings 
were  only  of  a  story  and  a  half  each,  and  doubling  on  each 


/50  THE   REDSKINS. 

side  of  the  main  edifice  just  far  enough  to  form  a  sufficient 
communication,  they  ran  back  to  the  very  verge  of  a  cliff 
some  forty  feet  in  height,  overlooking,  at  their  respective 
ends,  a  meandering  rivulet,  and  a  wide  expanse  of  very 
productive  flats,  that  annually  filled  my  barns  with  hay 
and  my  cribs  with  corn.  Of  this  level  and  fertile  bottom- 
land there  was  near  a  thousand  acres,  stretching  in  three 
directions,  of  which  two  hundred  belonged  to  what  was 
called  the  Nest  farm.  The  remainder  was  divided  among 
the  farms  of  the  adjacent  tenantry.  This  little  circum- 
stance, among  the  thousand-and-one  other  atrocities  that 
were  charged  upon  me,  had  been  made  a  ground  of  accu- 
sation, to  which  I  shall  presently  have  occasion  to  advert. 
I  shall  do  this  the  more  readily,  because  the  fact  has  not 
yet  reached  the  ears  and  set  in  motion  the  tongues  of  leg- 
islators— heaven  bless  us,  how  words  do  get  corrupted  by 
too  much  use  ! — in  their  enumeration  of  the  griefs  of  the 
tenants  of  the  State. 

1  Everything  about  the  Nest  was  kept  in  perfect  order, 
and  in  a  condition  to  do  credit  to  the  energy  and  taste  of 
my  grandmother,  who  had  ordered  all  these  things  for  the 
last  few  years,  or  since  the  death  of  my  grandfather.  This 
circumstance,  connected  with  the  fact  that  the  building 
was  larger  and  more  costly  than  those  of  most  of  the  other 
citizens  of  the  country,  had,  of  late  years,  caused  Ravens- 
nest  to  be  termed  an  "aristocratic  residence."  This  word 
"  aristocratic,"  I  find  since  my  return  home,  has  got  to  be 
a  term  of  expansive  signification,  its  meaning  depending 
on  the  particular  habits  and  opinions  of  the  person  who 
happens  to  use  it.  Thus,  he  who  chews  tobacco  thinks  it 
aristocratic  in  him  who  deems  the  practice  nasty  not  to  do 
the  same  ;  the  man  who  stoops  accuses  him  who  is  straight 
in  the  back  of  having  aristocratic  shoulders  ;  and  I  have 
actually  met  with  one  individual  who  maintained  that  it 
was  excessively  aristocratic  to  pretend  not  to  blow  one's 
nose  with  his  fingers.  It  will  soon  be  aristocratic  to  main- 
tain the  truth  of  the  familiar  Latin  axiom  of  "  de  gustibus 
non  disputandum  est." 

As  we  approached  the  door  of  the  Nest  house,  which 
opened  on  the  piazza  that  stretched  along  three  sides  of 
the  main  building,  and  the  outer  ends  of  both  wings,  the 
coachman  was  walking  his  horses  away  from  it,  on  the 
road  that  led  to  the  stables.  The  party  of  ladies  had  made 
a  considerable  circuit  after  quitting  the  farm,  and  had  ar- 
rived but  a  minute  before  us.  All  the  girls  but  Mary  War- 


THE   REDSKIN'S.  151 

ren  had  entered  the  house,  careless  on  the  subject  of  the 
approach  of  two  pedlers ;  she  remained,  however,  at  the 
side  of  my  grandmother,  to  receive  us. 

"  I  believe  in  my  soul,"  whispered  uncle  Ro,  "  that  my 
dear  old  mother  has  a  secret  presentiment  who  we  are,  by 
her  manifesting  so  much  respect.  T'ousand  t'anks,  matam, 
t'ousand  t'anks,"  he  continued,  dropping  into  his  half- 
accurate,  half-blundering  broken  English,  "  for  dis  great 
honor,  such  as  we  might  not  expect  das  laty  of  das  house 
to  wait  for  us  at  her  door." 

"  This  young  lady  tells  me  that  she  has  seen  you  before, 
and  that  she  understands  you  are  both  persons  of  educa- 
tion and  good  manners,  who  have  been  driven  from  your 
native  country  by  political  troubles.  Such  being  the  case, 
[  cannot  regard  you  as  common  pedlers.  I  have  known 
what  it  was  to  be  reduced  in  fortune  " — my  dear  grand- 
mother's voice  trembled  a  little — "  and  can  feel  for  those 
who  thus  suffer." 

"  Matam,  dere  might  be  moch  trut'  in  some  of  dis,"  an- 
swered my  uncle,  taking  off  his  cap,  and  bowing  very  much 
like  a  gentleman,  an  act  in  which  I  imitated  him  imme- 
diately. "  We  haf  seen  petter  tays  ;  und  my  son,  dere,  hast 
peen  edicated  at  an  university.  But  we  are  now  poor  ped- 
lers of  vatches,  und  dem  dat  might  make  moosic  in  der 
streets." 

My  grandmother  looked  as  a  lady  would  look  under 
such  circumstances,  neither  too  free  to  forget  present  ap- 
pearances, nor  coldly  neglectful  of  the  past.  She  knew 
that  something  was  due  to  her  own  household,  and  to  the 
example  she  ought  to  set  it,  while  she  felt  that  far  more 
was  due  to  the  sentiment  that  unites  the  cultivated.  We 
were  asked  into  the  house,  were  told  a  table  was  preparing 
for  us,  and  were  treated  with  a  generous  and  considerate 
hospitality  that  involved  no  descent  from  her  own  charac- 
ter, or  that  of  the  sex  ;  the  last  being  committed  to  the 
keeping  of  every  lady. 

In  the  meantime,  business  proceeded  with  my  uncle. 
He  was  paid  his  hundred  dollars  ;  and  all  his  stores  of 
value,  including  rings,  brooches,  earrings,  chains,  bracelets, 
and  other  trinkets  that  he  had  intended  as  presents  to  his 
wards,  were  produced  from  his  pockets,  and  laid  before  the 
bright  eyes  of  the  three  girls — Mary  Warren  keeping  in  the 
background,  as  one  who  ought  not  to  look  on  things  un- 
suited  to  her  fortune.  Her  father  had  arrived,  however, 
had  been  consulted,  and  the  pretty  watch  was  already  at- 


£52  THE  REDSKINS. 

tached  to  the  girdle  of  the  prettier  waist.  I  fancied  the 
tear  of  gratitude  that  still  floated  in  her  serene  eyes  was  a 
jewel  of  a  far  higher  price  than  any  my  uncle  could  ex- 
hibit. 

We  had  been  shown  into  the  library,  a  room  that  was  in 
the  front  of  the  house,  and  of  which  the  windows  all  opened 
on  the  piazza.  I  was  at  first  a  little  overcome  at  thus  find- 
ing myself,  and  unrecognized,  under  the  paternal  roof, 
and  in  a  dwelling  that  was  my  own,  after  so  many  years  of 
absence.  Shall  I  confess  it !  Everything  appeared  diminu- 
tive and  mean,  after  the  buildings  to  which  I  had  been 
accustomed  in  the  old  world.  I  am  not  now  drawing  com- 
parisons with  the  palaces  of  princes  and  the  abodes  of  the 
great,  as  the  American  is  apt  to  fancy,  whenever  anything 
is  named  that  is  superior  to  the  things  to  which  he  is  ac- 
customed ;  but  to  the  style,  dwellings,  and  appliances  of 
domestic  life  that  pertain  to  those  of  other  countries  who 
have  not  a  claim  in  anything  to  be  accounted  my  superiors 
— scarcely  my  equals.  In  a  word,  American  aristocracy, 
or  that  which  it  is  getting  to  be  the  fashion  to  stigmatize 
as  aristocratic,  would  be  deemed  very  democratic  in  most 
of  the  nations  of  Europe.  Our  Swiss  brethren  have  their 
chateaux  and  their  habits,  that  are  a  hundred  times  more 
aristocratic  than  anything  about  Ravensnest,  without  giv- 
ing offence  to  liberty ;  and  I  feel  persuaded,  were  the 
proudest  establishment  in  all  America  pointed  out  to  a 
European  as  an  aristocratic  abode,  he  would  be  very  apt 
to  laugh  at  it,  in  his  sleeve.  The  secret  of  this  charge 
among  ourselves  is  the  innate  dislike  which  is  growing  up 
in  the  country  to  see  any  man  distinguished  from  the  mass 
around  him  in  anything,  even  though  it  should  be  in  merit. 
It  is  nothing  but  the  expansion  of  the  principle  which  gave 
rise  to  the  traditionary  feud  between  the  "  plebeians  and 
patricians"  of  Albany  at  the  commencement  of  this  cen- 
tury, and  which  has  now  descended  so  much  farther  than 
was  then  contemplated  by  the  soi-disant  "plebeians"  of  that 
day,  as  to  become  quite  disagreeable  to  their  own  descend- 
ants. But  to  return  to  myself — 

I  will  own  that,  so  far  from  finding  any  grounds  of  ex- 
ultation in  my  own  aristocratical  splendor,  when  I  came 
to  view  my  possessions  at  home,  I  felt  mortified  and  dis- 
appointed. The  things  that  I  had  fancied  really  respecta- 
ble, and  even  fine,  from  recollection,  now  appeared  very 
commonplace,  and  in  many  particulars  mean.  "  Really," 
I  found  myself  saying,  sotto  voce,  "  all  this  is  scarcely 


THE  REDSKINS.  153 

worthy  of  being  the  cause  of  deserting  the  right,  setting 
sound  principles  at  defiance,  and  of  forgetting  God  and 
his  commandments!"  Perhaps  I  was  too  inexperienced 
to  comprehend  how  capacious  is  the  maw  of  the  covetous 
man,  and  how  microscopic  the  eye  of  envy. 

"You  are  welcome  to  Ravensnest,"  said  Mr.  Warren, 
approaching  and  offering  his  hand  in  a  friendly  way,  much 
as  he  would  address  any  other  young  friend  ;  "we  arrived 
a  little  before  you,  and  I  have  had  my  ears  and  eyes 
open  ever  since,  in  the  hope  of  hearing  your  flute,  and  of 
seeing  your  form  in  the  highway,  near  the  parsonage, 
where  you  promised  to  visit  me." 

Mary  was  standing  at  her  father's  elbow,  as  when  I  first 
saw  her,  and  she  gazed  wistfully  at  my  flute,  as  she  would 
not  have  done  had  she  seen  me  in  my  proper  attire,  as- 
suming my  proper  character. 

"I  danks  you,  sir,"  was  my  answer.  " We  might  haf 
plenty  of  times  for  a  little  moosic,  vhen  das  laties  shall 
be  pleaset  to  say  so.  I  canst  blay  '  Yankee  Doodle,'  '  Hail 
Coloombias,'  and  der  '  Star  Spangled  Banner,'  und  all  dem 
airs,  as  dey  so  moch  likes  at  der  taverns  and  on  der 
road." 

Mr.  Warren  laughed,  and  he  took  the  flute  from  my 
hand,  and  began  to  examine  it.  I  now  trembled  for  the 
incognito  !  The  instrument  had  been  mine  for  many  years, 
and  was  a  very  capital  one,  with  silver  keys,  stops,  and  or- 
naments. What  if  Patt — what  if  my  dear  grandmother 
should  recognize  it !  I  would  have  given  the  handsomest 
trinket  in  my  uncle's  collection  to  get  the  flute  back  again 
into  my  own  hands  ;  but,  before  an  opportunity  offered  for 
that,  it  went  from  hand  to  hand,  as  the  instrument  that 
had  produced  the  charming  sounds  heard  that  morning, 
until  it  reached  those  of  Martha.  The  dear  girl  was  think- 
ing of  the  jewelry,  which,  it  will  be  remembered,  was  rich, 
and  intended  in  part  for  herself,  and  she  passed  the  instru- 
ment on,  saying,  hurriedly: 

"  See,  dear  grandmother,  this  is  the  flute  which  you  pro- 
nounced the  sweetest-toned  of  any  you  had  ever  heard  !  " 

My  grandmother  took  the  flute,  started,  put  her  specta- 
cles closer  to  her  eyes,  examined  the  instrument,  and 
turned  pale — for  her  cheeks  still  retained  a  little  of  the 
color  of  their  youth — and  then  cast  a  glance  hurriedly 
and  anxiously  at  me.  I  could  see  that  she  was  pondering 
on  something  profoundly  in  her  most  secret  mind,  for  a 
minute  or  two.  Luckily  the  others  were  too  much  occu- 


*54  THE   REDSKIN'S. 

pied  with  the  box  of  the  pedler  to  heed  her  movements 
She  walked  slowly  out  of  the  door,  almost  brushing  me  as 
she  passed,  and  went  into  the  hall.  Here  she  turned,  and, 
catching  my  eye,  she  signed  for  me  to  join  her.  Obeying 
this  signal,  I  followed,  until  I  was  led  into  a  little  room, 
in  one  of  the  wings,  that  I  well  remembered  as  a  sort  of 
private  parlor  attached  to  my  grandmother's  own  bedroom. 
To  call  it  a  boudoir  would  be  to  caricature  tilings,  its 
furniture  being  just  that  of  the  sort  of  room  I  have  men- 
tioned, or  of  a  plain,  neat,  comfortable,  country  parlor. 
Here  my  grandmother  took  her  seat  on  a  sofa,  for  she 
trembled  so  she  could  not  stand,  and  then  she  turned  to 

faze  at  me  wistfully,  and  with  an  anxiety  it  would  be  dif- 
cult  for  me  to  describe. 

"  Do  not  keep  me  in  suspense  ! "  she  said,  almost  aw- 
fully in  tone  and  manner,  "  am  I  right  in  my  conjecture  ?" 

"  Dearest  grandmother,  you  are  !  "  I  answered  in  my 
natural  voice. 

No  more  was  needed :  we  hung  on  each  other's  necks, 
as  had  been  my  wont  in  boyhood. 

"  But  who  is  that  pedler,  Hugh?"  demanded  my 
grandmother,  after  a  time.  "  Can  it  possibly  be  Roger, 
my  son  ?" 

"  It  is  no  other  ;  we  have  come  to  visit  you,  incog.'r 

"  And  why  this  disguise  ? — Is  it  connected  with  the 
troubles  ?" 

"  Certainly  ;  we  have  wished  to  take  a  near  view  with 
our  own  eyes,  and  supposed  it  might  be  unwise  to  come 
openly,  in  our  proper  characters." 

"  In  this  you  have  done  well ;  yet  I  hardly  know  how  to 
welcome  you,  in  your  present  characters.  On  no  account 
must  your  real  names  be  revealed.  The  demons  of  tar  and 
feathers,  the  sons  of  liberty  and  equality,  who  illustrate 
their  principles  as  they  do  their  courage,  by  attacking  the 
few  with  the  many,  would  be  stirring,  fancying  themselves 
heroes  and  martyrs  in  the  cause  of  justice,  did  they  learn 
you  were  here.  Ten  armed  and  resolute  men  might  drive 
a  hundred  of  them,  I  do  believe  ;  for  they  have  all  the  cow- 
ardice of  thieves,  but  they  are  heroes  with  the  unarmed 
and  feeble.  Are  you  safe  yourselves,  appearing  thus  dis- 
guised, under  the  new  law  ?" 

"  We  are  not  armed,  not  having  so  much  as  a  pistol  ;  and 
that  will  protect  us." 

"  I  am  sorry  to  say,  Hugh,  that  this  country  is  no  longer 
what  I  once  knew  it.  Its  justice,  if  not  wholly  departed, 


THE   REDSKIN'S.  155 

is  taking  to  itself  wings,  and  its  blindness,  not  in  a  disre- 
gard of  persons,  but  in  a  faculty  of  seeing  only  the  stronger 
side.  A  landlord,  in  my  opinion,  would  have  but  little 
hope,  with  jury,  judge,  or  executive,  for  doing  that  which 
thousands  of  the  tenants  have  done,  still  do,  and  .will  con- 
tinue to  do,  with  perfect  impunity,  unless  some  dire  catas- 
trophe stimulate  the  public  functionaries  to  their  duties, 
by  awakening  public  indignation." 

"  This  is  a  miserable  state  of  things,  dearest  grandmother ; 
and  what,  makes  it  worse  is  the  cool  indifference  with  which 
most  persons  regard  it.  A  better  illustration  of  the  utter 
selfishness  of  human  nature  cannot  be  given,  than  in  the 
manner  in  which  the  body  of  the  people  look  on,  and  see 
wrong  thus  done  to  a  few  of  their  number." 

"  Such  persons  as  Mr.  Seneca  Newcome  would  answer, 
that  the  public  sympathizes  with  the  poor,  who  are  op- 
pressed by  the  rich,  because  the  last  do  not  wish  to  let  the 
first  rob  them  of  their  estates  !  We  hear  a  great  deal  of  the 
strong  robbing  the  weak,  all  over  the  world,  but  few  among 
ourselves,  I  am  afraid,  are  sufficiently  clear-sighted  to  see 
how  vivid  an  instance  of  the  truth  now  exists  among  our- 
selves." 

"  Calling  the  tenants  the  strong,  and  the  landlords  the 
weak  ? " 

"  Certainly  ;  numbers  make  strength  in  this  country,  in 
which  all  power  in  practice,  and  most  of  it  in  theory,  rests 
with  the  majority.  Were  there  as  many  landlords  as  there 
are  tenants,  my  life  on  it,  no  one  would  see  the  least  in- 
justice in  the  present  state  of  things." 

"  So  says  my  uncle ;  but  I  hear  the  light  steps  of  the 
girls — we  must  be  on  our  guard." 

At  that  instant  Martha  entered,  followed  by  all  three  of 
the  girls,  holding  in  her  hand  a  very  beautiful  Manilla 
chain  that  my  uncle  had  picked  up  in  his  travels,  and  had 
purchased  as  a  present  to  my  future  wife,  whomsoever  she 
might  turn  out  to  be,  and  which  he  had  had  the  indiscre- 
tion to  show  to  his  ward.  A  look  of  surprise  was  cast  by 
each  girl  in  succession,  as  she  entered  the  room,  on  me, 
but  neither  said,  and  I  fancy  neither  thought  much  of  my 
being  shut  up  there  with  an  old  lady  of  eighty,  after  the  first 
moment.  Other  thoughts  were  uppermost  at  the  moment. 

"  Look  at  this,  dearest  grandmamma !  "  cried  Patt,  hold- 
ing up  the  chain  as  she  entered  the  room.  "Here  is  just 
the  most  exquisite  chain  that  was  ever  wrought,  and  of  the 
purest  gold  ;  but  the  pedler  refuses  to  part  with  it ! " 


156  THE   REDSKIN'S. 

"  Perhaps  you  do  not  offer  enough,  my  child  ;  it  is,  in- 
deed, very,  very  beautiful ;  pray  what  does  he  say  is  its 
value  ?" 

"  One  hundred  dollars,  he  says  ;  and  I  can  readily  be- 
lieve it,  for  its  weight  is  near  half  the  money.  I  do  wish 
Hugh  were  at  home  ;  I  am  certain  he  would  contrive  to 
get  it,  and  make  it  a  present  to  me  !  " 

"  Nein,  nein,  young  lady,"  put  in  the  pedler,  who,  a  lit- 
tle unceremoniously,  had  followed  the  girls  into  the  room, 
though  he  knew,  of  course,  precisely  where  he  was  com- 
ing ;  "  dat  might  not  be.  Dat  chain  is  der  broperty  of  my 
son,  t'ere,  und  I  haf  sworn  it  shalt  only  be  gifen  to  his 
wife." 

Patt  colored  a  little,  and  she  pouted  a  good  deal ;  then 
she  laughed  outright. 

"  If  it  is  only  to  be  had  on  those  conditions,  I  am  afraid 
I  shall  never  own  it,"  she  said,  saucily,  though  it  was  in- 
tended to  be  uttered  so  low  as  not  to  reach  my  ears.  "  I 
will  pay  the  hundred  dollars  out  of  my  own  pocket-money, 
however,  if  that  will  buy  it.  Do  say  a  good  word  for  me, 
grandmamma  ? " 

How  prettily  the  hussy  uttered  that  word  of  endearment, 
so  different  from  the  "  paw  "  and  "  maw  "  one  hears  among 
the  dirty-noses  that  are  to  be  found  in  the  mud-puddles  ! 
But  our  grandparent  was  puzzled,  for  she  knew  with 
whom  she  had  to  deal,  and  of  course  saw  that  money 
would  do  nothing.  Nevertheless,  the  state  of  the  game 
rendered  it  necessary  to  say  and  do  something  that  might 
have  an  appearance  of  complying  with  Patty's  request. 

"  Can  I  have  more  success  in  persuading  you  to  change 
your  mind,  sir  ?"  she  said,  looking  at  her  son  in  a  way  that 
let  him  know  at  once,  or  at  least  made  him  suspect  at  once, 
that  she  was  in  his  secret.  "  It  would  give  me  great  pleas- 
ure to  be  able  to  gratify  my  granddaughter,  by  making 
her  a  present  of  so  beautiful  a  chain." 

My  uncle  Ro  advanced  to  his  mother,  took  the  hand  she 
had  extended  with  the  chain  in  it,  in  order  the  better  to 
admire  the  trinket,  and  he  kissed  it  with  a  profound  re- 
spect, but  in  such  a  manner  as  to  make  it  seem  to  the  look- 
ers-on an  act  of  European  usage,  rather  than  what  it  was, 
the  tempered  salute  of  a  child  to  his  parent. 

"Laty,"  he  then  said,  with  emphasis,  "if  anyboty  might 
make  me  change  a  resolution  long  since  made,  it  would  be 
one  as  fenerable,  und  gracious,  und  goot  as  I  am  sartain  you 
most  be.  But  I  haf  vowet  to  gif  dat  chain  to  das  wife  of 


THE   REDSKINS.  157 

mine  son,  vhen  he  might  marry,  one  day,  some  bretty 
young  American  ;  und  it  might  not  be." 

Dear  grandmother  smiled  ;  but  now  she  understood  that 
it  was  really  intended  the  chain  was  to  be  an  offering  to 
my  wife,  she  no  longer  wished  to  change  its  destination. 
She  examined  the  bauble  a  few  moments,  and  said  to  me  . 

"Do  you  wish  this,  as  well  as  your  un — father,  I  should 
say  ?  It  is  a  rich  present  for  a  poor  man  to  make." 

"Ja,  ja,  laty,  it  1st  so;  but  vhen  der  heart  goes,  golt 
might  be  t'ought  sheap  to  go  wid  it." 

The  old  lady  was  half  ready  to  laugh  in  my  face,  at  hear- 
ing this  attempt  at  Germanic  English  ;  but  the  kindness, 
and  delight,  and  benevolent  tenderness  of  her  still  fine 
eyes  made  me  wish  to  throw  myself  in  her  arms  again,  and 
kiss  her.  Patt  continued  to  bonder  for  a  moment  or  two 
longer,  but  her  excellent  nature  soon  gave  in,  and  the 
smiles  returned  to  her  countenance  as  the  sun  issues  from 
behind  a  cloud  in  May. 

"  Well,  the  disappointment  may  and  must  be  borne,"  she 
said,  good-naturedly  ;  "  though  it  is  much  the  most  lovely 
chain  I  have  ever  seen." 

"  I  dare  say  the  right  person  will  one  day  find  one  quite 
as  lovely  to  present  to  you  ! "  said  Henrietta  Coldbrook,  a 
little  pointedly. 

I  did  not  like  this  speech.  It  was  an  allusion  that  a  well- 
bred  young  woman  ought  not  to  have  made,  at  least  before 
others,  even  pedlers  ;  and  it  was  one  that  a  young  woman 
of  a  proper  tone  of  feeling  would  not  be  apt  to  make.  I 
determined  from  that  instant  the  chain  should  never  be- 
long to  Miss  Henrietta,  though  she  was  a  fine,  showy  girl, 
and  though  such  a  decision  would  disappoint  my  uncle 
sadly.  I  was  a  little  surprised  to  see  a  slight  blush  on  Patt's 
cheeks,  and  then  I  remembered  something  of  the  name  of 
the  traveller,  Beekman.  Turning  toward  Mary  Warren,  I 
saw  plain  enough  that  she  was  disappointed  because  my 
sister  was  disappointed,  and  for  no  other  reason  in  the 
world. 

"Your  grandmother  will  meet  with  another  chain,  when 
she  goes  to  town,  that  will  make  you  forget  this,"  she 
whispered,  affectionately,  close  at  my  sister's  ears. 

Patt  smiled,  and  kissed  her  friend  with  a  warmth  of  man- 
ner that  satisfied  me  these  two  charming  young  creatures 
loved  each  other  sincerely.  But  my  dear  old  grandmother's 
curiosity  had  been  awakened,  and  she  felt  a  necessity  for 
having  it  appeased.  She  still  held  the  chain,  and  as  she 


158  THE  REDSKINS. 

returned  it  to  me,  who  happened  to  be  nearest  to  her,  she 
said  : 

"And  so,  sir,  your  mind  is  sincerely  made  up  to  offer 
this  chain  to  your  future  wife?" 

"  Yes,  laty  ;  or  what  might  be  better,  to  das  young  frau, 
before  we  might  be  marriet." 

"And  is  your  choice  made  ?"  glancing  round  at  the  girls, 
who  were  grouped  together,  looking  at  some  other  trinkets 
of  my  uncle's.  "  Have  you  chosen  the  young  woman  who 
is  to  possess  so  handsome  a  chain  ? " 

"  Nein,  nein,"  I  answered,  returning  the  smile,  and  glanc- 
ing also  at  the  group  ;  "  dere  ist  so  many  peautiful  laties  in 
America,  one  needn't  be  in  a  hurry.  In  goot  time  I  shalt 
find  her  dat  ist  intended  for  me." 

"Well,  grandmamma,"  interrupted  Patt,  "since  nobody 
can  have  the  chain,  unless  on  certain  conditions,  here  are 
the  three  other  things  that  we  have  chosen  for  Ann,  Hen- 
rietta, and  myself,  and  they  are  a  ring,  a  pair  of  bracelets, 
and  a  pair  of  earrings.  The  cost,  altogether,  will  be  two 
hundred  dollars  ;  can  you  approve  of  that  ?" 

My  grandmother,  now  she  knew  who  was  the  pedler, 
understood  the  whole  matter,  and  had  no  scruples.  The 
bargain  was  soon  made,  when  she  sent  us  all  out  of  the 
room,  under  the  pretence  we  should  disturb  her  while  set- 
tling with  the  watchseller.  Her  real  object,  however,  was 
to  be  alone  with  her  son,  not  a  dollar  passing  between 
them,  of  course. 


CHAPTER  XI. 

"  Our  life  was  changed.     Another  love 
In  this  lone  woof  began  to  twine  ; 
But  oh  !  the  golden  thread  was  wove 

Between  my  sister's  heart  and  mine." — WILLIS. 

HALF  an  hour  later,  Uncle  Ro  and  myself  were  seated  at 
table,  eating  our  dinners  as  quietly  as  if  we  were  in  an  inn. 
The  footman  who  had  set  the  table  was  an  old  family  ser- 
vant, one  who  had  performed  the  same  sort  of  duty  in  that 
very  house  for  a  quarter  of  a  century.  Of  course  he  was 
not  an  American,  no  man  of  American  birth  ever  remained 
so  long  a  time  in  an  inferior  station,  or  in  any  station  so 
low  as  that  of  a  house-servant.  If  he  has  good  qualities 
enough  to  render  it  desirable  to  keep  him.  he  is  almost 


THE  REDSKIN'S.  159 

certain  to  go  up  in  the  world  ;  if  not,  one  does  not  care 
particularly  about  having  him.  But  Europeans  are  less 
elastic  and  less  ambitious,  and  it  is  no  uncommon  thing  to 
find  one  of  such  an  origin  remaining  a  long  time  in  the 
same  service.  Such  had  been  the  fact  with  this  man,  who 
had  followed  my  own  parents  from  Europe,  when  they  re- 
turned from  their  marriage  tour,  and  had  been  in  the 
house  on  the  occasion  of  my  birth.  From  that  time  he 
had  continued  at  the  Nest,  never  marrying,  nor  ever  mani- 
festing the  smallest  wish  for  any  change.  He  was  an 
Englishman  by  birth  ;  and  what  is  very  unusual  in  a  ser- 
vant of  that  country,  when  transferred  to  America,  the  "let- 
ting-up,"  which  is  certain  to  attend  such  a  change  from 
the  depression  of  the  original  condition  to  that  in  which 
he  is  so  suddenly  placed,  had  not  made  him  saucy.  An 
American  is  seldom  what  is  called  impudent,  under  any 
circumstances  ;  he  is  careless,  nay  ignorant,  of  forms  ;  pays 
little  or  no  purely  conventional  respect ;  does  not  under- 
stand half  the  social  distinctions  which  exist  among  the 
higher  classes  of  even  his  own  countrymen,  and  fancies 
there  are  equalities  in  things  about  which,  in  truth,  there 
is  great  inequality  between  himself  and  others,  merely  be- 
cause he  has  been  taught  that  all  men  are  equal  in  rights  ; 
but  he  is  so  unconscious  of  any  pressure  as  seldom  to  feel 
a  disposition  to  revenge  himself  by  impudence. 

But,  while  John  was  not  impudent  either,  he  had  a  foot- 
man's feeling  toward  those  whom  he  fancied  no  better 
than  himself.  He  had  set  the  table  with  his  customary 
neatness  and  method,  and  he  served  the  soup  with  as  much 
regularity  as  he  would  have  done  had  we  sat  there  in  our 
proper  characters,  but  then  he  withdrew.  He  probably 
remembered  that  the  landlord,  or  upper  servant  of  an 
English  hotel,  is  apt  to  make  his  appearance  with  the 
soup,  and  to  disappear  as  that  disappears.  So  it  was  with 
John  ;  after  removing  the  soup,  he  put  a  dumb-waiter 
near  my  uncle,  touched  a  carving-knife  or  two,  as  much 
as  to  say  "help  yourselves,"  and  quitted  the  room.  As  a 
matter  of  course,  our  dinner  was  not  a  very  elaborate  one, 
it  wanting  two  or  three  hours  to  the  regular  time  of  dining, 
though  my  grandmother  had  ordered,  in  my  hearing,  one 
or  two  delicacies  to  be  placed  on  the  table  that  had  sur- 
prised Patt.  Among  the  extraordinary  things  for  such 
guests  was  wine.  The  singularity,  however,  was  a  little 
explained  by  the  quality  commanded,  which  was  Rhenish. 

My  uncle  Ro  was  a  little  surprised  at  the  disappearance 


160  THE  REDSKINS. 

of  John  ;  for,  seated  in  that  room,  he  was  so  accustomed 
to  his  face,  that  it  appeared  as  if  he  were  not  half  at  home 
without  him. 

"  Let  the  fellow  go,"  he  said,  withdrawing  his  hand  from 
the  bell-cord,  which  he  had  already  touched  to  order  him 
back  again  ;  "we  can  talk  more  freely  without  him.  Well, 
Hugh,  here  you  are,  under  your  own  roof,  eating  a  chari- 
table dinner,  and  treated  as  hospitably  as  if  you  did  not 
own  all  you  can  see  for  a  circle  of  five  miles  around  you. 
It  was  a  lucky  idea  of  the  old  lady's,  by  the  way,  to  think 
of  ordering  this  Rudesheimer,  in  our  character  of  Dutch- 
men !  How  amazingly  well  she  is  looking,  boy  ! " 

"  Indeed  she  is  ;  and  I  am  delighted  to  see  it.  I  do  not 
know  why  my  grandmother  may  not  live  these  twenty 
years  ;  for  even  that  would  not  make  her  near  as  old  as 
Sus,  who,  I  have  often  heard  her  say,  was  a  middle-aged 
man  when  she  was  born." 

"  True ;  she  seems  like  an  elder  sister  to  me,  rather  than 
as  a  mother ;  and  is  altogether  a  most  delightful  old 
woman.  But,  if  we  had  so  charming  an  old  woman  to  re- 
ceive us,  so  are  there  also  some  very  charming  young 
women — hey,  Hugh  ?" 

"  I  am  quite  of  your  way  of  thinking,  sir  ;  and  must  say  I 
have  not,  in  many  a  day,  seen  two  as  charming  creatures 
as  I  have  met  with  here." 

"  Two  ! — umph  ;  a  body  would  think  one  might  suffice. 
Pray,  which  may  be  the  two,  Master  Padishah  ? " 

"  Patt  and  Mary  Warren,  of  course.  The  other  two  are 
well  enough,  but  these  two  are  excellent." 

My  uncle  Ro  looked  grum,  but  he  said  nothing  for  some 
time.  Eating  is  always  an  excuse  for  a  broken  conversa- 
tion, and  he  ate  away  as  if  resolute  not  to  betray  his 
disappointment.  But  it  is  a  hard  matter  for  a  gentleman 
to  do  nothing  but  eat  at  table,  and  sp  he  was  obliged  to  talk. 

"  Everything  looks  well  here,  after  all,  Hugh,"  observed 
my  uncle.  "  These  anti-renters  may  have  done  an  infinite 
deal  of  harm  in  the  way  of  abusing  principles,  but  they  do 
not  seem  to  have  yet  destroyed  any  material  things." 

"  It  is  not  their  cue,  sir.  The  crops  are  their  own  ;  and 
as  they  hope  to  own  the  farms,  it  would  be  scarcely  wise 
to  injure  what,  no  doubt,  they  begin  to  look  on  as  their 
own  property,  too.  As  for  the  Nest  house,  grounds,  farm, 
etc.,  I  dare  say  they  will  be  very  willing  to  leave  me  them 
for  a  while  longer,  provided  they  can  get  everything  else 
away  from  me." 


THE   REDSKINS.  i6t 

"  For  a  time  longer,  at  least  ;  though  that  is  the  folly  oi 
those  who  expect  to  get  along  by  concessions  ;  as  if  men 
were  ever  satisfied  with  the  yielding  of  a  part,  when  they 
ask  that  which  is  wrong  in  itself,  without  sooner  or  later 
expecting  to  get  the  whole.  As  well  might  one  expect 
the  pickpocket  who  had  abstracted  a  dollar  to  put  back 
two-and-sixpence  change.  But  things  really  look  well 
around  the  place." 

"  So  much  the  better  for  us.  Though,  to  my  judgment 
ancj  taste,  Miss  Mary  Warren  looks  better  than  anything 
else  I  have  yet  seen  in  America." 

Another  "  umph  "  expressed  my  uncle's  dissatisfaction — 
displeasure  would  be  too  strong  a  word — and  he  continued 
eating. 

"  You  have  really  some  good  Rhenish  in  your  cellar, 
Hugh,"  resumed  Uncle  Ro,  after  tossing  off  one  of  the 
knowing  green  glasses  full — though  I  never  could  under- 
stand why  any  man  should  wish  to  drink  his  wine  out  of 
green,  when  he  might  do  it  out  of  crystal.  "  It  must  have 
been  a  purchase  of  mine,  made  when  we  were  last  in  Ger- 
many, and  for  the  use  of  my  mother." 

"  As  you  please,  sir  ;  it  neither  adds  nor  subtracts  from 
the  beauty  of  Martha  and  her  friend." 

"  Since  you  are  disposed  to  make  these  boyish  allusions, 
be  frank  with  me,  and  say,  at  once,  how  you  like  my 
wards." 

"  Meaning,  of  course,  sir,  my  own  sister  exclusively.  I 
will  be  as  sincere  as  possible,  and  say  that,  as  to  Miss  Mars- 
ton,  I  have  no  opinion  at  all  ;  and  as  to  Miss  Coldbrook, 
she  is  what,  in  Europe,  would  be  called  a  '  fine '  woman." 

"  You  can  say  nothing  as  to  her  mind,  Hugh,  for  you 
have  had  no  opportunity  for  forming  an  opinion." 

"  Not  much  of  a  one,  I  will  own.  Nevertheless,  I  should 
have  liked  her  better  had  she  spared  the  allusion  to  the 
*  proper  person  '  who  is  one  day  to  forge  a  chain  for  my 
sister,  to  begin  with." 

"  Poh,  poh  !  that  is  the  mere  squeamishness  of  a  boy.  I 
do  not  think  her  in  the  least  pert  or  forward,  and  your 
construction  would  be  tant  soi peu  vulgar." 

"Put  your  own  construction  on  it,  mon  oncle ;  I  do  not 
like  it." 

"  I  do  not  wonder  young  men  remain  unmarried  ;  they 
are  getting  to  be  so  ultra  in  their  tastes  and  notions." 

A  stranger  might  have  retorted  on  an  old  bachelor,  for 
such  a  speech,  by  some  allusion  to  his  own  example  ;  but 


162  THE   REDSKIN'S 

I  well  knew  that  my  uncle  Ro  had  once  been  engaged,  and 
that  he  lost  the  object  of  his  passion  by  death,  and  too 
much  respected  his  constancy  and  true  sentiments  ever  to 
joke  on  such  subjects.  I  believe  he  felt  the  delicacy  of  my 
forbearance  rather  more  than  common,  for  he  immediately 
manifested  a  disposition  to  relent,  and  to  prove  it  by  chang- 
ing the  subject. 

"  We  can  never  stay  here  to-night,"  he  said.  "  It  would 
be  at  once  to  proclaim  our  names— our  name,  I  might  say 
— a  name  that  was  once  so  honored  and  beloved  in  this 
town,  and  which  is  now  so  hated  !  " 

"  No,  no  ;  not  as  bad  as  that.  We  have  done  nothing  to 
merit  hatred." 

"  Raison  de  plus  for  hating  us  so  much  the  more  heartily. 
When  men  are  wronged,  who  have  done  nothing  to  deserve 
it,  the  evil-doer  seeks  to  justify  his  wickedness  to  himself 
by  striving  all  he  can  to  calumniate  the  injured  party ;  and 
the  more  difficulty  he  finds  in  doing  that  to  his  mind,  the 
more  profound  is  his  hatred.  Rely  on  it,  we  are  most  sin- 
cerely disliked  here  on  the  spot  where  we  were  once  both 
much  beloved.  Such  is  human  nature." 

At  that  moment  John  returned  to  the  room,  to  see  how 
we  were  getting  on,  and  to  count  his  forks  and  spoons,  for 
I  saw  the  fellow  actually  doing  it.  My  uncle,  somewhat 
indiscreetly,  I  fancied,  but  by  merely  following  the  chain 
of  thought  then  uppermost  in  his  mind,  detained  him  in 
conversation. 

"  Dis  broperty,"  he  said,  inquiringly,  "  is  de  broperty  of 
one  Yeneral  Littlepage,  I  hears  say  ? " 

"  Not  of  the  General,  who  was  Madam  Littlepage's  hus- 
band, and  who  has  long  been  dead,  but  of  his  grandson, 
Mr.  Hugh." 

"  Und  vhere  might  he  be,  dis  Mr.  Hugh  ? — might  he  be 
at  hand,  or  might  he  not  ?  " 

"  No  ;  he's  in  Europe  ;  that  is  to  say,  in  Hengland."  John, 
thought  England  covered  most  of  Europe,  though  he  had 
long  gotten  over  his  wish  to  return.  "  Mr.  Hugh  and  Mr. 
Roger  be  both  habsent  from  the  country,  just  now." 

"  Dat  ist  unfortunate,  for  dey  dells  me  dere  might  be 
moch  troobles  hereabouts,  and  Injin-acting." 

"  There  is,  indeed  ;  and  a  wicked  thing  it  is,  that  there 
should  be  anything  of  the  sort." 

"  Und  vhat  might  be  der  reason  of  so  moch  troobles  ?-^ 
and  vhere  ist  der  blame  ?  " 

"Well,  that  is  pretty  plain,  I  fancy,"  returned  John,  who 


THE  REDSKINS.  163 

An  consequence  of  being  a  favored  servant  at  headquarters, 
fancied  himself  a  sort  of  cabinet  minister,  and  had  much 
pleasure  in  letting  his  knowledge  be  seen.  "  The  tenants 
on  this  estate  wants  to  be  landlords  ;  and  as  they  can't  be 
so,  so  long  as  Mr.  Hugh  lives  and  won't  let  'em,  why  they 
just  tries  all  sorts  of  schemes  and  plans  to  frighten  people 
out  of  their  property.  I  never  go  down  to  the  village  but 
I  has  a  talk  with  some  of  them,  and  that  in  a  way  that 
might  do  them  some  good,  if  anything  can." 

"  Und  vhat  dost  you  say  ? — and  vid  whom  dost  you  talk, 
as  might  do  dem  moch  goot  ?" 

4 'Why,  you  see,  I  talks  more  with  one  'Squire  Newcome, 
as  they  calls  him,  though  he's  no  more  of  a  real  'squire 
than  you  be — only  a  sort  of  an  attorney,  like,  such  as  they 
has  in  this  country.  You  come  from  the  old  countries,  I 
believe  ? " 

"  Ja,  ja — dat  ist,  yes — we  comes  from  Charmany  ;  so  you 
can  say  vhat  you  pleases." 

"  They  has  queer  'squires  in  this  part  of  the  world,  if 
truth  must  be  said.  But  that's  neither  here  nor  there, 
though  I  give  this  Mr.  Seneca  Newcome  as  good  as  he 
sends.  What  is  it  you  wants?  I  says  to  him — you  can't  all 
be  landlords— somebody  must  be  tenants  ;  and  if  you  didn't 
want  to  be  tenants,  how  come  you  to  be  so  ?  Land  is 
plenty  in  this  country,  and  cheap,  too  ;  and  why  didn't  you 
buy  your  land  at  first,  instead  of  coming  to  rent  of  Mr. 
Hugh  ;  and  now  when  you  have  rented,  to  be  quarrelling 
about  the  very  thing  you  did  of  your  own  accord  ?" 

"  Dere  you  didst  dell  'em  a  goot  t'ing  ;  and  vhat  might 
der  'squire  say  to  dat  ?" 

"  Oh  !  he  was  quite  dumfounded,  at  first ;  then  he  said 
that  in  old  times,  when  people  first  rented  these  lands,  they 
didn't  know  as  much  as  they  do  now,  or  they  never  would 
have  done  it." 

"  Und  you  could  answer  dat  ;  or  vast  it  your  durn  to  be 
dumfounded  ? " 

"  I  pitched  it  into  him,  as  they  says  ;  I  did.  Says  I, 
how's  this,  says  I — you  are  forever  boasting  how  much  you 
Americans  know — and  how  the  people  knows  everything 
that  ought  to  be  done,  about  politics  and  religion — and 
you  proclaim  far  and  near  that  your  yeomen  are  the  salt 
of  the  earth — and  yet  you  don't  know  how  to  bargain  for 
your  leases  !  A  pretty  sort  of  wisdom  is  this,  says  I !  I 
had  him  there  ;  for  the  people  round  about  here  is  onlv 
too  sharp  zt  a  trade." 


164  TffE 

"  Did  he  own  that  you  vast  right,  and  dat  he  vast  wrong 
dis  Herr  'Squire  Newcome  ?" 

"  Not  he  ;  he  will  never  own  anything  that  makes  against 
his  own  doctrine,  unless  he  does  it  ignorantly.  But  I 
haven't  told  you  half  of  it.  I  told  him,  says  I,  how  is  it 
you  talk  of  one  of  the  Littlepage  family  cheating  you, 
when,  as  you  knows  yourselves,  you  had  rather  have  the 
word  of  one  of  the  family  than  have  each  other's  bonds, 
says  I.  You  know,  sir,  it  must  be  a  poor  landlord  that  a 
tenant  can't  and  won't  take  his  word  :  and  this  they  all 
know  to  be  true  ;  for  a  gentleman  as  has  a  fine  estate  is 
raised  above  temptation,  like,  and  has  a  pride  in  him  to  do 
what  is  honorable  and  fair;  and,  in  my  opinion,  it  is  good 
to  have  a  few  such  people  in  a  country,  if  it  be  only  to 
keep  the  wicked  one  from  getting  it  altogether  in  his  own 
keeping." 

"  Und  did  you  say  dat  moch  to  der  'squire  ?" 

"  No  ;  that  I  just  say  to  you  two,  seeing  that  we  are  here, 
talking  together  in  a  friendly  way  ;  but  a  man  needn't  be 
ashamed  to  say  it  anywhere,  for  it's  a  religious  truth.  But 
I  says  to  him,  Newcome,  says  I,  you,  who  has  been  living 
so  long  on  the  property  of  the  Littlepages,  ought  to  be 
ashamed  to  wish  to  strip  them  of  it  ;  but  you're  not  satis- 
fied with  keeping  gentlemen  down  quite  as  much  out  of 
sight  as  you  can,  by  holding  all  the  offices  yourselves,  and 
taking  all  the  money  of  the  public  you  can  lay  your  hands 
on  for  your  own  use,  but  you  wants  to  trample  them  under 
your  feet,  I  says,  and  so  take  your  revenge  for  being  what 
you  be,  says  I." 

"  Veil,  my  friend,"  said  my  uncle,  "you  vast  a  bolt  man 
to  dell  all  dis  to  der  beoples  of  dis  coontry,  vhere,  I  have 
heard,  a  man  may  say  just  vhat  he  hast  a  mind  to  say,  so 
dat  he  dost  not  speak  too  moch  trut ! " 

"  That's  it — that's  it ;  you  have  been  a  quick  scholar,  I 
find.  I  told  this  Mr.  Newcome,  says  I,  you're  bold  enougli 
in  railing  at  kings  and  nobles,  for  you  very  well  know,  says 
I,  that  they  are  three  thousand  miles  away  from  you,  and 
can  do  you  no  harm  ;  but  you  would  no  more  dare  get  up 
before  your  masters,  the  people,  here,  and  say  what  you 
really  think  about  'em,  and  what  I  have  heard  you  say  of 
them  in  private,  than  you  would  dare  put  your  head  be- 
fore a  cannon,  as  the  gunner  touched  it  off.  Oh  !  I  gave 
him  a  lesson,  you  may  be  sure  ! " 

Although  there  was  a  good  deal  of  the  English  footman 
in  John's  logic  and  feeling,  there  was  also  a  good  deal  of 


THE  REDSKINS.  165 

truth  in  what  he  said.  The  part  where  he  accused  New- 
come  of  holding  one  set  of  opinions  in  private,  concerning 
his  masters,  and  another  in  public,  is  true  to  the  life. 
There  is  not,  at  this  moment,  within  the  wide  reach  of  the 
American  borders,  one  demagogue  to  be  found  who  might 
not,  with  justice,  be  accused  of  precisely  the  same  deception. 
There  is  not  one  demagogue  in  the  whole  country,  who,  if 
he  lived  in  a  monarchy,  would  not  be  the  humblest  advo- 
cate of  men  in  power,  ready  to  kneel  at  the  feet  of  those 
who  stood  in  the  sovereign's  presence.  There  is  not,  at 
this  instant,  a  man  in  power  among  us,  a  senator  or  a  legis- 
lator, who  is  now  the  seeming  advocate  of  what  he  wishes 
to  call  the  rights  of  the  tenants,  and  who  is  for  overlook- 
ing principles  and  destroying  law  and  right,  in  order  to 
pacify  the  anti-renters  by  extraordinary  concessions,  that 
would  not  be  among  the  foremost,  under  a  monarchial  sys- 
tem, to  recommend  and  support  the  freest  application  of 
the  sword  and  the  bayonet  to  suppress  what  would  then 
be  viewed,  ay,  and  be  termed,  "  the  rapacious  longings  of 
the  disaffected  to  enjoy  the  property  of  others  without  pay- 
ing for  it."  All  this  is  certain  ;  for  it  depends  on  a  law  of 
morals  that  is  infallible.  Any  one  who  wishes  to  obtain  a 
clear  index  to  the  true  characters  of  the  public  men  he  is 
required  to  support,  or  oppose,  has  now  the  opportunity ; 
for  each  stands  before  a  mirror  that  reflects  him  in  his  just 
proportions,  and  in  which  the  dullest  eye  has  only  to  cast 
a  glance,  in  order  to  view  him  from  head  to  foot. 

The  entrance  of  my  grandmother  put  a  stop  to  John's 
discourse.  He  was  sent  out  of  the  room  on  a  message, 
and  then  I  learned  the  object  of  this  visit.  My  sister  had 
been  let  into  the  secret  of  our  true  characters,  and  was 
dying  to  embrace  me.  My  dear  grandmother,  rightly 
enough,  had  decided  it  would  be  to  the  last  degree  unkind 
to  keep  her  in  ignorance  of  our  presence  ;  and,  the  fact 
known,  nature  had  longings  which  must  be  appeased.  I 
had  myself  been  tempted  twenty  times  that  morning  to 
snatch  Patt  to  my  heart  and  kiss  her,  as  I  used  to  do  just 
after  my  beard  began  to  grow,  and  she  was  so  much  of 
a  child  as  to  complain.  The  principal  thing  to  be  ar- 
ranged, then,  was  to  obtain  an  interview  for  me  without 
awakening  suspicion  in  the  observers.  My  grandmother's 
plan  was  arranged,  however,  and  she  now  communicated 
it  to  us. 

There  was  a  neat  little  dressing-room  annexed  to  Mar- 
tha's bedroom  ;  in  that  the  meeting  was  to  take  place. 


166  THE  REDSKINS. 

"  She  and  Mary  Warren  are  now  there,  waiting  for  youi 
appearance,  Hugh  " 

"  Mary  Warren  ! — Does  she,  then,  know  who  I  am  ?  " 

"  Not  in  the  least ;  she  has  no  other  idea  than  that  you 
are  a  young  German,  of  good  connections  and  well  edu- 
cated, who  has  been  driven  from  his  own  country  by  politi- 
cal troubles,  and  who  is  reduced  to  turn  his  musical  taste 
and  acquisitions  to  account,  in  the  way  you  seem  to  do, 
until  he  can  find  some  better  employment.  All  this  she 
had  told  us  before  we  met  you,  and  you  are  not  to  be  vain, 
Hugh,  if  I  add,  that  your  supposed  misfortunes,  and  great 
skill  with  the  flute,  and  good  behavior,  have  made  a  friend 
of  one  of  the  best  and  most  true-hearted  girls  I  ever  had 
the  good  fortune  to  know.  I  say  good  behavior,  for  little, 
just  now,  can  be  ascribed  to  good  looks." 

"  I  hope  I  am  not  in  the  least  revolting  in  appearance, 
in  this  disguise.  For  my  sister's  sake  " — 

The  hearty  laugh  of  my  dear  old  grandmother  brought 
me  up,  and  I  said  no  more  ;  coloring,  I  believe,  a  little,  at 
my  own  folly.  Even  Uncle  Ro  joined  in  the  mirth,  though 
I  could  see  he  wished  Mary  Warren  even  safely  translated 
along  with  her  father,  and  that  the  latter  was  Archbishop  of 
Canterbury.  I  must  acknowledge  that  I  felt  a  good  deal 
ashamed  of  the  weakness  I  had  betrayed. 

"You  are  very  well,  Hugh,  darling,"  continued  my  grand- 
mother ;  "  though  I  must  think  you  would  be  more  interest 
ing  in  your  own  hair,  which  is  curling,  than  in  that  long 
wig.  Still,  one  can  see  enough  of  your  face  to  recognize 
it,  if  one  has  the  clew  ;  and  1  told  Martha,  at  the  first,  that 
I  was  struck  with  a  certain  expression  of  the  eyes  and 
smile  that  reminded  me  of  her  brother.  But,  there  they 
are,  Mary  and  Martha,  in  the  drawing-room,  waiting  for 
your  appearance.  The  first  is  so  fond  of  music,  and,  in- 
deed, is  so  practised  in  it,  as  to  have  been  delighted  with 
your  flute  ;  and  she  has  talked  so  much  of  your  skill  as  to 
justify  us  in  seeming  to  wish  for  a  further  exhibition  of 
your  skill.  Henrietta  and  Ann,  having  less  taste  that  way, 
have  gone  together  to  select  bouquets,  in  the  greenhouse, 
and  there  is  now  an  excellent  opportunity  to  gratify  your 
sister.  I  am  to  draw  Mary  out  of  the  room,  after  a  little 
while,  when  you  and  Martha  may  say  a  word  to  each  other 
in  your  proper  characters.  As  for  you,  Roger,  you  are  to 
open  your  box  again,  and  1  will  answer  for  it  that  will  serve 
to  amuse  your  other  wards,  should  they  return  too  soou 
from  their  visit  to  the  gardener." 


THE   REDSKINS.  167 

Everything  being  thus  explained,  and  our  dinner  ended, 
all  parties  proceeded  to  the  execution  of  the  plan,  each  in 
his  or  her  designated  mode.  When  my  grandmother  and 
I  reached  the  dressing-room,  however,  Martha  was  noi 
there,  though  Mary  Warren  was,  her  bright  but  serene 
eyes  full  of  happiness  and  expectation.  Martha  had  re- 
tired to  the  inner  room  for  a 'moment,  whither  my  grand 
mother,  suspecting  the  truth,  followed  her.  As  I  afterward 
ascertained,  my  sister,  fearful  of  not  being  able  to  suppress 
her  tears  on  my  entrance,  had  withdrawn,  in  order  to 
struggle  for  self-command  without  betraying  our  secret. 
I  was  told  to  commence  an  air,  without  waiting  for  the  ab- 
sent young  lady,  as  the  strain  could  easily  be  heard  through 
the  open  door. 

I  might  have  played  ten  minutes  before  my  sister  and 
grandmother  came  out  again.  Both  had  been  in  tears, 
though  the  intense  manner  in  which  Mary  Warren  was 
occupied  with  the  harmony  of  my  flute,  probably  pre- 
vented her  from  observing  it.  To  me,  however,  it  was 
plain  enough  ;  and  glad  was  I  to  find  that  my  sister  had 
succeeded  in  commanding  her  feelings.  In  a  minute  or 
two  my  grandmother  profited  by  a  pause  to  rise  and  carry 
away  with  her  Mary  Warren,  though  the  last  left  the  room 
with  a  reluctance  that  was  very  manifest.  The  pretence 
was  a  promise  to  meet  the  divine  in  the  library,  on  some 
business  connected  with  the  Sunday-schools. 

"  You  can  keep  the  young  man  for  another  air,  Martha," 
observed  my  grandmother,  "and  I  will  send  Jane  to  you, 
as  I  pass  her  room." 

Jane  was  my  sister's  own  maid,  and  her  room  was  close 
at  hand,  and  I  dare  say  dear  grandmother  gave  her  the 
order,  in  Mary  Warren's  presence,  as  soon  as  she  quitted 
the  room,  else  might  Mary  Warren  well  be  surprised  at 
the  singularity  of  the  whole  procedure  ;  but  Jane  did  not 
make  her  appearance,  nevertheless.  As  for  myself,  I  con- 
tinued to  play  as  long  as  I  thought  any  ear  was  near  enough 
to  hear  me ;  then  I  laid  aside  my  flute.  In  the  next  instant 
Patt  was  in  my  arms,  where  she  lay  some  time  weeping, 
but  looking  inexpressibly  happy. 

"  Oh  !  Hugh,  what  a  disguise  was  this  to  visit  your  own 
house  in !  "  she  said,  as  soon  as  composed  enough  to  speak. 

"*  Would  it  have  done  to  come  here  otherwise  ?  You 
Know  the  state  of  the  country,  and  the  precious  fruits  our 
boasted  tree  of  liberty  is  bringing  forth.  The  owner  of  the 
land  can  only  visit  his  property  at  the  risk  of  his  life ! " 


1 68  THE    REDSKINS. 

Martha  pressed  me  in  her  arms  in  a  way  to  show  how 
conscious  she  was  of  the  danger  I  incurred  in  even  thus 
visiting  her  ;  after  which  we  seated  ourselves,  side  by  side, 
on  a  little  divan,  and  began  to  speak  of  those  things  that 
were  most  natural  to  a  brother  and  sister  who  so  much 
loved  each  other,  and  who  had  not  met  for  five  years.  My 
grandmother  had  managed  so  well  as  to  prevent  all  inter- 
ruption for  an  hour,  if  we  saw  fit  to  remain  together,  while 
to  others  it  should  seem  as  if  Patt  had  dismissed  me  in  a 
few  minutes. 

"  Not  one  of  the  other  girls  suspects,  in  the  least,  who 
you  are,"  said  Martha,  smiling,  when  we  had  got  through 
with  the  questions  and  answers  so  natural  to  our  situation. 
"  I  am  surprised  that  Henrietta  has  not,  for  she  prides  her- 
self on  her  penetration.  She  is  as  much  in  the  dark  as  the 
others,  however." 

"  And  Miss  Mary  Warren — the  young  lady  who  has  just 
left  the  room — has  she  not  some  small  notion  that  I  am 
not  a  common  Dutch  music-grinder  ?  " 

Patt  laughed,  and  that  so  merrily  as  to  cause  the  tones 
of  her  sweet  voice  to  fill  me  with  delight,  as  I  remem- 
bered what  she  had  been  in  childhood  and  girlhood  five 
years  before,  and  she  shook  her  bright  tresses  off  her 
cheeks  ere  she  would  answer. 

"No,  Hugh,"  she  replied,  "she  fancies  you  an  uncom- 
mon Dutch  music-grinder  ;  an  artiste  that  not  only  grinds, 
but  who  dresses  up  his  harmonies  in  such  a  way  as  to  be 
palatable  to  the  most  refined  taste.  How  came  Mary  to 
think  you  and  my  uncle  two  reduced  German  gentlemen  ?  " 

"  And  does  the  dear  girl  believe — that  is,  does  Miss 
Mary  Warren  do  us  so  much  honor,  as  to  imagine  that  ? " 

"  Indeed  she  does,  for  she  told  us  as  much  as  soon  as  she 
got  home  ;  and  Henrietta  and  Ann  have  made  themselves 
very  merry  with  their  speculations  on  the  subject  of  Miss 
Warren's  great  incognito.  They  call  you  Herzog  von  Geige." 

"  Thank  them  for  that."  I  am  afraid  I  answered  a  little 
too  pointedly,  for  I  saw  that  Patt  seemed  surprised.  "  But 
your  American  towns  are  just  such  half-way  things  as  to 
spoil  young  women  ;  making  them  neither  refined  and 
polished  as  they  might  be  in  real  capitals,  while  they  are 
not  left  the  simplicity  and  nature  of  the  country." 

"Well,  Master  Hugh,  this  is  being  very  cross  about  a 
very  little,  and  not  particularly  complimentary  to  your  own 
sister.  And  why  not  your  American  towns,  as  well  as  oursl 
— are  you  no  longer  one  of  us  ? " 


THE   REDSKINS.  169 

"  Certainly  ;  one  of  yours,  always,  my  dearest  Patt, 
though  not  one  of  every  chattering  girl  who  may  set  up 
for  a  belle,  with  her  Dukes  of  Fiddle  !  But,  enough  of 
this  ; — you  like  the  Warrens  ? " 

"Very  much  so  ;  father  and  daughter.  The  first  is  just 
what  a  clergyman  should  be  ;  of  a  cultivation  and  intelli- 
gence to  fit  him  to  be  any  man's  companion,  and  a  simplic- 
ity like  that  of  a  child.  Your  remember  his  predecessor 
--so  dissatisfied,  so  selfish,  so  lazy,  so  censorious,  so  unjust 
to  every  person  and  thing  around  him,  and  yet  so  exact- 
ing ;  and,  at  the  same  time,  so  " 

"What  ?  Thus  far  you  have  drawn  his  character  well  \ 
I  should  like  to  hear  the  remainder." 

"  I  have  said  more  than  I  ought  already  ;  for  one  has  an 
idea  that,  by  bringing  a  clergyman  into  disrepute,  it  brings 
religion  and  the  Church  into  discredit,  too.  A  priest  must 
be  a  very  bad  man  to  have  injurious  things  said  of  him,  in 
this  country,  Hugh." 

"  That  is,  perhaps,  true.  But  you  like  Mr.  Warren  bet- 
ter than  him  who  has  left  you  ?  " 

UA  thousand  times,  and  in  all  things.  In  addition  to 
having  a  most  pious  and  sincere  pastor,  we  have  an  agree- 
able and  well-bred  neighbor,  from  whose  mouth,  in  the 
five  years  that  he  has  dwelt  here,  I  have  not  heard  a  syl- 
lable at  the  expense  of  a  single  fellow-creature.  You 
know  how  it  is  apt  to  be  with  the  other  clergy  and  ours, 
in  the  country — forever  at  swords'  points  ;  and  if  not  actu- 
ally quarrelling,  keeping  up  a  hollow  peace." 

"  That  is  only  too  true — or  used  to  be  true,  before  I 
went  abroad." 

"And  it  is  so  now  elsewhere,  I'll  answer  for  it,  though 
it  be  so  no  longer  here.  Mr.  Warren  and  Mr.  Peck  seem 
to  live  on  perfectly  amicable  terms,  though  as  little  alike  at 
bottom  as  fire  and  water." 

"  By  the  way,  how  do  the  clergy  of  the  different  sects, 
up  and  down  the  country,  behave  on  the  subject  of  anti- 
rent  ?  " 

"  I  can  answer  only  from  what  I  hear,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  Mr.  Warren's  course.  He  has  preached  two  or 
three  plain  and  severe  sermons  on  the  duty  of  honesty  in 
our  worldly  transactions,  one  of  which  was  from  the  tenth 
commandment.  Of  course  he  said  nothing  of  the  particu- 
lar trouble,  but  everybody  must  have  made  the  necessary 
application  of  the  home-truths  he  uttered.  I  question  if 
another  voice  has  been  raised,  far  and  near,  on  the  subject, 


170  THE   REDSKINS. 

although  I  have  heard  Mr.  Warren  say  the  movement 
threatens  more  to  demoralize  New  York  than  anything 
that  has  happened  in  his  time." 

"  And  the  man  down  at  the  village  ? " 

"  Oh,  he  goes,  of  course,  with  the  majority.  When 
was  one  of  that  sect  known  to  oppose  his  parish,  in  any- 
thing ? " 

"And  Mary  is  as  sound  and  as  high-principled  as  her 
father?" 

"  Quite  so  ;  though  there  has  been  a  good  deal  said 
about  the  necessity  of  Mr.  Warren's  removing,  and  giving 
up  St.  Andrew's,  since  he  preached  against  covetousness. 
All  the  anti-renters  say,  I  hear,  that  they  know  he  meant 
them,  and  that  they  won't  put  up  with  it." 

"  I  dare  say ;  each  one  fancying  he  was  almost  called 
out  by  name  ;  that  is  the  way,  when  conscience  works." 

"  I  should  be  very,  very  sorry  to  part  with  Mary  ;  and 
almost  as  much  so  to  part  with  her  father.  There  is  one 
thing,  however,  that  Mr.  Warren  himself  thinks  we  had 
better  have  done,  Hugh  ;  and  that  is  to  take  down  the  can- 
opy from  over  our  pew.  You  can  have  no  notion  of  the 
noise  that  foolish  canopy  is  making  up  and  down  the  coun- 
try." 

"  I  shall  not  take  it  down.  It  is  my  property,  and  there 
it  shall  remain.  As  for  the  canopy,  it  was  a  wrong  dis- 
tinction to  place  in  a  church,  I  am  willing  to  allow  ;  but  it 
never  gave  offence  until  it  has  been  thought  that  a  cry 
against  it  would  help  to  rob  me  of  my  lands  at  half-price, 
or  at  no  price  at  all,  as  it  may  happen." 

"  All  that  may  be  true  ;  but  if  improper  for  a  church,  why 
keep  it  ? " 

"  Because  I  do  not  choose  to  be  bullied  out  of  what  is 
my  own,  even  though  I  care  nothing  about  it.  There  might 
have  been  a  time  when  the  canopy  was  unsuited  to  the 
house  of  God,  and  that  was  when  those  who  saw  it  might 
fancy  it  canopied  the  head  of  a  fellow-creature  who  had 
higher  claims  than  themselves  to  divine  favor  ;  but  in  times 
like  these,  when  men  estimate  merit  by  beginning  at  the 
other  end  of  the  social  scale,  there  is  little  danger  of  any 
one's  falling  into  the  mistake.  The  canopy  shall  stand, 
little  as  I  care  about  it  ;  now,  I  would  actually  prefer  it 
should  come  down,  and  I  can  fully  see  the  impropriety  of 
making  any  distinctions  in  the  temple  ;  but  it  shall  stand 
until  concessions  cease  to  be  dangerous.  It  is  a  right  of 
property,  and  as  such  I  will  maintain  it.  If  others  dislike 


THE  REDSKINS.  171 

it,  let  them  put  canopies  over  their  pews,  too.  The  best 
test,  in  such  a  matter,  is  to  see  who  could  bear  it.  A  pretty 
figure  Seneca  Newcome  would  cut,  for  instance,  seated  in 
a  canopied  pew !  Even  his  own  set  would  laugh  at  him, 
which,  I  fancy,  is  more  than  they  yet  do  at  me." 

Martha  was  disappointed  ;  but  she  changed  the  subject 
We  next  talked  of  our  own  little  private  affairs,  as  they 
were  connected  with  smaller  matters. 

"  For  whom  is  that  beautiful  chain  intended,  Hugh  ?  " 
asked  Patt,  laughingly.  "  I  can  now  believe  the  pedler 
when  he  says  it  is  reserved  for  your  future  wife.  But 
who  is  that  wife  to  be  ?  Will  her  name  be  Henrietta  or 
Ann  ? " 

"  Why  not  ask,  also,  if  it  will  be  Mary  ? — why  exclude 
one  of  your  companions,  while  you  include  the  other 
two  ? " 

Patt  started — seemed  surprised  ;  her  cheeks  flushed,  and 
then  I  saw  that  pleasure  was  the  feeling  predominant. 

"  Am  I  too  late  to  secure  that  jewel,  as  a  pendant  to  my 
chain?"  I  asked,  half  in  jest,  half  seriously. 

"  Too  soon,  at  least,  to  attract  it  by  the  richness  and 
beauty  of  the  bawble.  A  more  natural  and  disinterested 
girl  than  Mary  Warren  does  not  exist  in  the  country." 

"  Be  frank  with  me,  Martha,  and  say  at  once  ;  has  she  a 
favored  suitor  ? " 

"  Why,  this  seems  really  serious  !  "  exclaimed  my  sister, 
laughing.  "  But,  to  put  you  out  of  your  pain,  I  will  an- 
swer, I  know  of  but  one.  One  she  has  certainly,  or  female 
sagacity  is  at  fault." 

"  But  is  he  one  that  is  favored  ?  You  can  never  know 
how  much  depends  on  your  answer." 

"  Of  that  you  can  judge  for  yourself.  It  is  'Squire  Sen- 
eky  Newcome,  as  he  is  called  hereabouts — the  brother  of 
the  charming  Opportunity,  who  still  reserves  herself  for 
you." 

"  And  they  are  as  rank  anti-renters  as  any  male  and  fe- 
male in  the  country." 

"They  are  rank  Newcomites  ;  and  that  means  that  each 
is  for  himself.  Would  you  believe  it,  but  Opportunity 
really  gives  herself  airs  with  Mary  Warren  !  " 

"  And  how  does  Mary  Warren  take  such  an  assump- 
tion r 

"  As  a  young  person  should — quietly  and  without  mani- 
festing any  feeling.  But  there  is  something  quite  intoler- 
able in  one  like  Opportunity  Newcome's  assuming  a  supe- 


£72  THE    REDSKINS. 

riority  over  any  true  lady  !  Mary  is  as  well  educated  and 
as  well  connected  as  any  of  us,  and  is  quite  as  much  ac- 
customed to  good  company  ;  while  Opportunity — "  here 
Patt  laughed,  and  then  added,  hurriedly,  "  but  you  know 
Opportunity  as  well  as  I  do.' 

"  Oh  !  yes  ;  she  is  la  vertue,  or  the  virtue,  and  yV  sm's  venue 
pour" 

The  latter  allusion  Patt  understood  well  enough,  having 
laughed  over  the  story  a  dozen  times  ;  and  she  laughed 
again  when  I  explained  the  affair  of  "the  solitude." 

Then  came  a  fit  of  sisterly  feeling.  Patt  insisted  on 
taking  off  my  wig,  and  seeing  my  face  in  its  natural 
dress.  I  consented  to  gratify  her,  when  the  girl  really  be- 
haved like  a  simpleton.  First  she  pushed  about  my  curls 
until  they  were  arranged  to  suit  the  silly  creature,  when 
she  ran  back  several  steps,  clapped  her  hands  in  delight, 
then  rushed  into  "  my  arms  and  kissed  my  forehead  and 
eyes,  and  called  me  her  brother" — her  "  only  brother" — 
her  "  dear,  dear  Hugh,"  and  by  a  number  of  other  such 
epithets,  until  she  worked  herself,  and  me  too,  into  such  an 
excess  of  feeling  that  we  sat  down,  side  by  side,  and  each 
had  a  hearty  fit  of  crying.  Perhaps  some  such  burst  as 
this  was  necessary  to  relieve  our  minds,  and  we  submitted 
to  it  wisely. 

My  sister  wept  the  longest,  as  a  matter  of  course  ;  but, 
as  soon  as  she  had  dried  her  eyes,  she  replaced  the  wig, 
and  completely  restored  my  disguise,  trembling  the  whole 
time  lest  some  one  might  enter  and  detect  me. 

"You  have  been  very  imprudent,  Hugh,  in  coming  here 
at  all,"  she  said,  while  thus  busy.  "  You  can  form  no  no- 
tion of  the  miserable  state  of  the  country,  or  how  far  the 
anti-rent  poison  has  extended,  or  the  malignant  nature  of 
its  feeling.  The  annoyances  they  have  attempted  with 
dear  grandmother  are  odious  ;  you  they  would  scarcely 
leave  alive." 

"  The  country  and  the  people  must  have  strangely  al- 
tered, then,  in  five  years.  Our  New  York  population  has 
hitherto  had  very  little  of  the  assassin-like  character.  Tar 
and  feathers  are  the  blackguards',  and  have  been  the  petty 
tyrants'  weapons,  from  time  immemorial,  in  this  country  ; 
but  not  the  knife." 

"  And  can  anything  sooner  or  more  effectually  alter  a 
people  than  longings  for  the  property  of  others  ?  Is  not 
the  'love  of  money  the  root  of  all  evil  ?  '—and  what  right 
have  we  to  suppose  our  Ravensnest  population  is  better 


77/A    X  EDS  A' /VS.  173 

than  another,  when  that  sordid  feeling  is  thoroughly 
aroused  ?  You  know  you  have  written  n^e  yourself,  that 
all  the  American  can  or  does  .live  for  is  money/' 

"  I  have  written  you,  dear,  that  the  country,  in  its  pres- 
ent condition,  leaves  no  other  incentive  to  "exertion,  and 
therein  it  is  cursed.  Military  iame,  military  rank,  even, 
are  unattainable,  under  our  system  ;  the  arts,  letters,  and 
science  bring  little  or  no  reward  ;  and  there  being  no 
political  rank  that  a  man  of  refinement  would  care  for, 
men  must  live  for  money,  or  live  altogether  for  another 
state  of  being.  But  I  have  told  you,  at  the  same  time, 
Martha,  that,  notwithstanding  all  this,  I  believe  the  Ameri- 
can a  less  mercenary  being,  in  the  ordinary  sense  of  the 
word,  than  the  European  ;  that  two  men  might  be  bought, 
for  instance,  in  any  European  country,  for  one  here.  This 
last  I  suppose  to  be  the  result  of  the  facility  of  making  a 
living,  and  the  habits  it  produces." 

"  Never  mind  causes  ;  Mr.  Warren  says  there  is  a  des- 
perate intention  to  rob  existing  among  these  people,  and 
that  they  are  dangerous.  As  yet  they  do  a  little  respect 
women,  but  how  long  they  will  do  that  one  cannot  know." 

"  It  may  all  be  so.  It  must  be  so,  respecting  what  I  have 
heard  and  read  ;  yet  this  vale  looks  as  smiling  and  as 
sweet,  at  this  very  moment,  as  if  an  evil  passion  never  sul- 
lied it !  But  depend  on  my  prudence,  which  tells  me  that 
we  ought  now  to  part.  I  shall  see  you  again  and  again 
before  I  quit  the  estate,  and  you  will,  of  course,  join  us 
somewhere — at  the  Springs,  perhaps — as  soon  as  we  find  it 
necessary  or  expedient  to  decamp." 

Martha  promised  this,  of  course,  and  I  kissed  her,  pre- 
viously to  separating.  No  one  crossed  my  way  as  I  de- 
scended to  the  piazza,  which  was  easily  done,  since  I  was 
literally  at  home.  I  lounged  about  on  the  lawn  a  few 
minutes,  and  then,  showing  myself  in  front  of  the  library 
windows,  I  was  summoned  to  the  room,  as  I  had  expected. 

Uncle  Ro  had  disposed  of  every  article  of  the  fine 
jewelry  that  he  had  brought  home  as  presents  for  his 
wards.  The  pay  was  a  matter  to  be  arranged  with  Mrs. 
Littlepage,  which  meant  no  pay  at  all  ;  and,  as  the  donor 
afterward  told  me,  he  liked  this  mode  of  distributing  the 
various  ornaments  better  than  presenting  them  himself,  as 
he  was  now  certain  each  girl  had  consulted  her  own  fancy. 

As  the  hour  of  the  regular  dinner  was  approaching,  we 
took  our  leave  soon  after,  not  without  receiving  kind  and 
pressing  invitations  to  visit  the  Nest  again  ere  we  left  tht 


174  THE   REDSKINS. 

township.  Of  course  we  promised  all  that  was  required, 
intending  most  faithfully  to  comply.  On  quitting  the 
house  we  returned  toward  the  farm,  though  not  without 
pausing  on  the  lawn  to  gaze  around  us  on  a  scene  so  dear 
to  both,  from  recollection,  association,  and  interest.  But  I 
forget,  this  is  aristocratical  ;  the  landlord  has  no  right  to 
sentiments  of  this  nature,  which  are  feelings  that  the  sub- 
limated liberty  of  the  law  is  beginning  to  hold  in  reserve 
solely  for  the  benefit  of  the  tenant ! 


CHAPTER  XII. 

"There  shall  be,  in  England,  seven  half  penny  loaves  sold  for  a  penny  ; 
the  three-hooped  pot  shall  have  ten  hoops  ;  and  I  will  make  it  felony  to 
drink  small  beer  ;  all  the  realm  shall  be  in  common,  and  in  Cheapside  shall 
my  palfrey  go  to  grass." — Jack  Cade. 

"  I  DO  not  see,  sir,"  I  remarked,  as  we  moved  on  from 
the  last  of  these  pauses,  "why  the  governors  and  the  leg- 
islators, and  writers  on  this  subject  of  anti-rentism,  talk  so 
much  of  feudality,  and  chickens,  and  days'  works,  and 
durable  leases,  when  we  have  none  of  these,  while  we  have 
all  the  disaffection  they  are  said  to  produce." 

"  You  will  understand  that  better  as  you  come  to  know 
more  of  men.  No  party  alludes  to  its  weak  points.  It  is 
just  as  you  say  ;  but  the  proceedings  of  your  tenants,  for 
instance,  give  the  lie  to  the  theories  of  the  philanthro- 
pists, and  must  be  kept  in  the  background.  It  is  true  that 
the  disaffection  has  not  yet  extended  to  one-half,  or  to  one- 
fourth  of  the  leased  estates  in  the  country,  perhaps  not  to 
one-tenth,  if  you  take  the  number  of  the  landlords  as  the 
standard,  instead  of  the  extent  of  their  possessions,  but  it 
certainly  will,  should  the  authorities  tamper  with  the 
rebels  much  longer." 

"  If  they  tax  the  incomes  of  the  landlords  under  the 
durable  rent  system,  why  would  not  the  parties  aggrieved 
have  the  same  right  to  take  up  arms  to  resist  such  an  act 
of  oppression  as  our  fathers  had  in  1776  ?" 

"Their  cause  would  be  better  ;  for  that  was  only  a  con- 
structive right,  and  one  dependent  on  general  principles, 
whereas  this  is  an  attempt  at  a  most  mean  evasion  of  a 
written  law,  the  meanness  of  the  attempt  being  quite  as 
culpable  as  its  fraud.  Every  human  being  knows  that 


THE  REDSKINS.  17 j 

such  a  tax,  so  far  as  it  has  any  object  beyond  that  of  an 
election-sop,  is  to  choke  off  the  landlords  from  the  mainten- 
ance of  their  covenants,  which  is  a  thing  that  no  State  can 
do  directly,  without  running  the  risk  of  having  its  law  pro- 
nounced unconstitutional  by  the  courts  of  the  United 
States,  if,  indeed,  not  by  its  own  courts." 

"  The  Court  of  Errors,  think  you  ?  " 

"The  Court  of  Errors  is  doomed,  by  its  own  abuses. 
Catiline  never  abused  the  patience  of  Rome  more  than 
that  mongrel  assembly  has  abused  the  patience  of  every 
sound  lawyer  in  the  State.  l  Fiat  justitia,  mat  cctlum,'  is  in- 
terpreted, now,  into  '  Let  justice  be  done,  and  the  court 
fall.'  No  one  wishes  to  see  it  continued,  and  the  approach- 
ing convention  will  send  it  to  the  Capulets,  if  it  do  nothing 
else  to  be  commended.  It  was  a  pitiful  imitation  of  the 
House  of  Lords  system,  with  this  striking  difference  ;  the 
English  lords  are  men  of  education,  and  men  with  a  vast 
deal  at  stake,  and  their  knowledge  and  interests  teach  them 
to  leave  the  settlement  of  appeals  to  the  legal  men  of  their 
body,  of  whom  there  are  always  a  respectable  number,  in 
addition  to  those  in  possession  of  the  woolsack  and  the 
bench  ;  whereas  our  Senate  is  a  court  composed  of  small 
lawyers,  country  doctors,  merchants,  farmers,  with  occa- 
sionally a  man  of  really  liberal  attainments.  Under  the 
direction  of  an  acute  and  honest  judge,  as  most  of  our 
true  judges  actually  are,  the  Court  of  Errors  whould  hardly 
form  such  a  jury  as  would  allow  a  creditable  person  to  be 
tried  by  his  peers,  in  a  case  affecting  character,  for  instance, 
and  here  we  have  it  set  up  as  a  court  of  the  last  resort,  to 
settle  points  of  law  ! " 

"I  see  it.  has  just  made  a  decision  in  a  libel  suit,  at 
which  the  profession  sneers." 

"  It  has,  indeed.  Now  look  at  that  very  decision,  for  in- 
stance, as  the  measure  of  its  knowledge.  An  editor  of  a 
newspaper  holds  up  a  literary  man  to  the  world  as  one 
anxious  to  obtain  a  small  sum  of  money,  in  order  to  put  it 
into  Wall  Street,  for  *  shaving  purposes.'  Now,  the  only 
material  question  raised  was  the  true  signification  of  the 
word  '  shaving.'  If  to  say  a  man  is  a  *  shaver,'  in  the  sense 
in  which  it  is  applied  to  the  use  of  money,  be  bringing 
him  into  discredit,  then  was  the  plaintiff's  declaration  suf- 
ficient ;  if  not,  it  was  insufficient,  being  wanting  in  what 
is  called  an  *  innuendo.'  The  dictionaries,  and  men  in  gen- 
eral, understand  by  *  shaving,'  'extortion,'  and  nothing 
else.  To  call  a  man  a  '  shaver  '  is  to  say  he  is  an  '  extor- 


176  THE  REDSKINS. 

tioner,'  without  going  into  details.  But,  in  Wall  Street, 
and  among  money-dealers,  certain  transactions  that,  in 
their  eyes,  and  by  the  courts,  are  not  deemed  discreditable, 
have  of  late  been  brought  within  the  category  of  '  shav- 
ing.' Thus  it  is  technically,  or  by  convention  among 
bankers,  termed  '  shaving  '  if  a  man  buy  a  note  at  less  than 
its  face,  which  is  a  legal  transaction.  On  the  strength  of 
this  last  circumstance,  as  is  set  forth  in  the  published opinions , 
the  highest  Court  of  Appeals  in  New  York  has  decided  that 
it  does  not  bring  a  man  into  discredit  to  say  he  is  a  '  shaver  ! ' 
— thus  making  a  conventional  signification  of  the  brokers 
of  Wall  Street  higher  authority  for  the  use  of  the  English 
tongue  than  the  standard  lexicographers,  and  all  the  rest 
of  those  who  use  the  language  !  On  the  same  principle,  if 
a  set  of  pickpockets  at  the  Five  Points,  should  choose  to 
mystify  their  trade  a  little  by  including  in  the  term  '  to  filch  ' 
the  literal  borrowing  of  a  pocket-handkerchief,  it  would  not 
be  a  libel  to  accuse  a  citizen  of  *  filching  his  neighbor's 
handkerchief  ! ' ' 

"  But  the  libel  was  uttered  to  the  world,  and  not  to  the 
brokers  of  Wall  Street  only,  who  might  possibly  under- 
stand their  own  terms." 

"  Very  true  ;  and  was  uttered  in  a  newspaper  that  car- 
ried the  falsehood  to  Europe  ;  for  the  writer  of  the  charge, 
when  brought  up  for  it,  publicly  admitted  that  he  had  no 
ground  for  suspecting  the  literary  man  of  any  such  prac- 
tices. He  called  it  a  ' joke'  Every  line  of  the  context, 
however,  showed  it  was  a  malicious  charge.  The  decision 
is  very  much  as  if  a  man  who  is  sued  for  accusing  another 
of  *  stealing  *  should  set  up  a  defence  that  he  meant 
'stealing'  hearts,  for  the  word  is  sometimes  used  in  that 
sense.  When  men  use  epithets  that  convey  discredit  in 
their  general  meaning,  it  is  their  business  to  give  them  a 
special  signification  in  their  own  contexts,  if  such  be  their 
real  intention.  But  I  much  question  if  there  be  a  respect- 
able money-dealer,  even  in  Wall  Street,  who  would  not 
swear,  if  called  on  in  a  court  of  justice  so  to  do,  that  he 
thought  the  general  charge  of  *  shaving '  discreditable  to 
any  man." 

,"  And  you  think  the  landlords  whose  rents  were  taxed, 
sir,  would  have  a  moral  right  to  resist  ?" 

"  Beyond  all  question  ;  as  it  would  be  an  income-tax  on 
them  only  of  all  in  the  country.  What  is  more,  I  am  fully 
persuaded  that  two  thousand  men  embodied  to  resist  such 
tyranny  would  look  down  the  whole  available  authority  o' 


777.fi:   XEDSA'I.VS.  177 

the  State  ;  inasmuch  as  I  do  not  believe  citizens  could  be 
found  to  take  up  arms  to  enforce  a  law  so  flagrantly  unjust. 
Men  will  look  on  passively  and  see  wrongs  inflicted,  that 
would  never  come  out  to  support  them  by  their  own  acts. 
But  we  are  approaching  the  farm,  and  there  are  Tom  Mil- 
ler and  his  hired  men  waiting  our  arrival." 

It  is  unnecessary  to  repeat,  in  detail,  all  that  passed  in 
this  our  second  visit  to  the  farm-house.  Miller  received 
us  in  a  friendly  manner,  and  offered  us  a  bed,  if  we  would 
pass  the  night  with  him.  This  business  of  a  bed  had  given 
us  more  difficulty  than  anything  else  in  the  course  of  our 
peregrinations.  New  York  has  long  got  over  the  "  two- 
man  "  and  "three-man  bed"  system,  as  regards  its  best 
inns.  At  no  respectable  New  York  inn  is  a  gentleman 
now  asked  to  share  even  his  room,  without  an  apology  and 
a  special  necessity,  with  another,  much  less  his  bed  ;  but 
the  rule  does  not  hold  good  as  respects  pedlers  and 
music-grinders.  We  had  ascertained  that  we  were  not  only 
expected  to  share  the  same  bed,  but  to  occupy  that  bed  in 
a  room  filled  with  other  beds.  There  are  certain  things 
that  get  to  be  second  nature,  and  that  no  masquerading 
will  cause  to  go  down  ;  and,  among  others,  one  gets  to 
dislike  sharing  his  room  and  his  tooth-brush.  This  little 
difficulty  gave  us  more  trouble  that  night  at  Tom  Miller's 
than  anything  we  had  yet  encountered.  At  the  taverns, 
bribes  had  answered  our  purpose  ;  but  this  would  not  do 
so  well  at  a  farm  residence.  At  length  the  matter  was 
got  along  with  by  putting  me  in  the  garret,  where  I  was 
favored  with  a  straw  bed  under  my  own  roof,  the  decent 
Mrs.  Miller  making  many  apologies  for  not  having  a 
feather-smootherer,  into  which  to  "  squash  "  me.  I  did  not 
tell  the  good  woman  that  I  never  used  feathers,  summer 
or  winter  ;  for,  had  I  done  so,  she  would  have  set  me  down 
as  a  poor  creature  from  "  oppressed  "  Germany,  where  the 
"folks  "  did  not  know  how  to  live.  Nor  would  she  have 
been  so  much  out  of  the  way  quoad  the  beds,  for  in  all  my 
journeyings  I  never  met  with  such  uncomfortable  sleeping 
as  one  finds  in  Germany,  off  the  Rhine  and  out  of  the  large 
towns.* 

While  the  negotiation  was  in  progress  I  observed  that 
Josh  Brigham,  as  the  anti-rent  disposed  hireling  of  Miller's 

*  As  the  "honorable  gentleman  from  Albany  "  does  not  seem  to  under- 
stand the  precise  signification  of  "provincial,"  I  can  tell  him  that  one 
sign  of  such  a  character  is  to  admire  a  bed  at  an  American  country  inn. — • 
EDITOR. 

12 


178  THE   REDSKINS. 

was  called,  kept  a  watchful  eye  and  an  open  ear  on  what 
was  done  and  said.  Of  all  men  on  earth,  the  American  of 
that  class  is  the  most  "distrustful,"  as  he  calls  it  himself, 
and  has  his  suspicions  the  soonest  awakened.  The  Indian 
on  the  war-path — the-sentinel  who  is  posted  in  a  fog,  near 
his  enemy,  an  hour  before  the  dawn  of  day — the  husband 
that  is  jealous,  or  the  priest  that  has  become  a  partisan,  is 
not  a  whit  more  apt  to  fancy,  conjecture,  or  assert,  than 
the  American  of  that  class  who  has  become  "distrustful." 
This  fellow,  Brigham,  was  the  very  beau  ideal  of  the  sus- 
picious school,  being  envious  and  malignant,  as  well  as 
shrewd,  observant,  and  covetous.  The  very  fact  that  he 
was  connected  writh  the  "  Injins,"  as  turned  out  to  be  the 
case,  added  to  his  natural  propensities  the  consciousness  of 
guilt,  and  rendered  him  doubly  dangerous.  The  whole 
time  my  uncle  and  myself  were  crossing  over  and  figuring 
in,  in  order  to  procure  for  each  a  room,  though  it  were 
only  a  closet,  his  watchful,  distrustful  looks  denoted  how 
much  he  saw  in  our  movements  to  awaken  curiosity,  if  not 
downright  suspicion.  When  all  was  over,  he  followed  me 
to  the  little  lawn  in  front  of  the  house,  whither  I  had  gone 
to  look  at  the  familiar  scene  by  the  light  of  the  setting 
sun,  and  began  to  betray  the  nature  of  his  own  suspicions 
by  his  language. 

"The  old  man"  (meaning  my  uncle  Ro)  "  must  have 
plenty  of  gold  watches  about  him,"  he  said,  "to  be  so 
plaguy  partic'lar  consarnin'  his  bed.  Peddlin'  sich  mat- 
ters is  a  ticklish  trade,  I  guess,  in  some  parts  ? " 

"  Ja  ;  it  ist  dangerous  somevhere,  but  it  might  not  be  so 
in  dis  goot  coontry." 

"  Why  did  the  old  fellow,  then,  try  so  hard  to  get.  that 
little  room  all  to  himself,  and  shove  you  off  into  the  gar- 
ret ?  We  hired  men  don't  like  the  garret,  which  is  a  hot 
place  in  summer." 

"  In  Charmany  one  man  hast  ever  one  bed,"  I  answered, 
anxious  to  get  rid  of  the  subject. 

I  bounced  a  little,  as  "  one  has  one-half  of  a  bed  "  would 
be  nearer  to  the  truth,  though  the  other  half  might  be  in 
another  room. 

"  Oh  !  that's  it,  is't  ?  Wa-a-1,  every  country  has  its  ways, 
I  s'pose.  Jarmany  is  a  desp'ate  aristocratic  land,  I  take  it." 

"  Ja ;  dere  ist  moch  of  de  old  feudal  law,  and  feudal 
coostum  still  remaining  in  Charmany." 

"  Landlords  a  plenty,  I  guess,  if  the  truth  was  knowa 
Leases  as  long  as  my  arm,  I  calkcrlate  ? " 


THE   REDSKIXS.  179 

41  Veil,  dey  do  dink,  in  Charmany,  dat  de  longer  might 
be  de  lease,  de  better  it  might  be  for  de  denant." 

As  that  was  purely  a  German  sentiment,  or  at  least  not 
an  American  sentiment,  according  to  the  notions  broached 
by  statesmen  among  ourselves,  I  made  it  as  Dutch  as  pos- 
sible by  garnishing  it  well  with  d's. 

"  That's  a  droll  idee  !  Now,  we  think,  here,  that  a  lease  is  a 
bad  thing ;  and  the  less  you  have  of  a  bad  thing,  the  better." 

"Veil,  dat  ist  queer,  so  queer  as  I  don't  know!  Vhat 
vill  dey  do  as  might  help  it  ?" 

"  Oh  !  the  legislature  will  set  it  all  right.  They  mean  to 
pass  a  law  to  prevent  any  more  leases  at  all." 

"  Und  vill  de  beople  stand  dat  ?  Dis  ist  a  free  country, 
efferybody  dells  me,  and  vilt  der  beoples  agree  not  to  hire 
lands  if  dey  vants  to  ? " 

"  Oh  !  you  see  we  wish  to  choke  the  landlords  off  from 
their  present  leases ;  and,  by  and  by,  when  that  is  done, 
the  law  can  let  up  again." 

"But  ist  dat  right?  Der  law  should  be  joost,  und  not 
hold  down  und  let  oop,  as  you  calls  it." 

"  You  don't  understand  us  yet,  I  see.  Why  that's  the 
prettiest  and  the  neatest  legislation  on  airth !  That's  just 
what  the  bankrupt  law  did." 

"Vhat  did  her  bankroopt  law  do,  bray?  Vhat  might 
you  mean  now  ? — I  don't  know." 

"  Do  !  why,  it  did  wonders  for  some  on  us,  I  can  tell 
you  !  It  paid  our  debts,  and  let  us  up  when  we  was  down  ; 
and  that's  no  trifle,  I  can  tell  you.  I  took  *  the  benefit,'  as 
it  is  called,  myself." 

"  You  ! — you  might  take  der  benefit  of  a  bankrupt  law  ! 
You,  lifing  here  ast  a  hiret  man,  on  dis  farm  !  " 

"  Sartain  ;  why  not  ?  All  a  man  wanted  under  that  law 
was  about  $60  to  carry  him  through  the  mill ;  and  if  he 
could  rake  and  scrape  that  much  together,  he  might  wipe 
off  as  long  a  score  as  he  pleased.  I  had  been  dealin'  in 
speckylation,  and  that's  a  make  or  break  business,  I  can 
tell  you.  Well,  I  got  to  be  about  $423.22'  wuss  than  noth- 
in'  ;  but,  having  about  $90  in  hand,  I  went  through  the 
mill  without  getting  cogged  the  smallest  morsel !  A  man 
doos  a  good  business,  to  my  notion,  when  he  can  make 
twenty  cents  pay  a  whull  dollar  of  debt." 
1  "  Und  you  did  dat  goot  business  ?  " 

"  You  may  say  that  ;  and  now  I  means  to  make  anti- 
re  ntism  get  me  a  farm  cheap — what  /call  cheap  ;  and  that 
an't  none  of  your  $30  or  $40  an  acre,  I  can  tell  you  !" 


iSe  THl-:    RRDSKINS. 


It  was  quite  clear  that  Mr.  Joshua  Brigham  regarded 
these  transactions  as  so  many  Pragmatic  Sanctions,  that 
were  to  clear  the  moral  and  legal  atmospheres  of  any  at- 
oms of  difficulty  that  might  exist  in  the  forms  of  old  opin- 
ions, to  his  getting  easily  out  of  debt,  in  the  one  case,  and 
suddenly  rich  in  the  other.  I  dare  say  I  looked  bewil- 
dered, but  I  certainly  felt  so,  at  thus  finding  myself  face 
to  face  with  a  low  knave,  who  had  a  deliberate  intention, 
as  I  now  found,  to  rob  me  of  a  farm.  It  is  certain  that 
Joshua  so  imagined,  for,  inviting  me  to  walk  down  the 
road  with  him  a  short  distance,  he  endeavored  to  clear 
up  any  moral  difficulties  that  might  beset  me,  by  pursuing 
the  subject. 

"  You  see,"  resumed  Joshua,  "  I  will  tell  you  how  it  is. 
These  Littlepages  have  had  this  land  long  enough,  and 
it's  time  to  give  poor  folks  a  chance.  The  young  spark 
that  pretends  to  own  all  the  farms  you  see,  far  and  near, 
never  did  anything  for  'em  in  his  life  ;  only  to  be  his  fath- 
er's son.  Now,  to  my  notion,  a  man  should  do  suthin'  for 
his  land,  and  not  be  obligated  for  it  to  mere  natur'.  This 
is  a  free  country,  and  what  right  has  one  man  to  land  more 
than  another?" 

"  Or  do  his  shirt,  or  do  his  dobacco,  or  do  his  coat,  or 
do  anyding  else." 

"  Well,  I  don't  go  as  far  as  that.  A  man  has  a  right  to 
his  clothes,  and  maybe  to  a  horse,  or  a  cow,  but  he  has  no 
right  to  all  the  land  in  creation.  The  law  gives  a  right  to 
a  cow  as  ag'in'  execution." 

"  Und  doesn't  der  law  gif  a  right  to  der  landt,  too  ?  You 
must  not  depend  on  der  law,  if  you  might  succeed." 

"We  like  to  get  as  much  law  as  we  can  on  our  side. 
Americans  like  law  :  now,  you'll  read  in  all  the  books  — 
our  books,  I  mean,  them  that's  printed  here  —  that  the 
Americans  be  the  most  lawful  people  on  airth,  and  that 
they'll  do  more  for  the  law  than  any  other  folks  known!" 

"  Veil,  dat  isn't  vhat  dey  says  of  der  Americans  in  Eu- 
rope ;  nein,  neiri,  dey  might  not  say  dat." 

"Why,  don't  you  think  it  is  so?  Don't  you  think  this 
the  greatest  country  on  airth,  and  the  most  lawful  ?" 

"  Veil,  I  don'ts  know.  Das  coontry  ist  das  coontry,  und 
it  ist  vhat  it  ist,  you  might  see." 

"  Yes  ;  I  thought  you  would  be  of  my  way  of  thinking, 
when  we  got  to  understand  each  other."  Nothing  is  easier 
than  to  mislead  an  American  on  the  estimate  foreigners 
place  on  them  :  in  this  respect  they  are  the  most  deluded 


THE   REDSKINS.  181 

people  living,  though,  in  other  matters,  certainly  among 
the  shrewdest.  "  That's  the  way  with  acquaintances,  at 
first  ;  they  don't  always  understand  one  another  :  and  then 
you  talk  a  little  thick,  like.  But  now,  friend,  I'll  come  to 
the  p'int — but  first  swear  you'll  not  betray  me." 

"Ja,  ja — I  oonderstandst ;  I  most  schwear  I  won't  be- 
dray  you  :  das  ist  goot." 

''But,  hold  up  your  hand.  Stop;  of  what  religion  be 
you  ?" 

"  Gristian,  to  be  sure.  I  might  not  be  a  Chew.  Nein, 
nein  ;  I  am  a  ferry  vat  Gristian." 

"  We  are  all  bad  enough,  for  that  matter  ;  but  I  lay  no 
stress  on  that.  A  little  of  the  devil  in  a  man  helps  him 
along,  in  this  business  of  ourn.  But  you  must  be  suthin' 
more  than  a  Christian,  I  s'pose,  as  we  don't  call  that  bein' 
of  any  religion  at  all,  in  this  country.  Of  what  supportiri 
religion  be  you  ?  " 

"  Soobortin'  ;  veil,  I  might  not  oonderstands  dat.  Vhat 
is  soobortin'  religion  ?  Coomes  dat  vrom  Melanchton  und 
Luther? — or  coomes  it  vrom  der  Pope  ?  Vhat  ist  dat  soo- 
bortin' religion  ? " 

"Why,  what  religion  do  you  patronize  ?  Do  you  patronize 
the  standin'  order,  or  the  kneelin'  order? — or  do  you  pat- 
ronize neither  ?  Some  folks  thinks  its  best  to  lie  down  at 
prayer,  as  the  least  likely  to  divart  the  thoughts." 

"  I  might  not  oonderstand.  But  nefer  mindt  der  relig- 
ion, und  coome  to  der  p'int  dat  you  mentioned." 

"  Well,  that  p'int  is  this.  You're  a  Jarman,  and  can't 
like  aristocrats,  and  so  I'll  trust  you  ;  though,  if  you  do 
betray  me,  you'll  never  play  on  another  bit  of  music  in  thi"" 
country,  or  any  other  !  If  you  want  to  be  an  Injin,  as  good 
an  opportunity  will  offer  to-morrow  as  ever  fell  in  a  man's 
way  ? " 

"An  Injin!  Vhat  goot  vill  it  do  to  be  an  Injin?  I 
dought  it  might  be  better  to  be  a  vhite  man,  in  America  ?  " 

"  Oh  !  I  mean  only  an  anti-rent  Injin.  We've  got  mat- 
ters so  nicely  fixed  now,  that  a  chap  can  be  an  Injin  with- 
out any  paint  at  all,  or  any  washin'  or  scrubbin',  but  can 
convart  himself  into  himself  ag'in,  at  any  time,  in  two  min- 
utes. The  wages  is  good  and  the  work  light  ;  then  we 
have  rare  chances  in  the  stores,  and  round  about  among 
the  farms.  The  law  is,  that  an  Injin.  must  have  what  he 
wants,  and  no  grumblin',  and  we  take  care  to  want  enough. 
If  you'll  be  at  the  meetin',  I'll  tell  you  how  you'll  know 
me." 


182  THE  REDSKINS. 

<(  Ja,  ja — dat  ist  goot  ;  I  vill  be  at  der  meetin',  sartainly. 
Vhere  might  it  be  ? " 

"  Down  at  the  village.  The  word  came  up  this  a'ternoon, 
and  we  shall  all  be  on  the  ground  by  ten  o'clock." 

"  Vilt  der  be  a  fight,  dat  you  meet,,so  bunctually,  and 
wid  so  moch  spirit  ?  " 

"  Fight !  Lord,  no  ;  who  is  there  to  fight,  I  should  like 
to  know  ?  We  are  pretty  much  all  ag'in  the  Littlepages, 
and  there's  none  of  them  on  the  ground  but  two  or  three 
women.  I'll  tell  you  how  it's  all  settled.  The  meetin'  is 
called  on  the  deliberative  and  liberty-supportin'  plan.  I 
s'pose  you  know  we've  all  sorts  of  meetin's  in  this  country  ?" 

"  Nein  ;  I  dought  dere  might  be  meetin's  for  bolitics, 
vhen  der  beople  might  coome,  but  I  don't  know  vhat  else." 

"  Is't  possible  !  What,  have  you  no  '  indignation  meet- 
in's' in  Jarmany  ?  We  count  a  great  deal  on  our  indigna- 
tion meetin's,  and  both  sides  have  'em  in  abundance,  when 
things  get  to  be  warm.  Our  meetin'  to-morrow  is  for  de- 
liberation and  liberty-principles  generally.  We  may  pass 
some  indignation  resolutions  about  aristocrats,  for  nobody 
can  bear  them  critturs  in  this  part  of  the  country,  I  can 
tell  .you." 

Lest  this  manuscript  should  get  into  the  hands  of  some 
of  those  who  do  not  understand  the  real  condition  of  New 
York  society,  it  may  be  well  to  explain  that  " aristocrat" 
means,  in  the  parlance  of  the  country,  no  other  than  a  man 
of  gentleman-like  tastes,  habits,  opinions,  and  associations. 
There  are  gradations  among  the  aristocracy  of  the  State, 
as  well  as  among  other  men.  Thus  he  who  is  an  aristocrat 
in  a  hamlet,  would  be  very  democratic  in  a  village  ;  and 
he  of  the  village  might  be  no  aristocrat  in  the  town,  at  all ; 
though,  in  the  towns  generally,  indeed  always,  when  their 
population  has  the  least  of  a  town  character,  the  distinc- 
tion ceases  altogether,  men  quietly  dropping  into  the  traces 
of  civilized  society,  and  talking  or  thinking  very  little 
about  it.  To  see  the  crying  evils  of  American  aristocracy, 
then,  one  must  go  into  the  country.  There,  indeed,  a 
plenty  of  cases  exist.  Thus,  if  there  happen  to  be  a  man 
whose  property  is  assessed  at  twenty-five  per  cent,  above 
that  of  all  his  neighbors — who  must  have  right  on  his  side 
bright  as  a  cloudless  sun  to  get  a  verdict,  if  obliged  to  ap- 
peal to  the  laws — who  pays  fifty  per  cent,  more  for  every- 
thing he  buys,  and  receives  fifty  per  cent,  less  for  every- 
thing he  sells,  than  any  other  person  near  him — who  is 
surrounded  by  rancorous  enemies,  in  the  midst  of  a  seem- 


THE  REDSKINS.  183 

ing  state  of  peace — who  has  everything  he  says  and  does 
perverted,  and  added  to,  and  lied  about — who  is  traduced 
because  his  dinner-hour  is  later  than  that  of  " other  folks" 
— who  don't  stoop,  but  is  straight  in  the  back — who  pre- 
sumes to  doubt  that  this  country  in  general,  and  his  own 
township  in  particular,  is  the  focus  of  civilization — who 
hesitates  about  signing  his  name  to  any  flagrant  instance 
of  ignorance,  bad  taste,  or  worse  morals,  that  his  neighbors 
may  get  up  in  the  shape  of  a  petition,  remonstrance,  or 
resolution — depend  on  it  that  man  is  a  prodigious  aristo- 
crat, and  one  who,  for  his  many  offences  and  manner  of 
lording  it  over  mankind,  deserves  to  be  banished.  I  ask 
the  reader's  pardon  for  so  abruptly  breaking  in  upon  Josh- 
ua's speech,  but  such  very  different  notions  exist  about 
aristocrats,  in  different  parts  of  the  world,  that  some  such 
explanation  was  necessary  in  order  to  prevent,  mistakes. 
I  have  forgotten  one  mark  of  the  tribe  that  is,  perhaps, 
more  material  than  all  the  rest,  wrhich  must  not  be  omitted, 
and  is  this  : — if  he  happen  to  be  a  man  who  prefers  his 
own  pursuits  to  public  life,  and  is  regardless  of  "  popular- 
ity," he  is  just  guilty  of  the  unpardonable  sin.  The  "  peo- 
ple "  will  forgive  anything  sooner  than  this  ;  though  there 
are  "  folks  "  who  fancy  it  as  infallible  a  sign  of  an  aristo- 
crat not  to  chew  tobacco.  But,  unless  I  return  to  Joshua, 
the  reader  will  complain  that  I  cause  him  to  stand  still. 

"  No,  no,"  continued  Mr.  Brigham  ;  anything  but  an 
aristocrat  for  me.  I  hate  the  very  name  of  the  sarpents, 
and  wish  there  warn't  one  in  the  land.  To-morrow  we  are 
to  have  a  great  anti-rent  lecturer  out  " 

"A  vhat?" 

"  A  lecturer  ;  one  that  lectur's,  you  understand,  on  anti- 
rentism,  temperance,  aristocracy,  government,  or  any  other 
grievance  that  may  happen  to  be  uppermost.  Have  you 
no  lecturers  in  Jarmany  ? " 

"  Ja,  ja  ;  dere  ist  lecturers  in  das  universities — blenty  of 
dem." 

"Well,  we  have  'em  universal  and  partic'lar,  as  we  hap- 
pen to  want  'em.  To-morrow  we're  to  have  one,  they  tell 
me,  the  smartest  man  that  has  appeared  in  the  cause.  He 
goes  it  strong,  and  the  Injins  mean  to  back  him  up  with 
all  sorts  of  shrieks  and  whoopin's.  Your  hurdy-gurdy, 
there,  makes  no  sort  of  music  to  what  our  tribe  can  make 
when  we  fairly  open  our  throats." 

"  Veil,  dis  ist  queer  !  I  vast  told  dat  der  Americans  vast 
all  philosophers,  und  dat  all  dey  didt  vast  didt  in  a 


1 84  THE   REDSKINS. 

t'oughtful  and  sober  manner  ;  und  now  you  dells  me  dey 
screams  deir  arguments  like  Injins  !  " 

"  That  we  do  !  I  wish  you'd  been  here  in  the  hard-cider 
and  log-cabin  times,  and  you'd  a  seen  reason  and  phil- 
osophy, as  you  call  it  !  I  wras  a  whig  that  summer,  though 
I  went  democrat  last  season.  There's  about  five  hundred 
on  us  in  this  country  that  makes  the  most  of  things,  I  can 
tell  you.  What's  the  use  of  a  vote,  if  a  body  gets  nothin' 
by  it  ?  But  to-morrow  you'll  see  the  business  done  up, 
and  matters  detarmined  for  this  part  of  the  world,  in  fine 
style.  We  know  what  we're  about,  and  we  mean  to  carry 
things  through  quite  to  the  end." 

"  Und  vhat  do  you  means  to  do  ?  " 

."Well,  seein'  that  you  seem  to  be  of  the  right  sort,  and 
be  so  likely  to  put  on  the  Injin  shirt,  I'll  tell  you  all  about 
it.  We  mean  to  get  good  and  old  farms  at  favorable  rates. 
That's  what  we  mean  to  do.  The  people's  up  and  in 
'arnest,  and  what  the  people  want  they'll  have  !  This  time 
they  want  farms,  and  farms  they  must  have.  What's  the 
use  of  havin'  a  government  of  the  people,  if  the  people's 
obliged  to  want  farms  ?  We've  begun  ag'in'  the  Rens- 
selaers,  and  the  durables,  and  the  quarter-sales,  and  the 
chickens  ;  but  we  don't,  by  no  manner  of  means,  think  of 
eending  there.  What  should  we  get  by  that  ?  A  man 
wants  to  get  suthin'  when  he  puts  his  foot  into  a  matter  of 
this  natur'.  We  know  who's  our  fri'nds  and  who's  our 
inimies  !  Could  we  have  some  men  I  could  name  for  gov- 
ernors, all  would  go  clear  enough  the  first  winter.  We 
would  tax  the  landlords  out,  and  law  'em  about  in  one  way 
and  another,  so  as  to  make  'em  right  do\vn  glad  to  sell  the 
last  rod  of  their  lands,  and  that  cheap,  too ! " 

"  Und  who  might  own  these  farms,  all  oop  and  down 
der  coontry,  dat  I  see  ? " 

"  As  the  law  now  stands,  Littlepage  owns  'em  ;  but  if  we 
alter  the  law  enough,  he  wun't.  If  we  can  only  work  the 
legislature  up  to  the  stickin'  p'int,  we  shall  get  all  we  want. 
Would  you  believe  it,  the  man  wun't  sell  a  single  farm, 
they  say  ;  but  wishes  to  keep  everyone  on  'em  for  himself! 
Is  that  to  be  borne  in  a  free  country  ?  They'd  hardly  stand 
that  in  Jarmany,  I'm  thinkin'.  A  man  that  is  such  an 
aristocrat  as  to  refuse  to  sell  anything,  I  despise." 

"  Veil,  dey  stand  to  der  laws  in  Charmany,  and  broperty 
is  respected  in  most  coontries.  You  vouldn't  do  away  wid 
der  rights  of  broperty,  if  you  mights,  I  hopes  ? " 

"  Not  I      If  a  man  owns  a  watch,  or  a  horse,  or  a  cow 


THE   REDSKINS.  185 

I'm  for  having  the  law  such  that  a  poor  man  can  keep  'em, 
even  ag'in  execution.  We're  getting  the  laws  pretty  straight 
on  them  p'ints,  in  old  York,  I  can  teil  you  ;  a  poor  man, 
let  him  be  ever  so  much  in  debt,  can  hold  on  to  a  mighty 
smart  lot  of  things,  nowadays,  and  laugh  at  the  law  righi 
in  its  face  !  I've  known  chaps  that  owed  as  much  as  $200, 
hold  on  to  as  good  as  $300 ;  though  most  of  their  debts 
was  for  the  very  things  they  held  on  to  !" 

What  a  picture  is  this,  yet  is  it  not  true  ?  A  state  of  so- 
ciety in  which  a  man  can  contract  a  debt  for  a  cow,  or  his 
household  goods,  and  laugh  at  his  creditor  when  he  seeks 
his  pay,  on  the  one  hand  ;  and  on  the  other,  legislators 
and  executives  lending  themselves  to  the  chicanery  of  an- 
other set,  that  are  striving  to  deprive  a  particular  class  of 
its  rights  of  property,  directly  in  the  face  of  written  con- 
tracts !  This  is  straining  at  the  gnat  and  swallowing  the 
camel,  with  a  vengeance  ;  and  all  for  votes  !  Does  any 
one  really  expect  a  community  can  long  exist,  favored  by 
a  wise  and  justice-dispensing  Providence,  in  which  such 
things  are  coolly  attempted — ay,  and  coolly  done  ?  It  is 
time  that  the  American  began  to  see  things  as  they  are, 
and  not  as  they  are  said  to  be,  in  the  speeches  of  governors, 
Fourth-of-July  orations,  and  electioneering  addresses.  I 
write  warmly,  I  know,  but  I  feel  warmly ;  and  I  write  like 
a  man  who  sees  that  a  most  flagitious  attempt  to  rob  him 
is  tampered  with  by  some  in  power,  instead  of  being  met, 
as  the  boasted  morals  and  intelligence  of  the  country  wrould 
require,  by  the  stern  opposition  of  all  in  authority.  Curses 
— deep,  deep  curses — ere  long,  will  fall  on  all  who  shrink 
from  their  duty  in  such  a  crisis.  Even  the  very  men  who 
succeed,  if  succeed  they  should,  will,  in  the  end,  curse  the 
instruments  of  their  owTn  success.* 

"  A  first-rate  lecturer  on  feudal  tenors  "  (Joshua  was  not 
in  the  least  particular  in  his  language,  but,  in  the  sub- 

*  That  Mr.  Hugh  Littlepage  does  not  feel  or  express  himself  too  strongly 
on  the  state  of  things  that  has  now  existed  among  us  for  long,  long  years, 
the  following  case,  but  one  that  illustrates  the  melancholy  truth  among 
many,  will  show.  At  a  time  when  the  tenants  of  an  extensive  landlord,  to 
whom  tens  of  thousands  were  owing  for  rent,  were  openly  resisting  the  law, 
and  defeating  every  attempt  to  distrain,  though  two  ordinary  companies  of 
even  armed  constables  would  have  put  them  down,  the  sheriff  entered  the 
house  of  that  very  landlord,  and  levied  on  his  furniture  for  debt.  Had 
that  gentleman,  on  the  just  and  pervading  principle  that  he  owed  no  al- 
legiance to  an  authority  that  did  not  protect  him,  resisted  the  sheriff's 
officer,  he  would  have  gone  to  the  State's  prison  ;  and  there  he  might  have 
until  his  last  hour  of  service  was  expended. — EDITOR. 


1 86  THE   REDSKINS. 

stance,  he  knew  what  he  was  talking  about  as  well  as  some 
who  are  in  high  places),  "  chickens  and  days'  works.  We 
expect  a  great  deal  from  this  man,  who  is  paid  well  for 
coming." 

"  Und  who  might  bay  him  ? — der  State  ? " 

"No — we  haven't  got  to  that  yet;  though  some  think 
the  State  will  have  to  do  it,  in  the  long  run.  At  present 
the  tenants  are  taxed  so  much  on  the  dollar,  accordin'  to 
rent,  or  so  much  an  acre,  and  that  way  the  needful  money 
is  raised.  But  one  of  our  lecturers  told  us,  a  time  back, 
that  it  was  money  put  out  at  use,  and  every  man  ought  to 
keep  an  account  of  what  he  give,  for  the  time  was  not  far 
off  when  he  would  get  it  back,  with  double  interest.  '  It 
is  paid  now  for  a  reform,'  he  said,  *  and  when  the  reform 
is  obtained,  no  doubt  the  State  would  feel  itself  so  much 
indebted  to  us  all,  that  it  would  tax  the  late  landlords 
until  we  got  all  our  money  back  again,  and  more  too." 

"  Dat  vould  pe  a  bretty  speculation  ;  ja,  dat  might  be 
most  bootiful ! " 

"Why,  yes,  it  wouldn't  be  a  bad  operation,  living  on  the 
inimy,  as  a  body  might  say.  But  you'll  not  catch  our  folks 
livin'  on  themselves,  I  can  tell  you.  That  they  might  do 
without  societies.  No,  we've  an  object ;  and  when  folks 
has  an  object,  they  commonly  look  sharp  a'ter  it.  We 
don't  let  on  all  we  want  and  mean  openly  ;  and  you'll  find 
folks  among  us  that'll  stoutly  deny  that  anti-renters  has 
anything  to  do  with  the  Injin  system ;  but  folks  an't 
obliged  to  believe  the  moon  is  all  cheese,  unless  they've  a 
mind  to.  Some  among  us  maintain  that  no  man  ought  to 
hold  more  than  a  thousand  acres  of  land,  while  others 
think  natur'  has  laid  down  the  law  on  that  p'int,  and  that  a 
man  shouldn't  hold  more  than  he  has  need  on." 

"  Und  vich  side  dost  you  favor  ? — vich  of  dese  obinions 
might  not  be  yours  ?  " 

"I'm  not  partic'lar,  so  I  get  a  good  farm.  I  should  like 
one  with  comfortable  buildin's  on't,  and  one  that  hasn't 
been  worked  to  death.  For  them  two  principles  I  think 
I'd  stand  out ;  but,  whether  there  be  four  hundred  acres, 
or  four  hundred  and  fifty,  or  even  five  hundred,  I'm  no 
way  onaccommodatin'.  I  expect  there'll  be  trouble  in  the 
eend,  when  wre  come  to  the  division,  but  I'm  not  the  man 
to  make  it.  I  s'pose  I  shall  get  my  turn  at  the  town  offices, 
and  other  chances,  and,  givin'  me  my  rights  to  them,  I'll 
take  up  with  almost  any  farm  young  Littlepage  has,  though 
I  should  rather  have  one  in  the  main  valley  here,  than  one 


THE  REDSKINS.  187 

more  out  of  the  way  ;  still,  I  don't  set  myself  down  as  at 
all  partic'lar." 

"  Und  vhat  do  you  expect  to  bay  Mr.  Littlepage  for  der 
farm,  ast  you  might  choose  ? " 

"That  Depends  on  circumstances.  The  Injins  mainly 
expect  to  come  in  cheap.  Some  folks  think  it's  best  to 
pay  suthin',  as  it  might  stand  ag'in  law  better,  should  it 
come  to  that ;  while  other  some  see  no  great  use  in  pay- 
ing anything.  Them  that's  willing  to  pay,  mainly  hold  out 
for  paying  the  principal  of  the  first  rents." 

"  I  doesn't  oonderstandt  vhat  you  means  by  der  brinci- 
pal  of  der  first  rents." 

"It's  plain  enough,  when  you  get  the  lay  on't.  You  see, 
these  lands  were  let  pretty  low,  when  they  were  first  taken 
up  from  the  forest,  in  order  to  get  folks  to  live  here.  That's 
the  way  we're  obliged  to  do  in  America,  or  people  wron't 
come.  Many  tenants  paid  no  rent  at  all  for  six,  eight,  or 
ten  years  ;  and  a'ter  that,  until  their  three  lives  run  out,  as 
it  is  called,  they  paid  only  sixpence  an  acre,  or  six  dollars 
and  a  quarter  on  the  hundred  acres.  That  was  done,  you 
see,  to  buy  men  to  come  here  at  all ;  and  you  can  see  by 
the  price  that  was  paid,  how  hard  a  time  they  must  have 
had  on't.  Now,  some  of  our  folks  hold  that  the  whull 
time  ought  to  be  counted — that  which  was  rent  free,  and 
that  which  was  not — in  a  way  that  I'll  explain  to  you  ;  for 
I'd  have  you  to  know  I  haven't  entered  into  this  business 
without  looking  to  the  right  and  the  wrong  on't." 

"  Exblain,  exblain  ;  I  might  hear  you  exblain,  and  you 
most  exblain." 

"  Why,  you're  in  a  hurry,  friend  Griezenbach,  or  what- 
ever your  name  be.  But  I'll  explain,  if  you  wish  it.  S'pose, 
now,  a  lease  run  thirty  years — ten  on  nothin',  and  twenty 
on  sixpences.  Well,  a  hundred  sixpences  makes  fifty  shil- 
lings, and  twenty  times  fifty  makes  a  thousand,  as  all  the 
rent  paid  in  thirty  years.  If  you  divide  a  thousand  by 
thirty,  it  leaves  thirty-three  shillings  and  a  fraction"- 
Joshua  calculated  like  an  American  of  his  class,  accurately 
and  with  rapidity — "  for  the  average  rent  of  the  thirty 
years.  Calling  thirty-three  shillings  four  dollars,  and  it's 
plaguey  little  more,  we  have  that  for  the  interest,  which, 
at  seven  per  cent.,  will  make  a  principal  of  rather  more 
than  fifty  dollars,  though  not  as  much  as  sixty.  As  sich 
matters  ought  to  be  done  on  liberal  principles,  they  say 
Littlepage  ought  to  take  fifty  dollars,  and  give  a  deed  for 
the  hundred  acres." 


1 88  THE  RE&SKINS. 

"  Und  vhat  might  be  der  rent  of  a  hoondred  acres  now  \ 
— he  might  get  more  dan  sixpence  to-day  ? " 

"  That  he  does.  Most  all  of  the  farms  are  running  out 
on  second,  and  some  on  third  leases.  Four  shilling  an 
acre  is  about  the  average  of  the  rents,  accordin'  to  circum- 
stances." 

"  Den  you  dinks  der  landlort  ought  to  accept  one  year's 
rent  for  der  farms  ? " 

"I  don't  look  on  it  in  that  light.  He  ought  to  take  fifty 
dollars  for  a  hundred  acres.  You  forget  the  tenants  have 
paid  for  their  farms,  over  and  over  again,  in  rent.  They 
feel  as  if  they  have  paid  enough,  and  that  it  vvas  time  to 
stop." 

Extraordinary  as  this  reasoning  may  seem  in  most  men's 
minds,  I  have  since  found  it  is  a  very  favorite  sentiment 
among  anti-renters.  "Are  we  to  go  on,  and  pay  rent  for- 
ever?" they  ask,  with  logical  and  virtuous  indignation  ! 

"  Und  vhat  may  be  der  aferage  value  of  a  hoondred  acre 
farm,  in  dis  part  of  de  coontry  ? "  I  inquired. 

"  From  two  thousand  five  hundred  to  three  thousand 
dollars.  It  would  be  more,  but  tenants  won't  put  good 
buildings  on  farms,  you  know,  seein'  that  they  don't  own 
them.  I  heard  one  of  our  leaders  lamentin'  that  he  didn't 
foresee  what  times  were  comin'  to,  when  he  repaired  his 
old  house,  or  he  would  have  built  a  new  one.  But  a  man 
can't  foretell  everything.  I  dare  say  many  has  the  same 
feelin's,  now." 

"  Den  you  dinks  Herr  Littlebage  ought  to  accept  $50 
for  vhat  is  worth  $2,500  ?  Das  seems  fery  little." 

"You  forget  the  back  rent  that  has  been  paid,  and  the 
work  the  tenant  has  done.  What  would  the  farm  be  good 
for  without  the  work  that  has  been  done  on  it  ?" 

"  Ja,  ja — I  oonderstandst ;  und  vhat  vould  der  work  be 
goot  for  vidout  der  landt  on  which  it  vast  done  ? " 

This  was  rather  an  incautious  question  to  put  to  a 
man  as  distrustful  and  roguish  as  Joshua  Brigham.  The 
fellow  cast  a  lowering  and  distrustful  look  at  me  ;  but  ere 
there  was  time  to  answer,  Miller,  of  whom  he  stood  in 
healthful  awe,  called  him  away  to  look  after  the  cows. 

Here,  then,  I  had  enjoyed  an  opportunity  of  bearing 
the  opinions  of  one  of  my  own  hirelings  on  the  interesting- 
subject  of  my  right  to  my  own  estate.  I  have  since  ascer- 
tained that,  while  these  sentiments  are  sedulously  kept 
out  of  view  in  the  proceedings  of  the  government,  which 
deals  with  the  whole  matter  as  if  the  tenants  were  nothing 


THE   REDSKINS.  189 

but  martyrs  to  hard  bargains,  and  the  landlords  their  task- 
masters, of  greater  or  less  lenity,  they  are  extensively  cir- 
culated in  the  "  infected  districts,"  and  are  held  to  be  very 
sound  doctrines  by  a  large  number  of  the  "bone  and 
sinew  of  the  land."  Of  course  the  reasoning  is  varied  a  little, 
to  suit  circumstances,  and  to  make  it  meet  the  facts.  But 
of  this  school  is  a  great  deal,  and  a  very  great  deal,  of  the 
reasoning  that  circulates  on  the  leased  property ;  and, 
from  what  I  have  seen  and  heard  already,  I  make  no  doubt 
that  there  are  quasi  legislators  among  us,  who,  instead  of 
holding  the  manly  and  only  safe  doctrine  which  ought 
to  be  held  on  such  a  subject,  and  saying  that  these  de- 
luded men  should  be  taught  better,  are  ready  to  cite  the 
very  fact  that  such  notions  do  exist  as  a  reason  for  the 
necessity  of  making  concessions,  in  order  to  keep  the 
peace  at  the  cheaper  rate.  That  profound  principle  of 
legislation,  which  concedes  the  right  in  order  to  main- 
tain quiet,  is  admirably  adapted  to  forming  sinners  ;  and, 
if  carried  out  in  favor  of  all  wrho  may  happen  to  covet 
their  neighbors'  goods,  would,  in  a  short  time,  render  this 
community  the  very  paradise  of  knaves. 

As  for  Joshua  Brigham,  I  saw  no  more  of  him  that 
night;  for  he  quitted  the  farm  on  leave,  just  as  it  got  to 
be  dark.  Where  he  went  I  do  not  know  ;  but  the  errand 
on  which  he  left  us  could  no  longer  be  a  secret  to  me. 
As  the  family  retired  early,  and  we  ourselves  were  a  good 
deal  fatigued,  everybody  was  in  bed  by  nine  o'clock,  and, 
judging  from  myself,  soon  asleep.  Previously  to  saying 
"  good-night,"  however,  Miller  told  us  of  the  meeting  of 
the  next  day,  and  of  his  intention  to  attend  it. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

"  He  knows  the  game  ;  how  true  he  keeps  the  wind  ! 
%     Silence."  — King  Henry  VI. 

AFTER  an  early  breakfast,  next  morning,  the  signs  of  prep- 
aration for  a  start  became  very  apparent  in  the  family. 
Not  only  Miller,  but  his  wife  and  daughter,  intended  to  go 
down  to  "  Little  Neest,"  as  the  hamlet  was  almost  invari- 
ably called  in  that  fragment  of  the  universe,  in  contradis- 
tinction to  the  "  Neest  "  proper.  I  found  afterward  that 
this  very  circumstance  was  cited  against  me  in  the  contro- 


190  THE   REDSKINS. 

versy,  it  being  thought  lese-majeste  for  a  private  residence 
to  monopolize  the  major  of  the  proposition,  while  a  ham- 
let had  to  put  up  with  the  minor  ;  the  latter,  moreover,  in- 
cluding two  taverns,  which  are  exclusively  the  property  of 
the  public,  there  being  exclusiveness  with  the  public  as 
well  as  with  aristocrats — more  especially  in  all  things  that 
pertain  to  power  or  profit.  As  to  the  two  last,  even  Joshua 
Brigham  was  much  more  of  an  aristocrat  than  I  was  my- 
self. It  must  be  admitted  that  the  Americans  are  a  humane 
population,  for  they  are  the  only  people  who  deem  that 
bankruptcy  gives  a  claim  to  public  favor.* 

As  respects  the  two  "  Nests,"  had  not  so  much  more 
serious  matter  been  in  agitation,  the  precedence  of  the 
names  might  actually  have  been  taken  up  as  a  question  of 
moment.  I  have  heard  of  a  lawsuit  in  France,  touching  a 
name  that  has  been  illustrious  in  that  country  for  a  period 
so  long  as  to  extend  beyond  the  reach  of  man — as,  indeed, 
was  apparent  by  the  matter  in  controversy — and  which 
name  has  obtained  for  itself  a  high  place  in  the  annals  of 
even  our  own  republic.  I  allude  to  the  house  of  Grasse, 
which  was  seated,  prior  to  the  revolution,  and  may  be  still, 
at  a  place  called  Grasse,  in  the  southern  part  of  the  king- 
dom, the  town  being  almost  as  famous  for  the  manufacture 
of  pleasant  things  as  the  family  for  its  exploits  in  arms. 
About  a  century  since,  the  Marquis  de  Grasse  is  said  to 
have  had  &proces  with  his  neighbors  of  the  place,  to  estab- 
lish the  fact  whether  the  family  gave  its  name  to  the  town, 
or  the  town  gave  its  name  to  the  family.  The  marquis 
prevailed  in  the  struggle,  but  greatly  impaired  his  fortune 
in  achieving  that  new  victory.  As  my  house,  or  its  prede- 
cessor, was  certainly  erected  and  named  while  the  site  of 
Little  Nest  was  still  in  the  virgin  forest,  one  would  think 
its  claims  to  the  priority  of  possession  beyond  dispute  ; 
but  such  might  not  prove  to  be  the  case  on  a  trial.  There 
are  two  histories  among  us,  as  relates  to  both  public  and 
private  things  ;  the  one  being  as  nearly  true  as  is  usual, 
while  the  other  is  invariably  the  fruits  of  the  hiypan  im- 
agination. Everything  depending  so  much  on  majorities, 
that  soon  gets  to  be  the  most  authentic  tradition  which 
has  the  most  believers  ;  for,  under  the  system  of  numbers, 
little  regard  is  paid  to  superior  advantages,  knowledge,  or 

*  Absurd  as  this  may  seem,  it  is  nevertheless  true,  and  for  a  reason  that 
is  creditable,  rather  than  the  reverse — a  wish  to  help  along  the  unfortunate. 
It  is  a  great  mistake,  however,  as  a  rule,  to  admit  of  any  other  motive  for 
selecting  for  public  trusts,  than  qualification. — EDITOR. 


THE   REDSKINS.  191 

investigation,  all  depending  on  three  as  against  two,  which 
makes  one  majority.  I  find  a  great  deal  of  this  spurious 
history  is  getting  to  be  mixed  up  with  the  anti-rent  con- 
troversy, facts  coming  out  daily  that  long  have  lain  dor- 
mant in  the  graves  of  the  past.  These  facts  affect  the 
whole  structure  of  the  historical  picture  of  the  State  and 
colony,  leaving  touches  of  black  where  the  pencil  had 
originally  put  in  white,  and  placing  the  high  lights  where 
the  shadows  have  before  always  been  understood  to  be.  In 
a  word,  men  are  telling  the  stories  as  best  agrees  with  their 
present  views,  and  not  at  all  as  they  agree  with  the  fact. 

It  was  the  intention  of  Tom  Miller  to  give  my  uncle  Ro 
and  me  a  dearborn  to  ourselves,  while  he  drove  his  wife, 
Kitty  and  a  help,  as  far  as  the  u  Little  Neest,"  in  a  two-horse 
vehicle  that  was  better  adapted  to  such  a  freight.  Thus 
disposed  of,  then,  we  all  left  the  place  in  company,  just  as 
the  clock  in  the  farm-house  entry  struck  nine.  I  drove 
our  horse  myself  ;  and  mine  he  was,  in  fact,  every  hoof,  ve- 
hicle and  farming  utensil  on  the  Nest  farm,  being  as  much 
my  property,  under  the  old  laws,  as  the  hat  on  my  head. 
It  is  true,  the  Millers  had  now  been  fifty  years  or  more, 
nay,  nearly  sixty,  in  possession,  and  by  the  new  mode  of 
construction  it  is  possible  some  may  fancy  that  we  had 
paid  them  wages  so  long  for  working  the  land,  and  lot- 
using  the  cattle  and  utensils,  that  the  title,  in  a  moral  sense, 
had  passed  out  of  me,  in  order  to  pass  into  Tom  Miller. 
If  use  begets  a  right,  why  not  to  a  wagon  and  horse,  as  well 
as  to  a  farm. 

As  we  left  the  place  I  gazed  wistfully  toward  the  Nest 
House,  in  the  hope  of  seeing  the  form  of  some  one  that  I 
loved,  at  a  window,  on  the  lawn,  or  in  the  piazza.  Not  a 
soul  appeared,  however,  and  we  trotted  down  the  road  a 
short  distance  in  the  rear  of  the  other  wagon,  conversing 
on  such  things  as  came  uppermost  in  our  minds.  The  dis- 
tance we  had  to  go  was  about  four  miles,  and  the  hour 
named  for  the  commencement  of  the  lecture,  which  was  to 
be  the  great  affair  of  the  day,  had  been  named  at  eleven. 
This  caused  us  to  be  in  no  hurry,  and  I  rather  preferred 
to  coincide  with  the  animal  I  drove,  and  move  very  slowly, 
than  hurry  on,  and  arrive  an  hour  or  two  sooner  than  was 
required.  In  consequence  of  this  feeling  on  our  part, 
Miller  and  his  family  were  soon  out  of  sight,  it  being  their 
wish  to  obtain  as  much  of  the  marvels  of  the  day  as  was 
possible. 

The  road,  of  course,  was  perfectly  well  known  to  my 


i92  THE   REDSKINS. 

uncle  and  myself  ;  but,  had  it  not  been,  there  was  no 
ger  of  missing  our  way,  as  we  had  only  to  follow  the  gen- 
eral direction  of  the  broad  valley  through  which  it  ran. 
Then  Miller  had  considerately  told  us  that  we  must  pass 
two  churches,  or  a  church  and  a  "  meetin'-'us',"  the  spires 
of  both  of  which  were  visible  most  of  the  way,  answering 
for  beacons.  Referring  to  this  term  of  "  meeting-house," 
does  it. not  furnish  conclusive  evidence,  of  itself,  of  the  in- 
consistent folly  of  that  wisest  of  all  earthly  beings,  man  ? 
It  was  adopted  in  contradistinction  from,  and  in  direct  op- 
position to,  the  supposed  idolatrous  association  connected 
with  the  use  of  the  word  "church,"  at  a  time  when  certain 
sects  \vould  feel  offended  at  hearing  their  places  of  worship 
thus  styled  ;  whereas,  at  the  present  day,  those  very  sec- 
tarians are  a  little  disposed  to  resent  this  exclusive  appro- 
priation of  the  proscribed  word  by  the  sects  who  have  al- 
ways adhered  to  it  as  offensively  presuming,  and,  in  a  slight 
degree,  "  arisdogradic  ! "  I  am  a  little  afraid  that  your 
out-and-outers  in  politics,  religion,  love  of  liberty,  and 
other  human  excellences,  are  somewhat  apt  to  make  these 
circuits  in  their  eccentric  orbits,  and  to  come  out  some- 
where quite  near  the  places  from  which  they  started. 

The  road  between  the  Nest  House  and  Little  Nest,  the 
hamlet,  is  rural,  and  quite  as  agreeable  as  is  usually  found 
in  a  part  of  the  country  that  is  without  water-views  or 
mountain  scenery.  Our  New  York  landscapes  are  rarely, 
nay,  never  grand,  as  compared  with  the  noble  views  one 
finds  in  Italy,  Switzerland,  Spain,  and  the  finer  parts  of 
Europe  ;  but  we  have  a  vast  many  that  want  nothing  but 
a  finish  to  their  artificial  accessories  to  render  them  singu- 
larly agreeable.  Such  is  the  case  with  the  principal  vale 
of  Ravensnest,  which,  at  the  very  moment  we  were  driving 
through  it,  struck  my  uncle  and  myself  as  presenting  a 
picture  of  rural  abundance,  mingled  with  rural  comfort, 
that  one  seldom  sees  in  the  old  world,  where  the  absence 
of  enclosures,  and  the  concentration  of  the  dwellings  in 
villages,  leave  the  fields  naked  and  with  a  desolate  appear- 
ance, in  spite  of  their  high  tillage  and  crops. 

"This  is  an  estate  worth  contending  for,  now,"  said  my 
uncle,  as  we  trotted  slowly  on,  "  although  it  has  not  hith- 
erto been  very  productive  to  its  owner.  The  first  half- 
century  of  an  American  property  of  this  sort  rarely  brings 
much  to  its  proprietor  beyond  trouble  and  vexation." 

"  And  after  that  time  the  tenant  is  to  have  it,  pretty  much 
at  his  own  price,  as  a  reward  for  his  own  labor  ! " 


THE  REDSKINS.  193 

"What  evidences  are  to  be  found,  wherever  the  eye  rests, 
of  the  selfishness  of  man,  and  his  unfitness  to  be  left  to  the 
unlimited  control  of  his  own  affairs!  In  England  they 
are  quarrelling  with  the  landlords,  who  do  compose  a  real 
aristocracy,  and  make  the  laws,  about  the  manner  in  which 
they  protect  themselves  and  the  products  of  their  estates  ; 
while  here  the  true  owner  of  the  soil  is  struggling  against 
the  power  of  numbers,  with  the  people,  who  are  the  only 
aristocrats  we  possess,  in  order  to  maintain  his  right  of 
property  in  the  simplest  and  most  naked  form  !  A  com- 
mon vice  is  at  the  bottom  of  both  wrongs,  and  that  is  the 
vice  of  selfishness." 

"  But  how  are  abuses  like  those  of  which  we  complain ' 
here — abuses  of  the  most  formidable  character  of  any  that 
can  exist,  since  the  oppressors  are  so  many,  and  so  totally 
irresponsible  by  their  numbers — to  be  avoided,  if  you  give 
the  people  the  right  of  self-government  ?  " 

"  God  help  the  nation  where  self-government,  in  its  lit- 
eral sense,  exists,  Hugh !  The  term  is  conventional,  and, 
properly  viewed,  means  a  government  in  which  the  source 
of  authority  is  the  body  of  the  nation,  and  does  not  come 
from  any  other  sovereign.  When  a  people  that  has  been 
properly  educated  by  experience  calmly  selects  its  agents, 
and  coolly  sets  to  work  to  adopt  a  set  of  principles  to  form 
its  fundamental  law  or  constitution,  the  machine  is  on  the 
right  track,  and  will  work  well  enough  so  long  as  it  is  kept 
there  ;  but  this  running  off,  and  altering  the  fundamental 
principles  every  time  a  political  faction  has  need  of  re- 
cruits, is  introducing  tyranny  in  its  worst  form — a  tyranny 
that  is  just  as  dangerous  to  real  liberty  as  hypocrisy  is  to 
religion !  " 

We  were  now  approaching  St.  Andrew's  church  and  the 
rectory,  with  its  glebe,  the  latter  lying  contiguous  to  the 
church-yard,  or,  as  it  is  an  Americanism  to  say,  the  "  grave- 
yard." There  had  been  an  evident  improvement  around 
the  rectory  since  I  had  last  seen  it.  Shrubbery  had  been 
planted,  care  was  taken  of  the  fences,  the  garden  was  neatly 
and  well  worked,  the  fields  looked  smooth,  and  everything 
denoted  that  it  was  "  new  lords  and  new  laws."  The  last 
incumbent  had  been  a  whining,  complaining,  narrow- 
minded,  selfish  and  lazy  priest,  the  least  estimable  of  all 
human  characters,  short  of  the  commission  of  the  actual 
and  higher  crimes  ;  but  his  successor  had  the  reputation  of 
being  a  devout  and  real  Christian — one  who  took  delight  in 
the  duties  of  his  holy  office,  and  who  served  God  because 

'3 


194  THE  REDSKINS. 

he  loved  him.  I  am  fully  aware  how  laborious  is  the  life  of 
a  country  priest,  and  how  contracted  and  mean  is  the  pit- 
tance he  in  common  receives,  and  how  much  more  he  merits 
than  he  gets,  if  his  reward  were  to  be  graduated  by  things 
here.  But  this  picture,  like  every  other,  has  its  different 
sides,  and  occasionally  men  do  certainly  enter  the  church 
from  motives  as  little  as  possible  connected  with  those  that 
ought  to  influence  them. 

"There  is  the  wagon  of  Mr.  Warren,  at  his  door,"  ob- 
served my  uncle,  as  we  passed  the  rectory.  "  Can  it  be 
that  he  intends  visiting  the  village  also,  on  an  occasion 
like  this?" 

"  Nothing  more  probable,  sir,  if  the  character  Patt  has 
given  of  him  be  true,"  I  answered.  "She  tells  me  he  has 
been  active  in  endeavoring  to  put  down  the  covetous  spirit 
that  is  getting  uppermost  in  the  town,  and  has  even 
preached  boldly,  though  generally,  against  the  principles 
involved  in  the  question.  The  other  man,  they  say,  goes 
for  popularity,  and  preaches  and  prays  with  the  anti- 
renters." 

No  more  was  said,  but  on  we  went,  soon  entering  a 
large  bit  of  wood,  a  part  of  the  virgin  forest.  This  wood, 
exceeding  a  thousand  acres  in  extent,  stretched  down 
from  the  hills  along  some  broken  and  otherwise  little  val- 
uable land,  and  had  been  reserved  from  the  axe  to  meet 
the  wants  of  some  future  day.  It  was  mine,  therefore,  in 
the  fullest  sense  of  the  word  ;  and,  singular  as  it  may  seem, 
one  of  the  grounds  of  accusation  brought  against  me  and 
my  predecessors  was  that  we  had  declined  leasing  it !  Thus, 
on  the  one  hand,  we  were  abused  for  having  leased  our 
land,  and,  on  the  other,  for  not  having  leased  it.  The  fact 
is,  we,  in  common  with  other  extensive  landlords,  are  ex- 
pected to  use  our  property  as  much  as  possible  for  the 
particular  benefit  of  other  people,  while  those  other  peo- 
ple are  expected  to  use  their  property  as  much  as  possible 
for  their  own  particular  benefit. 

There  was  near  a  mile  of  forest  to  pass  before  we  came 
out  again  in  the  open  country,  at  about  a  mile  and  a  half's 
distance  from  the  hamlet.  On  our  left  this  little  forest 
did  not  extend  more  than  a  hundred  rods,  terminating  at 
the  edge  of  the  rivulet — or  creek,  as  the  stream  is  erro- 
neously called,  and  for  no  visible  reason  but  the  fact  that  it 
was  only  a  hundred  feet  wide — which  swept  close  under 
the  broken  ground  mentioned  at  this  point.  On  our  right, 
however,  the  forest  stretched  away  for  more  than  a  mile, 


THE   REDSKINS.  195 

until,  indeed,  it  became  lost  and  confounded  with  other 
portions  of  wood  that  had  been  reserved  for  the  farms  on 
which  they  grew.  As  is  very  usual  in  America,  in  cases 
where  roads  pass  through  a  forest,  a  second  growth  had 
shot  up  on  each  side  of  this  highway,  which  was  fringed 
for  the  whole  distance  with  large  bushes  of  pine,  hemlock, 
.chestnut,  and  maple.  In  some  places  these  bushes  almost 
touched  the  track,  while  in  others  a  large  space  was  given. 
We  were  winding  our  way  through  this  wood,  and  had 
nearly  reached  its  centre,  at  a  point  where  no  house  was 
visible — and  no  house,  indeed,  stood  within  half  a  mile  of 
us — with  the  view  in  front  a'nd  in  rear  limited  to  some  six 
or  eight  rods  in  each  direction  by  the  young  trees,  when 
our  ears  were  startled  by  a  low,  shrill,  banditti-like  whistle. 
I  must  confess  that  my  feelings  were  anything  but  com- 
fortable at  that  interruption,  for  I  remembered  the  con- 
versation of  the  previous  night.  I  thought  by  the  sudden 
jump  of  my  uncle,  and  the  manner  he  instinctively  felt 
where  he  ought  to  have  had  a  pistol,  to  meet  such  a  crisis, 
that  he  believed  himself  already  in  the  hands  of  the  Phil  - 
istines. 

A  half  minute  sufficed  to  tell  us  the  truth.  I  had  hardly 
stopped  the  horse,  in  order  to  look  around  me,  when  a  line 
of  men,  all  armed  and  disguised,  issued  in  single  file  from 
the  bushes,  and  drew  up  in  the  road,  at  right  angles  to  its 
course.  There  were  six  of  these  **  Injins,"  as  they  are 
called,  and,  indeed,  call  themselves,  each  carrying  a  rifle, 
horn,  and  pouch,  and  otherwise  equipped  for  the  field. 
The  disguises  were  very  simple,  consisting  of  a  sort  of 
loose  calico  hunting-shirt  and  trowsers  that  completely 
concealed  the  person.  The  head  was  covered  by  a  species 
of  hood  or  mask,  equally  of  calico,  that  was  fitted  with 
holes  for  the  eyes,  nose,  and  mouth,  and  which  completed 
the  disguise.  There  were  no  means  of  recognizing  a  man 
thus  equipped,  unless  it  might  be  by  the  stature,  in  cases 
in  which  the  party  was  either  unusually  tall  or  unusually 
short.  A  middle-sized  man  was  perfectly  safe  from  recog- 
nition, so  long  as  he  did  not  speak  and  could  keep  his 
equipments.  Those  who  did  speak  altered  their  voices,  as 
we  soon  found,  using  a  jargon  that  was  intended  to  imitate 
the  imperfect  English  of  the  native  owners  of  the  soil. 
Although  neither  of  us  had  ever  seen  one  of  the  gang  be- 
fore, we  knew  these  disturbers  of  the  public  peace  to  be 
what  in  truth  they  were,  the  instant  our  eyes  fell  on  them. 
One  could  not  well  be  mistaken,  indeed,  under  the  circum- 


196  7'jf/JS   KEDSXINS. 

stances  in  which  we  were  placed  ;  but  the  tomahawks  that 
one  or  two  carried,  the  manner  of  their  march,  and  other 
pieces  of  mummery  that  they  exhibited,  would  have  told 
us  the  fact,  had  we  met  them  even  in  another  place. 

My  first  impulse  was  to  turn  the  wagon,  and  to  endeavor 
to  lash  the  lazy  beast  I  drove  into  a  run.  Fortunately,  be- 
fore the  attempt  was  made,  I  turned  my  head  to  see  if  there 
was  room  for  such  an  exploit,  and  saw  six  others  of  these 
"  Injins  "  drawn  across  the  road  behind  us.  It  was  now  so 
obviously  the  wisest  course  to  put  the  best  face  on  the 
matter,  that  we  walked  the  horse  boldly  up  to  the  party  in 
front,  until  he  was  stopped  by  one  of  the  gang  taking  him 
by  the  bridle. 

"  Sago,  sago,"  cried  one  who  seemed  to  act  as  a  chief, 
and  whom  I  shall  thus  designate,  speaking  in  his  natural 
voice,  though  affecting  an  Indian  pronunciation.  "  How 
do,  how  do  ? — where  come  from,  eh  ? — where  go,  eh  ?  What 
you  say,  too — up  rent  or  down  rent,  eh  ? " 

"  Ve  ist  two  Charmans,"  returned  Uncle  Ro,  in  his  most 
desperate  dialect,  the  absurdity  of  men  who  spoke  the 
same  language  resorting  to  such  similar  means  of  decep- 
tion tempting  me  sorely  to  laugh  in  the  fellows'  faces  ; 
"  Ve  ist  two  Charmans  dat  ist  goin'  to  hear  a  man's  sbeak 
about  bayin  rent,  und  to  sell  vatches.  Might  you  buy  a 
vatch,  goot  shentlemans  ?  " 

Although  the  fellows  doubtless  knew  who  we  were,  so 
far  as  our  assumed  characters  went,  and  had  probably  been 
advised  of  our  approach,  this  bait  took,  and  there  was  a 
general  jumping  up  and  down,  and  a  common  pow-wow- 
ing  among  them,  indicative  of  the  pleasure  such  a  proposal 
gave.  In  a  minute  the  whole  party  were  around  us,  with 
some  eight  or  ten  more,  who  appeared  from  the  nearest 
bushes.  We  were  helped  out  of  the  wagon  with  a  gentle 
violence  that  denoted  their  impatience.  As  a  matter  of 
course,  I  expected  that  all  the  trinkets  and  watches,  which 
were  of  little  value,  fortunately,  would  immediately  dis- 
appear; for  who  could  doubt  that  men  engaged  in  attempt- 
ing to  rob  on  so  large  a  scale  as  these  fellows  were  engaged 
in,  would  hesitate  about  doing  a  job  on  one  a  little  more 
diminutive.  I  was  mistaken,  however  ;  some  sort  of  imper- 
ceptible discipline  keeping  those  who  were  thus  disposed, 
of  whom  there  must  have  been  some  in  such  a  party, 
in  temporary  order.  The  horse  was  left  standing  in  the 
middle  of  the  highway,  right  glad  to  take  his  rest,  while 
we  were  shown  the  trunk  of  a  fallen  tree,  near  by,  on  which 


THE   REDSKINS,  197 

to  place  our  box  of  wares.  A  dozen  watches  were  presently 
in  the  hands  of  as  many  of  these  seeming  savages,  who 
manifested  a  good  deal  of  admiration  at  their  shining  ap- 
pearance. While  this  scene,  which  was  half  mummery  and 
half  nature,  was  in  the  course  of  enactment,  the  chief 
beckoned  me  to  a  seat  on  the  further  end  of  the  tree,  and, 
attended  by  one  or  two  of  his  companions,  he  began  to 
question  me  as  follows  : 

k>  Mind,  tell  truth,"  he  said,  making  no  very  expert  actor 
in  the  way  of  imitation.  "  Dis  '  Streak  o'  Lightning,'  " 
laying  his  hand  on  his  own  breast,  that  I  might  not  mis- 
conceive the  person  of  the  warrior  who  bore  so  eminent  a 
title — "no  good  lie  to  him — know  ebbery  t'ing  afore  he 
ask,  only  ask  for  fun — what  do  here,  eh  ? " 

"  Ve  coomes  to  see  der  Injins  und  der  beoples  at  der  vil- 
lage, dat  ve  might  sell  our  vatches." 

"  Dat  all ;  sartain  ? — can  call  *  down  rent,'  eh  ?  " 

"  Dat  ist  ferry  easy  ;  '  down  rent,  eh  ? ' ' 

"  Sartain  Jarman,  eh  ? — you  no  spy  ? — you  no  sent  here 
by  gubbernor,  eh  ? — landlord  no  pay  you,  eh  ?  " 

"  Vhat  might  I  spy  ?  Dere  ist  nothin'  to  spy,  but  mans 
vid  calico  faces.  Vhy  been  you  afraid  of  der  governor  ? — I 
dinks  der  governors  be  ferry  goot  frients  of  der  anti-rents." 

"  Not  when  we  act  this  way.  Send  horse,  send  foot  a'ter 
us,  den.  T'ink  good  friend,  too,  when  he  dare." 

"He  be  d d!"  bawled  out  one  of  the  tribe,  in  as 

good,  homely,  rustic  English  as  ever  came  out  of  the  mouth 
of  a  clown.  "  If  he's  our  friend,  why  did  he  send  the  artil- 
lery and  horse  down  to  Hudson  ? — and  why  has  he  had 
Big  Thunder  up  afore  his  infarnal  courts  ?  He  be  d d  !  " 

There  was  no  mistaking  this  outpouring  of  the  feelings  ; 
and  so  "Streak  o'  Lightning"  seemed  to  think  too,  for  he 
whispered  one  of  the  tribe,  who  took  the  plain-speaking 
Injin  by  the  arm  and  led  him  away,  grumbling  and  growl- 
ing, as  the  thunder  mutters  in  the  horizon  after  the  storm 
has  passed  on.  For  myself,  I  made  several  profitable  re- 
flections concerning  the  inevitable  fate  of  those  who  at- 
tempt to  "  serve  God  and  Mammon."  This  anti-rentism  is 
a  question  in  which,  so  far  as  a  governor  is  concerned, 
there  is  but  one  course  to  pursue,  and  that  is  to  enforce 
the  laws  by  suppressing  violence,  and  leaving  the  parties 
.to  the  covenants  of  leases  to  settle  their  differences  in  the 
courts,  like  the  parties  to  any  other  contracts.  It  is  a  poor 
rule  that  will  not  work  both  ways.  Many  a  landlord  has 
made  a  hard  bargain  for  himself  ;  and  I  happen  to  know 


I98  THE   REDSKINS. 

of  one  case  in  particular,  in  which  a  family  has  long  been, 
and  is  still,  kept  out  of  the  enjoyment  of  a  very  valuable 
estate,  as  to  any  benefit  of  importance,  purely  by  the  cir- 
cumstance that  a  weak-minded  possessor  of  the  property 
fancied  he  was  securing  souls  for  paradise  by  letting  his 
farms  on  leases  for  ninety-nine  years,  at  nominal  rents, 
with  a  covenant  that  the  tenant  should  go  twice  to  a  par- 
ticular church  !  Now,  nothing  is  plainer  than  that  it  is  a 
greater  hardship  to  the  citizen  who  is  the  owner  of  many 
farms  so  situated,  than  to  the  citizen  who  is  the  lessee  of 
only  one  with  a  hard  covenant ;  and,  on  general  principles, 
the  landlord  in  question  would  be  most  entitled  to  relief, 
since  one  man  who  suffers  a  good  deal  is  more  an  object  of 
true  commiseration  than  many  who  suffer  each  a  little. 
What  would  a  governor  be  apt  to  say  if  my  landlord  should 
go  with  his  complaints  to  the  foot  of  the  executive  chair, 
and  tell  him  that  the  very  covenant  which  had  led  his  pre- 
decessor into  the  mistake  of  thus  wasting  his  means  was 
openly  disregarded  ;  that  farms  worth  many  thousands  of 
dollars  had  now  been  enjoyed  by  the  tenants  for  near  a 
century  for  mere  nominal  rents,  and  that  the  owner  of  the 
land  in  fee  had  occasion  for  his  property,  etc.,  etc.?  Would 
the  governor  recommend  legislative  action  in  that  case  ? 
Would  the  length  of  such  leases  induce  him  to  recommend 
that  no  lease  should  exceed  five  years  in  duration  ?  Would 
the  landlords  who  should  get  up  a  corps  of  Injins  to  worry 
their  tenants  into  an  abandonment  of  their  farms  be  the 
objects  of  commiseration  ? — and  would  the  law  slumber 
for  years  over  their  rebellions  and  depredations,  until 
two  or  three  murders  aroused  public  indignation  ?  Let 
them  answer  that  know.  As  a  landlord,  I  should  be  sorry 
to  incur  the  ridicule  that  would  attend  even  a  public  com- 
plaint of  the  hardships  of  such  a  case.  A  common  sneer 
would  send  me  to  the  courts  for  my  remedy,  if  I  had  one, 
and  the  whole  difference  between  the  "  if  and  ifs  "  of  the 
two  cases  would  be  that  a  landlord  gives  but  one  vote, 
while  his  tenants  may  be  legion.* 

"  He  be  d d,"  muttered  the  plain-speaking  Injin,  as 

long  as  I  could  hear  him.  As  soon  as  released  from  his 
presence,  Streak  o'  Lightning  continued  his  examination, 
though  a  little  vexed  at  the  undramatical  character  of  the 
interruption. 

"This  is  no  invented  statement,  but  strictly  one  that  is  true,  the  writer 
having  himself  a  small  interest  in  a  property  so  situated  ;  though  he  has 
not  yet  bethought  him  of  applying  to  the  legislature  for  relief. — EDITOR, 


THE  REDSKINS.  199 

"  Sartain  no  spy,  eh  ? — sartain  gubbernor  no  send  him, 
eh  ? — sartain  come  to  sell  watch,  eh  ? " 

"  I  coomes,  as  I  tell  ye,  to  see  if  vatches  might  be  solt, 
und  not  for  der  gobbernor  ;  I  neffer  might  see  der  mans." 

As  all  this  was  true,  my  conscience  felt  pretty  easy  on 
the  score  of  whatever  there  might  be  equivocal  about  it. 

"What  folks  think  of  Injin  down  below,  eh  ? — what  folks 
say  of  anti-rent,  eh  ? — hear  him  talk  about  much  ?"' 

"Veil,  soome  does  dink  anti-rent  ist  goot,  and  soome 
does  dink  anti-rent  ist  bad.  Dey  dinks  as  they  wishes." 

Here  a  low  whistle  came  down  the  road,  or  rather  down 
the  bushes,  when  every  Injin  started  up  ;  each  map  very 
fairly  gave  back  the  watch  he  was  examining,  and  in  less 
than  half  a  minute  we  were  alone  on  the  log.  This  move- 
ment was  so  sudden  that  it  left  us  in  a  little  doubt  as  to 
the  proper  mode  of  proceeding.  My  uncle,  however, 
coolly  set  about  replacing  his  treasures  in  their  box,  while 
I  went  to  the  horse,  which  had  shaken  off  his  head-stall, 
and  was  quietly  grazing  along  the  road-side.  A  minute  or 
two  might  have  been  thus  occupied,  when  the  trotting  of 
a  horse  and  the  sound  of  wheels  announced  the  near  ap- 
proach of  one  of  those  vehicles  which  have  got  to  be 
almost  national — a  dearborn,  or  a  one-horse  wagon.  As  it 
came  out  from  behind  a  screen  of  bushes  formed  by  a  cur- 
vature in  the  road,  I  saw  that  it  contained  the  Rev.  Mr. 
Warren  and  his  sweet  daughter. 

The  road  being  narrow,  and  our  vehicle  in  its  centre,  it 
was  not  possible  for  the  new-comers  to  proceed  until  we 
got  out  of  the  way,  and  the  divine  pulled  up  as  soon  as- he 
reached  the  spot  where  we  stood. 

"  Good  morning,  gentlemen"  said  Mr.  Warren,  cordially, 
and  using  a  word  that,  in  his  mouth,  I  felt  meant  all  it  ex- 
pressed. "Good  morning,  gentlemen.  Are  you  playing 
Handel  to  the  wood-nymphs,  or  reciting  eclogues  ? " 

"  Neider,  neider,  Herr  Pastor  ;  we  meet  wid  coostomers 
here,  and  dey  has  joost  left  us,"  answered  uncle  Ro,  who 
certainly  enacted  his  part  with  perfect  aplomb,  and  the 
most  admirable  mimicry  as  to  manner.  "  Guten  tag,  guten 
tag.  Might  der  Herr  Pastor  been  going  to  der  village  ?  " 

"  We  are.  I  understand  there  is  to  be  a  meeting  there 
of  the  misguided  men  called  anti-renters,  and  that  several 
of  my  parishioners  are  likely  to  be  present.  On  such  an 
occasion  I  conceive  it  to  be  my  duty  to  go  among  my  own 
particular  people,  and  whisper  a.  word  of  advice.  Nothing- 
can  be  farther  from  my  notions  of  propriety  than  for  a 


200  THE   REDSKINS. 

clergyman  to  be  mingling  and  mixing  himself  up  with 
political  concerns  in  general,  but  this  is  a  matter  that 
touches  morality,  and  the  minister  of  God  is  neglectful  of 
his  duty  who  keeps  aloof  when  a  word  of  admonition 
might  aid  in  preventing  some  wavering  brother  from  the 
commission  of  a  grievous  sin.  This  last  consideration  has 
brought  me  out  to  a  scene  I  could  otherwise  most  heartily 
avoid." 

This  might  be  well  enough,  I  said  to  myself,  but  what 
has  your  daughter  to  do  in  such  a  scene  ?  Is  the  mind  of 
Mary  Warren  then,  after  all,  no  better  than  vulgar  minds 
in  general  ? — and  can  she  find  a  pleasure  in  the  excitement 
of  lectures  of  this  cast,  and  in  that  of  public  meetings  ? 
No  surer  test  can  be  found  of  cultivation,  than  the  man- 
ner in  which  it  almost  intuitively  shrinks  from  communion 
unnecessarily  with  tastes  and  principles  below  its  own 
level  ;  yet  here  was  the  girl  with  whom  I  was  already  half 
in  love — and  that  was  saying  as  little  as  could  be  said,  too 
— actually  going  down  to  the  "Little  Nest"  to  hear  an 
itinerant  lecturer  on  political  economy  utter  his  crudities, 
and  to  see  and  be  seen  !  I  was  grievously  disappointed, 
and  would  at  the  moment  have  cheerfully  yielded  the  best 
farm  on  my  estate  to  have  had  the  thing  otherwise.  My 
uncle  must  have  had  some  similar  notion,  by  the  remark 
he  made. 

"  Und  doost  das  Jung  frau  go  to  see  the  Injins,  too  ;  to 
bersuade  'em  dey  ist  fery  vicked  ? " 

Mary's  face  had  been  a  little  pale  for  her,  I  thought,  as 
the  wagon  drew  up  ;  but  it  immediately  became  scarlet. 
She  even  suffered  her  head  to  droop  a  little,  and  then  I 
perceived  that  she  cast  an  anxious  and  tender  glance  at 
her  father.  I  cannot  say  whether  this  look  were  or  were 
not  intended  for  a  silent  appeal,  unconsciously  made  ;  but 
the  father,  without  even  seeing  it,  acted  as  if  he  fancied  it 
might  be. 

"No,  no,"  he  said,  hurriedly;  "this  dear  girl  is  doing 
violence  to  all  her  feelings  but  one,  in  venturing  to  such  a 
place.  Her  filial  piety  has  proved  stronger  than  her  fears 
and  her  tastes,  and  when  she  found  that  go  I  would,  no 
argument  of  mine  could  persuade  her  to  remain  at  home. 
I  hope  she  will  not  repent  it." 

The  color  did  not  quit  Mary's  face,  but  she  looked  grate- 
ful at  finding  her  true  motives  appreciated  ;  and  she  even 
smiled,  though  she  said  nothing.  My  own  feelings  under- 
went another  sudden  revulsion.  There  was  no  want  oJ 


THE   REDSKINS.  201 

those  tastes  and  inclinations  that  can  alone  render  a  young 
woman  attractive  to  any  man  of  sentiment,  but  there  was 
high  moral  feeling  and  natural  affection  enough  to  over- 
come them  in  a  case  in  which  she  thought  duty  demanded 
the  sacrifice  !  It  was  very  little  probable  that  anything 
would  or  could  occur  that  day  to  render  the  presence 
of  Mary  Warren  in  the  least  necessary  or  useful  ;  but  it 
was  very  pleasant  to  me  and  very  lovely  in  her  to  think 
otherwise,  under  the  strong  impulses  of  her  filial  attach- 
ment. 

Another  idea,  however,  and  one  far  less  pleasant,  sug- 
gested itself  to  the  minds  of  my  uncle  and  myself,  and  al- 
most at  the  same  instant ;  it  was  this  :  the  conversation 
was  carried  on  in  a  high  key,  or  loud  enough  to  be  heard 
at  some  little  distance,  the  horse  and  part  of  the  wagon 
interposing  between  the  speakers ;  and  there  was  the 
physical  certainty  that  some  of  those  whom  we  knew  to  be 
close  at  hand,  in  the  bushes,  must  hear  all  that  was  said, 
and  might  take  serious  offense  at  it.  Under  this  appre- 
hension, therefore,  my  uncle  directed  me  to  remove  our 
own  vehicle  as  fast  as  possible,  in  order  that  the  clergy- 
man might  pass.  Mr.  Warren,  however,  was  in  no  hurry 
to  do  this,  for  he  was  utterly  ignorant  of  the  audience  he 
had,  and  entertained  that  feeling  toward  us  that  men  of 
liberal  acquirements  are  apt  to  feel  when  they  see  others 
of  similar  educations  reduced  by  fortune  below  their 
proper  level.  He  was  consequently  desirous  of  manifest- 
ing his  sympathy  with  us,  and  would  not  proceed,  even 
after  I  had  opened  the  way  for  him. 

"  It  is  a  painful  thing,"  continued  Mr.  Warren,  "to  find 
men  mistaking  their  own  cupidity  for  the  workings  of  a 
love  of  liberty.  To  me  nothing  is  more  palpable  than  that 
this  anti-rent  movement  is  covetousness  incited  by  the 
father  of  evil ;  yet  you  will  find  men  among  us  who  fancy 
they  are  aiding  the  cause  of  free  institutions  by  joining  in 
it,  when,  in  truth,  they  are  doing  all  they  can  to  bring 
them  into  discredit,  and  to  insure  their  certain  downfall,  in 
the  end." 

This  was  sufficiently  awkward  ;  for,  by  going  near  enough 
to  give  a  warning  in  a  low  voice,  and  have  that  warning 
followed  by  a  change  in  the  discourse,  we  should  be  be- 
traying ourselves,  and  might  fall  into  serious  danger.  At 
the  very  moment  the  clergyman  was  thus  speaking  I  saw 
the  masked  head  of  Streak  o'  Lightning  appearing  through 
an  opening  in  some  small  pines  that  grew  a  little  in  the 


202  THE  REDSKINS. 

rear  of  the  wagon,  a  position  that  enabled  him  to  heal 
every  syllable  that  was  uttered.  I  was  afraid  to  act  my- 
self, and  trusted  to  the  greater  experience  of  my  uncle. 
Whether  the  last  also  saw  the  pretended  chief  was  more 
than  I  knew,  but  he  decided  to  let  the  conversation  go 
on,  rather  leaning  to  the  anti-rent  side  of  the  question, 
as  the  course  that  could  do  no  serious  evil,  while  it  might 
secure  our  own  safety.  It  is  scarcely  necessary  to  say  all 
these  considerations  glanced  through  our  minds  so  swiftly 
as  to  cause  no  very  awkward  or  suspicious  pause  in  the  dis- 
course. * 

"B'rhaps  dey  doosn't  like  to  bay  rent?"  put  in  my 
uncle,  with  a  roughness  of  manner  that  was  in  accord- 
ance with  the  roughness  of  the  sentiment  "  Beoples 
might  radder  haf  deir  landts  for  nuttin',  dan  bay  rents  for 
dem." 

"  In  that  case,  then,  let  them  go  and  buy  lands  for  them- 
selves ;  if  they  do  not  wish  to  pay  rent,  why  did  they  agree 
to  pay  rent  ? " 

"  May  be  dey  changes  deir  minds.  Vhat  is  goot  to-day 
doosn't  always  seem  goot  to-morrow." 

"  That  may  be  true  ;  but  we  have  no  right  to  make  others 
suffer  for  our  own  fickleness.  I  dare  say,  now,  that  it  might 
be  better  for  the  whole  community  that  so  large  a  tract  of 
land  as  that  included  in  the  Manor  of  Rensselaenvyck,  for 
instance,  and  lying  as  it  does  in  the  very  heart  of  the  State, 
should  be  altogether  in  the  hands  of  the  occupants,  than 
have  it  subject  to  the  divided  interest  that  actually  exists  ; 
but  it  does  not  follow  that  a  change  is  to  be  made  by  vio- 
lence, or  by  fraudulent  means.  In  either  of  the  latter  cases 
the  injury  done  the  community  would  be  greater  than  if 
the  present  tenures  were  to  exist  a  thousand  years.  I  dare 
say  much  the  larger  portion  of  those  farms  can  be  bought 
off  at  a  moderate  advance  on  their  actual  money-value  ; 
and  that  is  the  way  to  get  rid  of  the  difficulty ;  not  by  bul- 
lying owners  out  of  their  property.  If  the  State  finds  a 
political  consideration  of  so  much  importance  for  getting 
rid  of  the  tenures,  let  the  State  tax  itself  to  do  so,  and 
make  a  liberal  offer,  in  addition  to  what  the  tenants  will 
offer,  and  I'll  answer  for  it  the  landlords  will  not  stand  so 
much  in  their  own  way  as  to  decline  good  prices." 

"  But  maybes  dey  won't  sell  all  der  landts  ;  dey  may 
wants  to  keep  some  of  dem." 

"They  have  a  right  to  say  yes  or  no,  while  we  have  no 
right  to  juggle  oMegislate  them  out  of  their  property 


THE  REDSKINS.  203 

The  Legislature  of  this  State  has  quite  lately  been  exhibit- 
ing one  of  the  most  pitiable  sights  the  world  has  seen  in 
my  day.  It  has  been  struggling  for  months  to  find  a  way 
to  get  round  the  positive  provisions  of  laws  and  constitu- 
tions, in  order  to  make  a  sacrifice  of  the  rights  of  a  few,  to 
secure  the  votes  of  the  many." 

"Votes  ist  a  goot  ding,  at  election  dimes — haw,  haw, 
haw  ! "  exclaimed  my  uncle. 

Mr.  Warren  looked  both  surprised  and  offended.  The 
coarseness  of  manner  that  my  uncle  had  assumed  effected 
its  object  with  the  Injins,  but  it  almost  destroyed  the  di- 
vine's previous  good  opinion  of  our  characters,  and  quite 
upset  his  notions  of  our  refinement  and  principles.  There 
was  no  time  for  explanations,  however;  for,  just  as  my 
uncle's  broad  and  well-acted  "haw,  haw,  haw"  was  ended, 
a  shrill  whistle  was  heard  in  the  bushes,  and  some  forty  or 
fifty  of  the  Injins  came  whooping  and  leaping  out  from 
their  cover,  filling  the  road  in  all  directions,  immediately 
around  the  wagons. 

Mary  Warren  uttered  a  little  scream  at  this  startling 
scene,  and  I  saw  her  arm  clinging  to  that  of  her  father,  by 
a  sort  of  involuntary  movement,  as  if  she  would  protect 
him  at  all  hazards.  Then  she  seemed  to  rally,  and  from 
that  instant  her  character  assumed  an  energy,  an  earnest- 
ness, a  spirit  and  an  intrepidity  that  I  had  least  expected 
in  one  so  mild  in  aspect,  and  so  really  sweet  in  disposition. 

All  this  was  unnoticed  by  the  Injins.  They  had  their 
impulses,  too,  and  the  first  thing  they  did  was  to  assist  Mr. 
Warren  and  his  daughter  to  alight  from  the  wagon.  This 
was  done  not  without  decorum  of  manner,  and  certainly 
not  without  some  regard  to  the  holy  office  of  one  of  the 
parties,  and  to  the  sex  of  the  other.  Nevertheless,  it  was 
done  neatly  and  expeditiously,  leaving  us  all,  Mr.  Warren 
and  Mary,  my  uncle  and  myself,  with  a  cluster  of  some 
fifty  Injins  around  us,  standing  in  the  centre  of  the  high- 
way. 


204  THE  RKDSK1NS. 


CHAPTER   XIV. 

"  No  toil  in  despair, 

No  tyrant,  no  slave, 
No  bread-tax  is  there, 

With  a  maw  like  the  grave." 

ALL  this  was  so  suddenly  done  as  scarce  to  leave  us  time 
to  think.  There  was  one  instant,  notwithstanding,  while 
two  Injins  were  assisting  Mary  Warren  to  jump  from  the 
wagon,  when  my  incognito  was  in  great  danger.  Perceiv- 
ing that  the  young  lady  was  treated  with  no  particular  dis- 
respect, I  so  far  overcame  the  feeling  as  to  remain  quiet, 
though  I  silently  changed  my  position  sufficiently  to  get 
near  her  elbow,  where  I  could  and  did  whisper  a  word  or 
two  of  encouragement  But  Mary  thought  only  of  her 
father,  and  had  no  fears  for  herself.  She  saw  none  but 
him,  trembled  only  for  him,  dreaded  and  hoped  for  him 
alone. 

As  for  Mr.  Warren  himself,  he  betrayed  no  discomposure. 
Had  he  been  about  to  enter  the  desk,  his  manner  could 
not  have  been  more  calm.  He  gazed  around  him,  to  ascer- 
tain if  it  were  possible  to  recognize  any  of  his  captors,  but 
suddenly  turned  his  head  away,  as  if  struck  with  the  expe- 
diency of  not  learning  their  names,  even  though  it  had 
been  possible.  He  might  be -put  on  the  stand  as  a  witness 
against  some  misguided  neighbor,  did  he  know  his  person. 
All  this  was  so  apparent  in  his  benevolent  countenance, 
that  I  think  it  struck  some  among  the  Injins,  and  still  be- 
lieve it  may  have  had  a  little  influence  on  their  treatment 
of  him.  A  pot  of  tar  and  a  bag  of  feathers  had  been 
brought  into  the  road  when  the  gang  poured  out  of  the 
bushes,  but  whether  this  were  merely  accidental,  or  it  had 
originally  been  intended  to  use  them  on  Mr.  Warren,  I 
cannot  say.  The  offensive  materials  soon  and  silently  dis- 
appeared, and  with  them  every  sign  of  any  intention  to 
offer  personal  injury. 

"  What  have  I  done  that  I  am  thus  arrested  in  the  pub- 
lic highway,  by  men  armed  and  disguised,  contrary  to 
law  ? "  demanded  the  divine,  as  soon  as  the  general  pause 
which  succeeded  the  first  movement  invited  him  to  speak. 
"  This  is  a  rash  and  illegal  step,  that  may  yet  bring  re- 
pentance." 


THE  REDSKIN'S.  205 

"No  preachee  now,"  answered  Streak  o'  Lightning; 
"  preachee  for  meetin',  no  good  for  road." 

Mr.  Warren  afterward  admitted  to  me  that  he  was  much 
relieved  by  this  reply,  the  substitution  of  the  word  "meet- 
ing "  for  "church  "  giving  him  the  grateful  assurance  that 
this  individual,  at  least,  was  not  one  of  his  own  people. 

"Admonition  and  remonstrance  may  always  bejjseful 
when  crime  is  meditated.  You  are  now  committing  a 
felony,  for  which  the  State's  Prison  is  the  punishment  pre- 
scribed by  the  laws  of  the  land,  and  the  duties  of  my  holy 
office  direct  me  to  warn  you  of  the  consequences.  The 
earth  itself  is  but  one  of  God's  temples,  and  his  ministers 
need  never  hesitate  to  proclaim  his  laws  on  any  part  of  it." 

It  was  evident  that  the  calm  severity  of  the  divine,  aided, 
no  doubt,  by  his  known  character,  produced  an  impression 
on  the  gang,  for  the  two  who  had  still  hold  of  his  arms  re- 
leased them,  and  a  little  circle  was  now  formed,  in  the 
centre  of  which  he  stood. 

**  If  you  will  enlarge  this  circle,  my  friends,"  continued 
Mr.  Warren,  "  and  give  room,  I  will  address  you  here, 
where  we  stand,  and  let  you  know  my  reasons  why  I  think 
your  conduct  ought  to  be  "- 

"  No,  no — no  preachee  here,"  suddenly  interrupted  Streak 
o'  Lightning  ;  "go  to  village,  go  to  meetin'-'us' — preachee 
there — Two  preacher,  den. — Bring  wagon  and  put  him  in. 
March,  march  ;  path  open." 

Although  this  was  but  an  "  Injin  "  imitation  of  Indian 
sententiousness,  and  somewhat  of  a  caricature,  everybody 
understood  wTell  enough  what  was  meant.  Mr.  Warren 
offered  no  resistance,  but  suffered  himself  to  be  placed  in 
Miller's  wagon,  with  my  uncle  at  his  side,  without  opposi- 
tion. Then  it  was,  however,  that  he  bethought  himself  of 
his  daughter,  though  his  daughter  had  never  ceased  to 
think  of  him.  I  had  some  little  difficulty  in  keeping  her 
from  rushing  into  the  crowd  and  clinging  to  his  side.  Mr. 
Warren  rose,  and,  giving  her  an  encouraging  smile,  bade 
her  be  calm,  told  her  he  had  nothing  to  fear,  and  requested 
that  she  would  enter  his  own  wagon  again  and  return 
home,  promising  to  rejoin  her  as  soon  as  his  duties  at  the 
village  were  discharged. 

"  Here  is  no  one  to  drive  the  horse,  my  child,  but  our 
young  German  acquaintance.  The  distance  is  very  short, 
and  if  he  will  thus  oblige  me  he  can  come  down  to  the 
village  with  the  wagon,  as  soon  as  he  has  seen  you  safe  at 
our  own  gloor." 


206  THE   REDSKINS. 

Mary  Warren  was  accustomed  to  defer  to  her  father's 
opinions,  and  she  so  far  submitted,  now,  as  to  permit  me 
to  assist  her  into  the  \vagon,  and  to  place  myself  at  her 
side,  whip  in  hand,  proud  of  and  pleased  with  the  precious 
charge  thus  committed  to  my  care.  These  arrangements 
made,  the  Injins  commenced  their  march,  about  half  of 
them  preceding,  and  the  remainder  following  the  wagon 
that  contained  their  prisoner,  Four,  however,  walked  on 
each  side  of  the  vehicle,  thus  preventing  the  possibility  of 
escape.  No  noise  was  made,  and  little  was  said  ;  the 
orders  being  given  by  signs  and  signals,  rather  than  by 
words. 

Our  wagon  continued  stationary  until  the  party  had  got 
at  least  a  hundred  yards  from  us,  no  one  giving  any  heed 
to  our  movements.  I  had  waited  thus  long  for  the  double 
purpose  of  noting  the  manner  of  the  proceedings  among 
the  Injins,  and  to  obtain  room  to  turn  at  a  spot  in  the  road 
a  short  distance  in  advance  of  us,  and  which  was  wider  than 
common.  To  this  spot  I  now  walked  the  horse,  and  was 
in  the  act  of  turning  the  animal's  head  in  the  required  di- 
rection, when  I  saw  Mary  Warren's  little  gloved  hand  laid 
hurriedly  on  the  reins.  She  endeavored  to  keep  the  head 
of  the  horse  in  the  road. 

"  No,  no,"  said  the  charming  girl,  speaking  earnestly, 
as  if  she  would  not  be  denied,  "  we  will  follow  my  father 
to  the  village.  I  may  not,  must  not,  cannot  quit  him." 

The  time  and  place  were  every  way  propitious,  and  I 
determined  to  let  Mary  Warren  know  who  J  was.  By  do- 
ing it  I  might  give  her  confidence  in  me  at  a  moment  when 
she  was  in  distress,  and  encourage  her  with  the  hope  that 
I  might  also  befriend  her  father.  At  any  rate,  I  was  deter- 
mined to  pass  for  an  itinerant  Dutch  music-grinder  with 
her  no  longer. 

"  Miss  Mary,  Miss  Warren,"  I  commenced,  cautiously, 
and  with  quite  as  much  hesitation  and  diffidence  of  feeling 
as  of  manner,  "  I  am  not  what  I  seem — that  is,  I  am  no 
music-grinder." 

The  start,  the  look,  and  the  alarm  of  my  companion, 
were  all  eloquent  and  natural.  Her  hand  was  still  on  the 
reins,  and  she  now  drew  on  them  so  hard  as  actually  to 
stop  the  horse.  I  thought  she  intended  to  jump  out  of  the 
vehicle,  as  a  place  no  longer  fit  for  her. 

"  Be  not  alarmed,  Miss  Warren,"  I  said,  -eagerly,  and,  I 
trust,  so  earnestly  as  to  inspire  a  little  confidence.  "  You 
will  not  think  the  worse  of  me  at  finding  I  am  your  coun- 


THE  REDSKINS.  207 

tryman  instead  of  a  foreigner,  and  a  gentleman  instead  of 
a  music-grinder.  I  shall  do  all  you  ask,  and  will  protect 
you  with  my  life." 

"  This  is  so  extraordinary  ! — so  unusual.  The  whole 
country  appears  unsettled  !  Pray,  sir,  if  you  are  not  the 
person  whom  you  have  represented  yourself  to  be,  who  are 
you  ?  " 

"  One  who  admires  your  filial  love  and  courage — who 
honors  you  for  them  both.  I  am  the  brother  of  your  friend, 
Martha — I  am  Hugh  Littlepage  !  " 

The  little  hand  now  abandoned  the  reins,  'and  the  dear 
girl  turned  half  round  on  the  cushion  of  the  seat,  gazing 
at  me  in  mute  astonishment !  I  had  been  cursing  in  my 
heart  the  lank  locks  of  the  miserable  wig  I  was  compelled 
to  wear,  ever  since  I  had  met  with  Mary  Warren,  as  unnec- 
essarily deforming  and  ugly,  for  one  might  have  as  well  a 
becoming  as  a  horridly  unbecoming  disguise.  Off  went  my 
cap,  therefore,  and  off  went  the  wig  after  it,  leaving  my 
own  shaggy  curls  for  the  sole  setting  of  my  face. 

Mary  made  a  slight  exclamation  as  she  gazed  at  me,  and 
the  deadly  paleness  of  her  countenance  was  succeeded  by 
a  slight  blush.  A  smile,  too,  parted  her  lips,  and  I  fancied 
she  was  less  alarmed. 

"Am  I  forgiven,  Miss  Warren,"  I  asked  ;  "  and  will  you 
recognize  me  for  the  brother  of  your  friend  ? " 

"  Does  Martha — does  Mrs.  Littlepage  know  of  this?" 
the  charming  girl  at  length  asked. 

"  Both  ;  I  have  had  the  happiness  of  being  embraced  by 
both  my  grandmother  and  my  sister.  You  were  taken  out 
of  the  room  yesterday  by  the  first,  that  I  might  be  left  alone 
with  the  last,  for  that  very  purpose  ! " 

"  I  see  it  all  now  ;  yes,  1  thought  it  singular  then,  though 
I  felt  there  could  be  no  impropriety  in  any  of  Mrs.  Little- 
page's  acts.  Dearest  Martha !  how  well  she  played  her 
part,  and  how  admirably  she  has  kept  your  secret ! " 

"  It  is  very  necessary.  You  see  the  condition  of  the 
country,  and  will  understand  that  it  would  be  imprudent 
in  me  to  appear  openly,  even  on  my  own  estate.  I  have  a 
written  covenant  authorizing  me  to  visit  every  farm  near 
us,  to  look  after  my  own  interests  ;  yet  it  may  be  ques- 
tioned if  it  would  be  safe  to  visit  one  among  them  all,  now 
that  the  spirits  of  misrule  and  covetousness  are  up  and 
doing." 

"  Replace  your  disguise  at  once,  Mr.  Littlepage  "  said 
Mary,  eagerly  ;  "  do — do  not  delay  an  instant." 


2o8  THE  REDSKINS. 

I  did  as  desired,  Mary  watching  the  process  with  inter- 
ested and,  at  the  same  time,  amused  eyes.  I  thought  she 
looked  as  sorry  as  I  felt  myself  when  that  lank,  villanous 
wig  was  again  performing  its  office. 

"Am  I  as  well  arranged  as  when  we  first  met,  Miss 
Warren  ?  Do  I  appear  again  the  music-grinder  ? " 

"I  see  no  difference,"  returned  the  dear  girl,  laughing. 
How  musical  and  cheering  to  me  were  the  sounds  of  her 
voice  in  that  little  burst  of  sweet,  feminine  merriment. 
"  Indeed,  indeed,  I  do  not  think  even  Martha  could  know 
you  now,  for  the  person  you  the  moment  before  seemed." 

"  My  disguise  is,  then,  perfect.  I  was  in  hopes  it  left  a 
little  that  my  friends  might  recognize,  while  it  effectually 
concealed  me  from  my  enemies." 

"  It  does — oh  !  it  does.  Now  I  know  who  you  are,  I  find 
no  difficulty  in  tracing  in  your  features  the  resemblance  to 
your  portrait  in  the  family  gallery,  at  the  Nest.  The  eyes, 
too,  cannot  be  altered  without  artificial  brows,  and  those 
you  have  not." 

This  was  consoling ;  but  all  that  time  Mr.  Warren  and 
the  party  in  front  had  been  forgotten.  Perhaps  it  was  ex- 
cusable in  two  young  persons  thus  situated,  and  who  had 
now  known  each  other  a  week,  to  think  more  of  what  was 
just  then  passing  in  the  wagon,  than  to  recollect  the  tribe 
that  was  marching  down  the  road,  and  the  errand  they 
were  on.  I  felt  the  necessity,  however,  of  next  consulting 
my  companion  as  to  our  future  movements.  Mary  heard 
me  in  evident  anxiety,  and  her  purpose  seemed  unsettled, 
for  she  changed  color  under  each  new  impulse  of  her  feel- 
ings. 

"  If  it  were  not  for  one  thing,"  she  answered,  after  a 
thoughtful  pause,  "  I  should  insist  on  following  my  father." 

"  And  what  may  be  the  reason  of  this  change  of  pur- 
pose ? " 

"Would  it  be  altogether  safe  for  you,  Mr.  Littlepage,  to 
venture  again  among  those  misguided  men  ?" 

"  Never  think  of  me,  Miss  Warren.  You  see  I  have  been 
among  them  already  undetected,  and  it  is  my  intention  to 
join  them  again,  even  should  I  first  have  to  take  you  home. 
Decide  for  yourself." 

"  I  will,  then,  follow  my  father.  My  presence  may  be 
the  means  of  saving  him  from  some  indignity." 

I  was  rejoiced  at  this  decision,  on  two  accounts  ;  of 
which  one  might  have  been  creditable  enough  to  me, 
while  the  other,  I  am  sorry  to  say,  was  rather  selfish.  I 


THE   REDSKIN'S.  209 

delighted  in  the  dear  girl's  devotion  to  her  parent,  and  I 
was  glad  to  have  her  company  as  long  as  possible  that 
morning.  Without  entering  into  a  very  close  analysis  of 
motives,  however,  I  drove  down  the  road,  keeping  the 
horse  on  a  very  slow  gait,  being  in  no  particular  hurry  to 
quit  my  present  fair  companion. 

Mary  and  I  had  now  a  free,  and  in  some  sense,  a  confi- 
dential dialogue.  Her  manner  toward  me  had  entirely 
changed  ;  for  while  it  maintained  the  modesty  and  re- 
tenue  of  her  sex  and  station,  it  displayed  much  of  that 
frankness  which  was  the  natural  consequence  of  her  great 
intimacy  at  the  Nest,  and,  as  I  have  since  ascertained,  of 
her  own  ingenuous  nature.  The  circumstance,  too,  that 
she  now  felt  she  was  with  one  of  her  own  class,  who  had 
opinions,  habits,  tastes,  and  thoughts  like  her  own,  removed 
a  mountain  of  restraint,  and  made  her  communications 
natural  and  easy.  I  was  near  an  hour,  I  do  believe,  in 
driving  the  two  miles  that  lay  between  the  point  where  the 
Injins  had  met  and  the  village,  and  in  that  hour  Mary 
Warren  and  I  became  better  acquainted  than  would  have 
been  the  case,  under  ordinary  circumstances,  in  a  year. 

In  the  first  place,  I  explained  the  reasons  and  manners 
of  my  early  and  unexpected  return  home,  and  the  motives 
by  which  I  had  been  governed  in  thus  coming  in  disguise 
on  my  own' property.  Then  I  said  a  little  of  my  future 
intentions,  and  of  my  disposition  to  hold  out  to  the  last 
against  every  attempt  on  my  rights,  whether  they  might 
come  from  the  open  violence  and  unprincipled  designs  of 
those  below,  or  the  equally  unprincipled  schemes  of  those 
above.  A  spurious  liberty  and  political  cant  were  things 
that  I  despised,  as  every  intelligent  and  independent  man 
must ;  and  I  did  not  intend  to  be  persuaded  I  was  an  aris- 
tocrat, merely  because  I  had  the  habits  of  a  gentleman, 
at  the  very  moment  when  I  had  less  political  influence 
than  the  hired  laborers  in  my  own  service. 

Mary  Warden  manifested  a  spirit  and  an  intelligence  that 
surprised  me.  She  expressed  her  own  belief  that  the  pro- 
scribed classes  of  the  country  had  only  to  be  true  to  them- 
selves to  be  restored  to  their  just  rights,  and  that  on  the 
very  principle  by  which  they  were  so  fast  losing  them. 
The  opinions  she  thus  expressed  are  worthy  oT  being  re- 
corded. 

"  Everything  that  is  done  in  that  way,"  said  this  gentle, 
but  admirable  creature,  "  has  hitherto  been  done  on  a 
principle  that  is  quite  as  false  and  vicious  as  that  by  which 


210  THE  REDSKINS. 

they  are  now  oppressed.  We  have  had  a  great  deal  written 
and  said,  Lately,  about  uniting  people  of  property,  but  it  has 
been  so  evidently  with  an  intention  to  make  money  rule, 
and  that  in  its  most  vulgar  and  vicious  manner,  that  per- 
sons of  right  feelings  would  not  unite  in  such  an  effort  ; 
but  it  does  seem  to  me,  Mr.  Littlepage,  that  if  the  gen- 
tlemen of  New  York  would  form  themselves  into  an  as- 
sociation in  defence  of  their  rights,  and  for  nothing  else, 
and  let  it  be  known  that  they  would  not  be  robbed  with  im- 
punity, they  are  numerous  enough  and  powerful  enough 
to  put  down  this  anti-rent  project  by  the  mere  force  of 
numbers.  Thousands  would  join  them  for  the  sake  of  prin- 
ciples, and  the  country  might  be  left  to  the  enjoyment  of 
the  fruits  of  liberty,  without  getting  any  of  the  fruits  of  its 
cant." 

This  is  a  capital  idea,  and  might  easily  be  carried  out. 
It  requires  nothing  but  a  little  self-denial,  with  the  convic- 
tion of  the  necessity  of  doing  something,  if  the  downward 
tendency  is  to  be  ever  checked  short  of  civil  war,  and  a 
revolution  that  is  to  let  in- despotism  in  its  more  direct 
form  ;  despotism,  in  the  indirect,  is  fast  appearing  among 
us,  as  it  is. 

"  I  have  heard  of  a  proposition  for  the  legislature  to  ap- 
point special  commissioners,  who  are  to  settle  all  the  dif- 
ficulties between  the  landlords  and  the  tenants,"  I  re- 
marked, "  a  scheme  in  the  result  of  which  some  people 
profess  to  have  a  faith.  I  regard  it  as  only  one  of  the  many 
projects  that  have  been  devised  to  evade  the  laws  and  insti- 
tutions of  the  country,  as  they  now  exist." 

Mary  Warren  seemed  thoughtful  for  a  moment ;  then 
her  eye  and  face  brightened  as  if  she  were  struck  with  some 
thought  suddenly  ;  after  which  the  color  deepened  on  her 
cheek,  and  she  turned  to  me  as  if  half  doubting,  and  yet 
half  desirous  of  giving  utterance  to  the  idea  that  was  up- 
permost. 

"  You  wish  to  say  something,  Miss  Warren  ? " 

"  I  dare  say  it  will  be  very  silly — and  I  hope  you  won't 
think  it  pedantic  in  a  girl,  but  really  it  does  look  so  to  me 
—what  difference  would  there  be  between  such  a  commis- 
sion and  the  Star-Chamber  judges  of  the  Stuarts,  Mr.  Lit- 
tlepage ?" 

"Not  much  in  general  principles,  certainly,  as  both 
would  be  the  instruments  of  tyrants  ;  but  a  very  impor- 
tant one  in  a  great  essential.  The  Star-Chamber  courts 
were  legal,  whereas  this  commission  would  be  flagrantly 


THE  REDSKINS.  21 1 

illegal  ;  the  adoption  of  a  special  tribunal  to  effect  certain 
purposes  that  could  exist  only  in  the  very  teeth  of  the 
constitution,  both  in  its  spirit  and  its  letter.  Yet  this 
project  comes  from  men  who  prate  about  the  '  spirit  of 
the  institutions,'  which  they  clearly  understand  to  be  their 
own  spirit,  let  that  be  what  it  may." 

"  Providence,  I  trust,  will  nqt  smile  on  such  desperate 
efforts  to  do  wrong  !"  said  Mary  Warren,  solemnly. 

"  One  hardly  dare  look  into  the  inscrutable  ways  of  a 
Power  that  has  its  motives  so  high  beyond  our  reach. 
Providence  permits  much  evil  to  be  done,  and  is  very  apt 
to  be,  as  Frederick  of  Prussia  expressed  it,  on  the  side  of 
strong  battalions,  so  far  as  human  vision  can  penetrate. 
Of  one  thing,  however,  I  feel  certain,  and  that  is,  that  they 
who  are  now  the  most  eager  to  overturn  everything  to 
effect  present  purposes,  will  be  made  to  repent  of  it  bit- 
terly, either  in  their  own  persons,  or  in  those  of  their  de- 
scendants." 

"  That  is  what  is  meant,  my  father  says,  by  visiting  'the 
sins  of  the  fathers  upon  the  children,  unto  the  third  and 
fourth  generations.'  But  there  is  the  party,  with  their 
prisoners,  just  entering  the  village.  Who  is  your  com- 
panion, Mr.  Littlepage  ? — One  hired  to  act  as  an  assist- 
ant ?" 

"  It  is  my  uncle  himself.  You  have  often  heard,  I  should 
think,  of  Mr.  Roger  Littlepage  ?" 

Mary  gave  a  little  exclamation  at  hearing  this,  and  she 
almost  laughed.  After  a  short  pause  she  blushed  brightly, 
and  turned  to  me  as  she  said — 

"And  my  father  and  I  have  supposed  you,  the  one  a 
pedler,  and  the  other  a  street-musician  ! " 

"  But  beddlars  and  moosic-grinders  of  goot  etications,  as 
might  be  panished  for  deir  bolitics." 

Now,  indeed,  she  laughed  out,  for  the  long  and  frank 
dialogue  we  had  held  together  made  this  change  to  broken 
English  seem  as  if  a  third  person  had  joined  us.  I  prof- 
ited by  the  occasion  to  exhort  the  dear  girl  to  be  calm, 
and  not  to  feel  any  apprehension  on  the  subject  of  her 
father.  I  pointed  out  how  little  probable  it  was  that  vio- 
lence would  be  offered  to  a  minister  of  the  gospel,  and 
showed  her,  by  the  number  of  persons  that  had  collected 
in  the  village,  that  it  was  impossible  he  should  not  have 
many  warm  and  devoted  friends  present.  I  also  gave  her 
permission  to,  nay,  requested  she  would,  tell  Mr.  Warren 
the  fact  of  my  uncle's  and  my  own  presence,  and  the  rea- 


212  THE   REDSKINS. 

sons  of  our  disguises,  trusting  altogether  to  the  very  obvi 
ous  interest  the  dear  girl  took  in  our  safety,  that  she  would 
add,  of  her  own  accord,  the  necessary  warning  on  the  sub' 
ject  of  secrecy.  Just  as  this  conversation  ended  we  drove 
into  the  hamlet,  and  I  helped  my  fair  companion  to  alight. 

Mary  Warren  now  hastened  to  seek  her  father,  while  I 
was  left  to  take  care  of  the  horse.  This  I  did  by  fastening 
him  to  the  rails  of  a  fence,  that  was  lined  for  a  long  dis- 
tance by  horses  and  wagons  drawn  up  by  the  wayside. 
Surprisingly  few  persons  in  the  country,  at  this  day,  are 
seen  on  horseback.  Notwithstanding  the  vast  difference 
in  the  amount  of  the  population,  ten  horsemen  were  to  be 
met  with  forty  years  ago,  by  all  accounts,  on  the  highways 
of  the  State,  for  one  to-day.  The  well-known  vehicle, 
called  a  dearborn,  with  its  four  light  wheels  and  mere 
shell  of  a  box,  is  in  such  general  use  as  to  have  super- 
seded almost  every  other  species  of  conveyance.  Coaches 
and  chariots  are  no  longer  met  with,  except  in  the  towns  ; 
and  even  the  coachee,  the  English  sociable,  which  was 
once  so  common,  has  very  generally  given  way  to  a  sort 
of  carriage-wagon,  that  seems  a  very  general  favorite.  My 
grandmother,  who  did  use  the  stately-looking  and  elegant 
chariot  in  town,  had  nothing  but  this  carriage -wagon  in 
the  country ;  and  I  question  if  one-half  of  the  population 
of  the  State  would  know  what  to  call  the  former  vehicle, 
if  they  should  see  it. 

As  a  matter  of  course,  the  collection  of  people  assembled 
at  Little  Nest  on  this  occasion  had  been  brought  together 
in  dearborns,  of  which  there  must  have  been  between  two 
and  three  hundred  lining  the  fences  and  crowding  the 
horse-sheds  of  the  two  inns.  The  American  countryman, 
in  the  true  sense  of  the  word,  is  still  quite  rustic  in  many 
of  his  notions  ;  though,  on  the  whole,  less  marked  in  this 
particular  than  his  European  counterpart.  As  a  rule,  he 
has  yet  to  learn  that  the  little  liberties  which  are  tolerated 
in  a  thinly  peopled  district,  and  which  are  of  no  great  mo- 
ment when  put  in  practice  under  such  circumstances, 
become  oppressive  and  offensive  when  reverted  to  in  places 
of  much  resort.  The  habits  of  popular  control,  too,  come 
to  aid  in  making  them  fancy  that  what  everybody  does  in 
their  part  of  the  country  can  have  no  great  harm  in  it.  It 
was  in  conformity  with  this  tendency  of  the  institutions, 
perhaps,  that  very  many  of  the  vehicles  I  have  named 
were  thrust  into  improper  places,  stopping  up  the  foot- 
ways, impeding  the  entrances  to  doors,  here  and  there 


THE  REDSKINS.  213 

letting  down  bars  without  permission,  and  garnishing 
orchards  and  pastures  with  one-horse  wagons.  Nothing 
was  meant  by  all  these  liberties  beyond  a  desire  to  dispose 
of  the  horses  and  vehicles  in  the  manner  easiest  to  their 
owners.  Nevertheless,  there  was  some  connection  between 
the  institutions  and  these  little  liberties  which  some  states- 
men might  fancy  existed  in  the  spirit  of  the  former.  This, 
however,  was  a  capital  mistake,  inasmuch  as  the  spirit  of 
the  institutions  is  to  be  found  in  the  laws,  which  prohibit 
and  punish  all  sorts  of  trespasses,  and  which  are  enacted 
expressly  to  curb  the  tendencies  of  human  nature  !  No, 
no,  as  my  uncle  Ro  says,  nothing  can  be  less  alike,  some- 
times, than  the  spirit  of  institutions  and  their  tendencies. 

I  was  surprised  to  find  nearly  as  many  females  as  men 
had  collected  at  the  Little  Nest  on  this  occasion.  As  for 
the  Injins,  after  escorting  Mr.  Warren  as  far  as  the  village, 
as  if  significantly  to  admonish  him  of  their  presence,  they 
had  quietly  released  him,  permitting  him  to  go  where  he 
pleased.  Mary  had  no  difficulty  in  finding  him,  and  I  saw 
her  at  his  side,  apparently  in  conversation  with  Oppor- 
tunity and  her  brother,  Seneca,  as  soon  as  I  moved  down 
the  road,  after  securing  the  horses.  The  Injins  themselves 
kept  a  little  aloof,  having  my  uncle  in  their  very  centre  ; 
not  as  a  prisoner,  for  it  was  clear  no  one  suspected  his 
character,  but  as  a  pedler.  The  watches  were  out  again, 
and  near  half  of  the  whole  gang  seemed  busy  in  trading, 
though  I  thought  that  some  among  them  were  anxious 
and  distrustful. 

It  was  a  singular  spectacle  to  see  men  who  were  raising 
the  cry  of  "aristocracy"  against  those  who  happened  to 
be  richer  than  themselves,  while  they  did  not  possess  a 
single  privilege  or  power  that,  substantially,  was  not 
equally  shared  by  every  other  man  in  the  country,  thus 
openly  arrayed  in  defiance  of  law,  and  thus  violently 
trampling  the  law  under  their  feet.  What  made  the  spec- 
tacle more  painful  was  the  certainty  that  was  obtained  by 
their  very  actions  on  the  ground,  that  no  small  portion  of 
these  Injins  were  mere  boys,  led  on  by  artful  and  knavish 
men,  and  who  considered  the  whole  thing  as  a  joke.  When 
the  laws  fall  so  much  into  disrepute  as  to  be  the  subjects 
of  jukes  of  this  sort,  it  is  time  to  inquire  into  their  mode 
of  administration.  Does  any  one  believe  that  fifty  land- 
lords could  have  thus*  flown  into  the  face  of  a  recent 
enactment,  and  committed  felony  openly,  and  under  cir- 
Qumstances  that  had  rendered  their  intentions  no  secret, 


214  THE   REDSKINS. 

for  a  time  long  enough  to  enable  the  authorities  to  collect 
a  force  sufficient  to  repress  them  ?  My  own  opinion  is, 
that  had  Mr.  Stephen  Rensselaer,  and  Mr.  William  Rens- 
selaer,  and  Mr.  Harry  Livingston,  and  Mr.  John  Hunter, 
and  Mr.  Daniel  Livingston,  and  Mr.  Hugh  Littlepage, 
and  fifty  more  that  I  could  name,  been  caught  armed  and 
disguised,  in  order  to  defend  the  rights  of  property  that  are 
solemnly  guaranteed  in  these  institutions,  of  which  it 
would  seem  to  be  the  notion  of  some  that  it  is  the  "spirit" 
to  dispossess  them,  we  should  all  of  us  have  been  the  in- 
mates of  States'  prisons,  without  legislators  troubling 
themselves  to  pass  laws  for  our  liberation  !  This  is 
another  of  the  extraordinary  features  of  American  aristoc- 
racy, which  almost  deprives  the  noble  of  the  every-day 
use  and  benefit  of  the  law.  It  would  be  worth  our  while 
to  lose  a  moment  in  inquiring  into  the  process  by  which 
such  strange  results  are  brought  about,  but  it  is  fortunately 
rendered  unnecessary  by  the  circumstance  that  the 
principle  will  be  amply  developed  in  the  course  of  the 
narrative. 

A  stranger  could  hardly  have  felt  the  real  character  of 
this  meeting  by  noting  the  air  and  manner  of  those  who 
had  come  to  attend  it.  The  "  armed  and  disguised  "  kept 
themselves  in  a  body,  it  is  true,  and  maintained,  in  a  slight 
degree,  the  appearance  of  distinctness  from  "  the  peo- 
ple," but  many  of  the  latter  stopped  to  speak  to  these  men, 
and  were  apparently  on  good  terms  with  them.  Not  a  few 
of  the  gentler  sex,  even,  appeared  to  have  acquaintances 
in  the  gang  ;  and  it  would  have  struck  a  political  phil- 
osopher from  the  other  hemisphere  with  some  surprise,  to 
have  seen  the  "  people  "  thus  tolerating  fellows  who  were 
openly  trampling  on  a  law  that  the  "people"  themselves 
had  just  enacted  !  A  political  philosopher  from  among 
ourselves,  however,  might  have  explained  the  seeming 
contradiction  by  referring  it  to  the  "spirit  of  the  institu- 
tions." If  one  were  to  ask  Hugh  Littlepage  to  solve  the 
difficulty,  he  would  have  been  very  apt  to  answer  that  the 
"  people  "  of  Ravensnest  wanted  to  compel  him  to  sell 
lands  which  he  did  not  wish  to  sell,  and  that  not  a  few  of 
them  were  anxious  to  add  to  the  compulsory  bargains  con- 
ditions as  to  price  that  would  rob  him  of  about  one-half 
of  his  estate  ;  and  that  what  the  Albany  philosophers  called 
the  "spirit  of  the  institutions,"  was,  in  fact,  a  "spirit  of 
the  devil,"  which  the  institutions  were  expressly  designed 
to  hold  in  subjection  ! 


THE  REDSKINS.  21$ 

There  was  a  good  deal  of  out-door  management  going 
on,  as  might  be  seen  by  the  private  discussions  that  were 
held  between  pairs,  under  what  is  called  the  "  horse-shed- 
ding "  process.  This  "horse-shedding"  process,  I  under- 
stand, is  well  known  among  us,  and  extends  not  only  to 
politics,  but  to  the  administration  of  justice.  Your  reg- 
ular "  horse-shedder "  is  employed  to  frequent  taverns 
where  jurors  stay,  and  drop  hints  before  them  touching 
the  merits  of  causes  known  to  be  on  the  calendars  ;  possi- 
bly contrives  to  get  into  a  room  with  six  or  eight  beds, 
in  which  there  may  accidentally  be  a  juror,  or  even 
two,  in  a  bed,  when  he  drops  into  a  natural  conversation 
on  the  merits  of  some  matter  at  issue,  praises  one  of  the 
parties,  while  he  drops  dark  hints  to  the  prejudice  of  the 
other,  and  makes  his  own  representations  of  the  facts 
in  a  way  to  scatter  the  seed  where  he  is  morally  certain 
It  will  take  root  and  grow.  All  this  time  he  is  not  convers- 
ing with  a  juror,  not  he  ;  he  is  only  assuming  the  office 
of  the  judge  by  anticipation,  and  dissecting  evidence  be- 
fore it  has  been  given,  in  the  ear  of  a  particular  friend. 
It  is  true  there  is  a  law  against  doing  anything  of  the  sort  ; 
it  is  true  there  is  law  to  punish  the  editor  of  a  newspaper 
who  shall  publish  anything  to  prejudice  the  interests  of 
litigants  ;  it  is  true  the  "  horse-shedding  process  "  is  fla- 
grantly wicked,  and  intended  to  destroy  most  of  the  benefits 
of  the  jury  system  ;  but,  notwithstanding  all  this,  the 
" spirit  of  the  institutions"  carries  everything  before  it, 
and  men  regard  all  these  laws  and  provisions,  as  well  as 
the  eternal  principles  of  right,  precisely  as  if  they  had  no 
existence  at  all,  or  as  if  a  freeman  were  above  the  law.  He 
makes  the  law,  and  why  should  he  not  break  it  ?  Here  is 
another  effect  of  the  "spirit  of  the  institutions." 

At  length  the  bell  rang,  and  the  crowd  began  to  move 
toward  the  "  meetin'-'us'."  This  building  was  not  that 
which  had  been  originally  constructed,  and  at  the  raising 
of  which  I  have  heard  it  said,  my  dear  old  grandmother, 
then  a  lovely  and  spirited  girl  of  nineteen,  had  be&n  con- 
spicuous for  her  coolness  and  judgment,  but  a  far  more 
pretending  successor.  The  old  building  had  been  con- 
structed on  the  true  model  of  the  highest  dissenting 
spirit — a  spirit  that  induced  its  advocates  to  quarrel  with 
good  taste  as  well  as  religious  dogmas,  in  order  to  make 
the  chasm  as  wide  as  possible — while  in  this,  some  con- 
cessions had  been  made  to  the  temper  of  the  times.  I 
very  well  remember  the  old  "  meetin'-'us ',"  at  the  "  Little 


216  THE  REDSKINS.. 

Nest,"  for  it  was  pulled  down  to  give  place  to  its  more 
pretending  successor  after  I  had  attained  my  sixteenth 
year.  A  description  of  both  may  let  the  reader  into  the 
secret  of  our  rural  church  architecture. 

The  "old  Neest  meetin'-'us',''  like  its  successor,  was  of 
a  hemlock  frame,  covered  with  pine  clapboards,,  and  painted 
white.  Of  late  years,  the  paint  had  been  of  a  most  fleeting 
quality,  the  oil  seeming  to  evaporate,  instead  of  striking 
in  and  setting,  leaving  the  coloring  matter  in  a  somewhat 
decomposed  condition,  to  rub  off  by  friction  and  wash 
away  in  the  rains.  The  house  was  a  stiff,  formal  parallel- 
ogram, resembling  a  man  with  high  shoulders,  appearing 
to  be  "  stuck  up."  It  had  two  rows  of  formal,  short  and 
ungraceful  windows,  that  being  a  point  in  orthodoxy  at  the 
period  of  its  erection.  It  had  a  tower,  uncouth,  and  in 
some  respects  too  large  and  others  too  small,  if  one  can  rec- 
oncile the  contradiction  ;  but  there  are  anomalies  of  this 
sort  in  art,  as  well  as  in  nature.  On  top  of  this  tower  stood  a 
long-legged  belfry,  which  had  go  ta  very  dangerous,  though 
a  very  common,  propensity  in  ecclesiastical  matters  ;  in  other 
words,  it  had  begun  to  "cant."  It  was  this  diversion  from  the 
perpendicular  which  had  suggested  the  necessity  of  erect- 
ing a  new  edifice,  and  the  building  in  which  the  "lecture" 
on  feudal  tenures  and  aristocracy  was  now  to  be  delivered. 

The  new  meeting-house  at  Little  Nest  was  a  much  more 
pretending  edifice  than  its  predecessor.  It  was  also  of 
wood,  but  a  bold  diverging  from  "first  principles"  had 
been  ventured  on,  not  only  in  the  physical,  but  in  the  moral 
church.  The  last  was  "  new-school  ; "  as,  indeed,  was  the 
first.  What  "new-school"  means,  in  a  spiritual  sense,  I 
do  not  exactly  know,  but  I  suppose  it  to  be  some  improve- 
ment on  some  other  improvement  of  the  more  ancient  and 
venerable  dogmas  of  the  sect  to  which  it  belongs.  These 
improvements  on  improvements  are  rather  common  among 
us,  and  are  favorably  viewed  by  a  great  number  under  the 
name  of  progress  ;  though  he  who  stands  at  a  little  dis- 
tance can,  half  the  time,  discover  that  the  parties  in  prog- 
ress very  often  come  out  at  the  precise  spot  from  which 
they  started. 

For  my  part,  I  find  so  much  wisdom  in  the  Bible — so 
profound  a  knowledge  of  human  nature,  and  of  its  tenden- 
cies— counsel  so  comprehensive  and  so  safe,  and  this  solely 
in  reference  to  the  things  of  this  life,  that  I  do  not  believe 
everything  is  progress  in  the  right  direction  because  it 
sets  us  in  motion  on  paths  that  are  not  two  thousand  years 


THE  REDSKINS.  1*7 

old  !  I  believe  that  we  have  quite  as  much  that  ought  to  be 
kept,  as  of  that  which  ought  to  be  thrown  away  ;  and  while 
I  admit  the  vast  number  of  abuses  that  have  grown  up  in 
the  old  world,  under  the  ''spirit  of  their  institutions,"  as 
our  philosophers  would  say,  I  can  see  a  goodly  number 
that  are  also  growing  up  here,  certainly  not  under  the  same 
"spirit,"  unless  we  refer  them  both,  as  a  truly  wise  man 
would,  to  our  common  and  miserable  nature. 

The  main  departure  from  first  principles,  in  the  sense  of 
material  things,  was  in  the  fact  that  the  new  meeting- 
house had  only  one  row  of  windows,  and  that  the  windows 
of  that  row  had  the  pointed  arch.  The  time  has  been 
when  this  circumstance  would  have  created  a  schism  in  the 
theological  wojrld  ;  and  I  hope  that  my  youth  and  inex- 
perience will  be  pardoned,  if  I  respectfully  suggest  that  a 
pointed  arch,  or  any  other  arch  in  wood,  ought  to  create 
another  in  the  world  of  taste. 

But  in  we  went,  men,  women  and  children  ;  uncle  Ro, 
Mr.  Warren,  Mary,  Seneca,  Opportunity,  and  all,  the  In- 
jins  excepted.  For  some  reason  connected  with  their 
policy,  those  savages  remained  outside,  until  the  whole 
audience  had  assembled  in  grave  silence.  The  orator  was 
in,  or  on,  a  sort  of  stage,  which  was  made,  under  the  new- 
light  system  in  architecture,  to  supersede  the  old,  incon- 
venient, and  ugly  pulpit,  supported  on  each  side  by  two 
divines,  of  what  denomination  I  shall  not  take  on  myself 
to  say.  It  will  be  sufficient  if  I  add,  Mr.  Warren  was  not 
one  of  them.  He  and  Mary  had  taken  their  seats  quite 
near  the  door,  and  under  the  gallery.  I  saw  that  the  rec- 
tor was  uneasy  the  moment  the  lecturer  and  his  two  sup- 
porters entered  the  pulpit  and  appeared  on  the  stage  ;  and 
at  length  he  arose,  and,  followed  by  Mary,  he  suddenly 
left  the  building.  In  an  instant  I  was  at  their  side,  for  it 
struck  me  indisposition  was  the  cause  of  so  strange  a  move- 
ment. Fortunately,  at  this  moment,  the  whole  audience 
rose  in  a  body,  and  one  of  the  ministers  commenced  an  ex- 
tempore prayer. 

At  that  instant,  the  Injins  had  drawn  themselves  up 
aroiwid  the  building,  close  to  its  sides,  and  under  the  open 
windows,  in  a  position  that  enabled  them  to  hear  all  that 
passed.  As  I  afterward  learned,  this  arrangement  was  made 
with  an  understanding  with  those  within,  one  of  the  minis- 
ters having  positively  refused  to  address  the  throne  of  grace 
so  long  as  any  of  the  tribe  were  present.  Well  has  it  been 
said,  that  man  often  strains  at  a  gnat,  and  swallows  a  camel  J 


2:8  THE  REDSKINS. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

"  I  tell  thee,  Jack  Cade,  the  clothier  means  to  dress  the  commonwealth, 
and  turn  it,  and  put  a  new  nap  upon  it." — King  Henry  VT. 

As  I  knew  Mary  must  have  communicated  to  her  father 
my  real  name,  I  did  not  hesitate,  as  I  ought  to  have  done 
in  my  actual  dress  and  in  my  assumed  character,  about 
following  them,  in  order  to  inquire  if  I  could  be  of  any 
service.  I  never  saw  distress  more  strongly  painted  in  any 
man's  countenance  than  it  was  in  that  of  Mr.  Warren,  when 
I  approached.  So  very  obvious,  indeed,  was  his  emotion, 
that  I  did  not  venture  to  obtrude  myself  on  him,  but  fol- 
lowed in  silence  ;  and  he  and  Mary  slowly  walked,  side  by 
side,  across  the  street  to  the  stoop  of  a  house,  of  which  all 
the  usual  inmates  had  probably  gone  in  the  other  direction. 
Here  Mr.  Warren  took  a  seat,  Mary  still  at  his  side,  while 
I  drew  near,  standing  before  him. 

"  I  thank  you,  Mr.  Littlepage,"  the  divine  at  length  said, 
with  a  smile  so  painful  it  was  almost  haggard,  "  for,  so 
Mary  tells  me  you  should  be  called — I  thank  you  for  this 
attention,  sir — but,  it  will  be  over  in  another  minute — I 
feel  better  now,  and  shall  be  able  to  command  myself." 

No  more  was  then  said,  concerning  the  reason  of  this  dis- 
tress ;  but  Mary  has  since  explained  to  me  its  cause.  When 
her  father  went  into  the  meeting-house,  he  had  not  the 
smallest  idea  that  anything  like  a  religious  service  would  be 
dragged  into  the  ceremonies  of  such  a  day.  The  two  min- 
isters on  the  stage  first  gave  him  the  alarm  ;  when  a  most 
painful  struggle  occurred  in  his  mind,  whether  or  not  he 
should  remain,  and  be  a  party  to  the  mockery  of  address- 
ing God  in  prayer,  in  an  assembly  collected  to  set  at 
naught  one  of  the  plainest  of  his  laws — nay,  with  banded 
felons  drawn  up  around  the  building,  as  principal  actors 
in  the  whole  mummery.  The  alternative  was  for  him,  a 
minister  of  the  altar,  to  seem  to  quit  those  who  were  about 
to  join  in  prayer,  and  to  do  this  moreover  under  circum- 
stances which  might  appear  to  others  as  if  he  rejected  all 
worship  but  that  which  was  in  accordance  with  his  own 
views  of  right,  a  notion  that  would  be  certain  to  spread  far 
and  near,  greatly  to  the  prejudice  of  his  own  people.  But 
the  first,  as  he  viewed  the  matter,  involved  a  species  of 
blasphemy  ;  and  yielding  to  his  feelings,  he  took  the  de- 


THE  REDSKINS.  219 

cided  step  he  had,  intending  to  remain  out  of  the  building, 
until  the  more  regular  business  of  the  day  commenced. 

It  is  certain  Mr.  Warren,  who  acted  under  the  best  im- 
pulse of  Christian  feeling,  a  reverence  for  God,  and  a  pro- 
found wish  not  to  be  a  party  in  offending  him  with  the 
mockery  of  worship  under  such  circumstances,  has  lost 
much  influence,  and  made  many  enemies,  by  the  step  he 
then  took.  The  very  same  feeling  which  has  raised  the 
cry  of  aristocracy  against  every  gentleman  who  dwells  in 
sufficiently  near  contact  with  the  masses  to  distinguish  his 
habits  from  those  around  him  ;  which  induces  the  eastern 
emigrant,  who  comes  from  a  state  of  society  where  there 
are  no  landlords,  to  fancy  those  he  finds  here  ought  to  be 
pulled  down,  because  he  is  not  a  landlord  himself  ;  which 
enables  the  legislator  to  stand  up  in  his  place,  and  un- 
blushingly  talk  about  feudal  usages,  at  the  very  instant 
he  is  demonstrating  that  equal  rights  are  denied  to  those 
he  would  fain  stigmatize  as  feudal  lords,  has  extended  to 
religion,  and  the  Church  of  which  Mr.  Warren  was  a  min- 
ister, is  very  generally  accused  of  being  aristocratic,  too  ! 
This  charge  is  brought  because  it  has  claims  which  other 
Churches  affect  to  renounce  and  reject  as  forming  no  part 
of  the  faith  ;  but  the  last  cannot  remain  easy  under  their 
own  decision  ;  and  while  they  shout,  and  sing  that  they 
have  found  "a  Church  without  a  bishop,"  they  hate  the 
Church  that  has  a  bishop,  because  it  has  something  they  do 
not  possess  themselves,  instead  of  pitying  its  deluded 
members,  if  they  believe  them  wrong.  This  will  not  be 
admitted  generally,  but  it  is  nevertheless  true  ;  and  betrays 
itself  in  a  hundred  ways.  It  is  seen  in  the  attempt  to  call 
their  own  priests  bishops,  in  the  feeling  so  manifest  when- 
ever a  cry  can  be  raised  against  their  existence,  and  in  the 
general  character  of  these  theological  rallies,  whenever 
they  do  occur. 

For  one,  I  see  a  close  analogy  between  my  own  Church, 
as  it  exists  in  this  country,  and  comparing  it  with  that  from 
which  it  sprung,  and  to  those  which  surround  it,  and  the 
true  political  circumstances  of  the  two  hemispheres.  In 
discarding  a  vast  amount  of  surplusage,  in  reducing  the 
orders  of  the  ministry,  in  practice  as  well  as  in  theory,  to 
their  primitive  number,  three,  and  in  rejecting  all  con- 
nection with  the  state,  the  American  branch  of  the  Episco- 
pal Church  has  assumed  the  position  it  was  desirous  to 
fill ;  restoring,  as  near  as  may  be,  the  simplicity  of  the 
apostolical  ages,  while  it  does  not  disregard  the  precepts 


220  THE  REDSKINS. 

and  practices  of  the  apostles  themselves.  It  has  not  set 
itself  above  antiquity  and  authority,  but  merely  endeav- 
ored to  sustain  them,  without  the  encumbrances  of  more 
modern  abuses.  Thus,  too,  has  it  been  in  political  things. 
No  attempt  has  been  made  to  create  new  organic  social 
distinctions  in  this  country,  but  solely  to  disencumber 
those  that  are  inseparable  from  the  existence  of  all  civil- 
ized society,  of  the  clumsy  machinery  with  which  the  ex- 
pedients of  military  oppressors  had  invested  them.  The 
real  sages  of  this  country,  in  founding  its  institutions,  no 
more  thought  of  getting  rid  of  the  landlords  of  the  coun- 
try, than  the  Church  thought  of  getting  rid  of  its  bishops. 
The  first  knew  that  the  gradations  of  property  were  an  in- 
evitable incident  of  civilization  ;  that  it  would  not  be  wise, 
if  it  were  possible,  to  prevent  the  affluent  from  making 
large  investments  in  the  soil ;  and  that  this  could  not  be 
done  in  practice,  without  leaving  the  relation  of  landlord 
and  tenant.  Because  landlords,  in  other  parts  of  the  world, 
possessed  privileges  that  were  not  necessary  to  the  natural 
or  simple  existence  of  the  character,  was  no  reason  for 
destroying  the  character  itself;  any  more  than  the  fact  that 
the  bishops  of  England  possess  an  authority  the  apostles 
knew  nothing  of.  rendered  it  proper  for  the  American 
branch  of  the  Church  to  do  away  with  an  office  that  came 
from  the  apostles.  But  envy  and  jealousy  do  not  pause  to 
reflect  on  such  things  ;  it  is  enough  for  them,  in  the  one 
case,  that  you  and  yours  have  estates  and  occupy  social 
positions,  that  I  and  mine  do  not,  and  cannot  easily,  occupy 
and  possess  ;  therefore  I  will  oppose  you,  and  join  my  voice 
to  the  cry  of  those  who  wish  to  get  their  farms  for  noth- 
ing ;  and  in  the  other,  that  you  have  bishops  when  we  can 
have  none,  without  abandoning  our  present  organization 
and  doctrines. 

I  dwell  on  these  points  at  some  little  length,  because  the 
movement  of  Mr.  Warren  and  myself,  at  that  moment,  had 
a  direct  influence  on  the  circumstances  that  will  soon  be 
related.  It  is  probable  that  fully  one-half  of  those  collected 
in  the  Little  Nest  meeting-house,  that  morning,  as  they 
stood  up,  and  lent  a  sort  of  one-sided  and  listless  attention 
to  the  prayer,  were  thinking  of  the  scandalous  and  aristo- 
cratical  conduct  of  Mr.  Warren,  in  "goin'  out  o'  meetin' 
just  as  meetin'  went  to  prayers  !  "  Few,  indeed,  were  they 
who  would  be  likely  to  ascribe  any  charitable  motive  for 
the  act  ;  and  probably  not  one  of  those  present  thought  of 
the  true  and  conscientious  feeling  that  had  induced  it, 


THE   REDSKINS.  221 

So  the  world  wags  !  It  is  certain  that  a  malignant  and 
bitter  feeling  was  got  up  against  the  worthy  rector  on  that 
occasion,  and  for  that  act,  which  has  not  yet  abated,  and 
which  will  not  abate  in  many  hundreds,  until  the  near  ap- 
proach of  death  shall  lay  bare  to  them  the  true  character 
of  so  many  of  their  own  feelings. 

It  was  some  minutes  before  Mr.  Warren  entirely  re- ' 
gained  his  composure.  At  length  he  spoke  to  me,  in  his 
usual  benevolent  and  mild  way,  saying  a  few  words  that 
were  complimentary,  on  the  subject  of  my  return,  while  he 
expressed  his  fears  that  my  uncle  Ro  and  myself  had  been 
imprudent  in  thus  placing  ourselves,  as  it  might  be,  in  the 
lion's  jaws. 

"  You  have  certainly  made  your  disguises  so  complete," 
he  added,  smiling,  "  as  to  have  escaped  wonderfully  well 
so  far.  That  you  should  deceive  Mary  and  myself  is  no 
great  matter,  since  neither  of  us  ever  saw  you  before  ;  but, 
the  manner  in  which  your  nearest  relatives  have  been  mis- 
led, is  surprising.  Nevertheless,  you  have  every  inducement 
to  be  cautious,  for  hatred  and  jealousy  have  a  penetration 
that  does  not  belong  even  to  love." 

"We  think  we  are  safe,  sir,"  I  answered,  "for  we  are 
certainly  within  the  statute.  We  are  too  well  aware  of  our 
miserable  aristocratical  condition  to  place  ourselves  within 
the  grasp  of  the  law,  for  such  are  our  eminent  privileges 
as  a  landed  nobility,  that  we  are  morally  certain  either  of 
us  would  not  only  be  sent  to  the  State's  prison  were  he  to 
be  guilty  of  the  felony  those  Injins  are  committing,  and 
will  commit,  with  a  perfect  impunity,  but  that  he  would  be 
kept  there,  as  long  as  a  single  tear  of  anguish  could  be 
wrung  from  one  of  those  who  are  classed  with  the  aristoc- 
racy. Democracy  alone  finds  any  sympathy  in  the  ordi- 
nary administration  of  American  justice." 

"  I  am  afraid  that  your  irony  has  only  too  much  truth 
in  it.  But  the  movement  around  the  building  would  seem 
to  say  that  the  real  business  of  the  day  is  about  to  com- 
mence, and  we  had  better  return  to  the  church." 

"  Those  men  in  disguise  are  watching  us,  in  a  most  un- 
pleasant and  alarming  manner,"  said  Mary  Warren,  de- 
lighting me  far  more  by  the  vigilance  she  thus  manifested 
in  my  behalf,  than  alarming  me  by  the  fact. 

That  we  were  watched,  however,  became  obviously  ap- 
parent, as  we  walked  toward  the  building,  by  the  actions 
of  some  of  the  Injins.  They  had  left  the  side  of  the  church 
where  they  had  posted  themselves  during  the  prayer,  and 


222  THE  REDSKIN'S. 

\ 

head  was  going  to  head,  among  those  nearest  to  us  ;  or,  it 
would  be  nearer  to  appearances,  were  I  to  say  bunch  of 
calico  was  going  to  bunch  of  calico,  for  nothing  in  the 
form  of  a  head  was  visible  among  them.  Nothing  was 
said  to  Mr.  Warren  and  Mary,  however,  who  were  permitted 
to  go  into  the  meeting-house,  unmolested  ;  but  two  of 
*these  disguised  gentry  placed  themselves  before  me,  laying 
their  rifles  across  my  path,  and  completely  intercepting  my 
advance. 

"  Who  you  ? "  abruptly  demanded  one  of  the  two  ; — 
"  where  go — where  come  from  ? " 

The  answer  was  ready,  and  I  trust  was  sufficiently  steady. 

"  I  coomes  from  Charmany,  und  1  goes  into  der  kerch, 
as  deysay  in  mine  coontry  ;  what  might  be  callet  a  meetin'- 
'us,  here." 

What  might  have  followed,  it  is  not  easy  to  say,  had  not 
the  loud,  declamatory  voice  of  the  lecturer  just  then  been 
heard,  as  he  commenced  his  address.  This  appeared  to  be 
a  signal  for  the  tribe  to  make  some  movement,  for  the  two 
fellows  who  had  stopped  me,  walked  silently  away,  though 
bag  of  calico  went  to  bag  of  calico,  as  they  trotted  off  to- 
gether, seemingly  communicating  to  each  other  their  sus- 
picions. I  took  advantage  of  the  opening,  and  passed  into 
the  church,  where  I  worked  my  way  through  the  throng, 
and  got  a  seat  at  my  uncle's  side. 

I  have  neither  time,  room,  nor  inclination  to  give  any- 
thing like  an  analysis  of  the  lecture.  The  speaker  was 
fluent,  inflated,  and  anything  but  logical.  Not  only  did  he 
contradict  himself,  but  he  contradicted  the  laws  of  nature. 
The  intelligent  reader  will  not  require  to  be  reminded  of 
the  general  character  of  a  speech  that  was  addressed  to  the 
passions  and  interests  of  such  an  audience,  rather  than  to 
their  reason.  He  commented,  at  first,  on  the  particular 
covenants  of  the  leases  on  the  old  estates  of  the  colony, 
alluding  to  the  quarter-sales,  chickens,-  days'  work,  and 
durable  tenures,  in  the  customary  way.  The  reservation 
of  the  mines,  too,  was  mentioned  as  a  tyrannical  covenant, 
precisely  as  if  a  landlord  were  obliged  to  convey  any  more 
of  the  rights  that  were  vested  in  him,  than  he  saw  fit  ;  or 
the  tenant  could  justly  claim  more  than  he  had  hired  !  This 
man  treated  all  these  branches  of  the  subject,  as  if  the  ten- 
ants had  acquired  certain  mysterious  interests  by  tjme  and 
occupation,  overlooking  the  fact  that  the  one  party  got  just 
as  good  a  title  as  the  other  by  this  process  ;  the  lease  being 
the  instrument  between  them,  that  was  getting  to  be  ven- 


THE  REDSKINS.  223 

erable.  If  one  party  grew  old  as  a  tenant,  so  did  the  other 
as  a  landlord.  I  thought  that  this  lecturer  would  have 
been  glad  to  confine  himself  to  the  Manor  leases,  that  being 
the  particular  branch  of  the  subject  he  had  been  accus- 
tomed to  treat ;  but,  such  was  not  the  precise  nature  of  the 
job  he  was  now  employed  to  execute.  At  Ravensnest,  he 
could  not  flourish  the  feudal  grievance  of  the  quarter-sales, 
the  "four  fat  fowls,"  the  "  days'  works,"  and  the  length  of 
the  leases.  Here  it  was  clearly  his  cue  to  say  nothing  of 
the  three  first,  and  to  complain  of  the  shortness  of  the  leases, 
as  mine  were  about  to  fall  in,  in  considerable  numbers. 
Finding  it  was  necessary  to  take  new  ground,  he  deter- 
mined it  should  be  bold  ground,  and  such  as  would  give 
him  the  least  trouble  to  get  along  with. 

As  soon  as  the  lecturer  had  got  through  with  his  general 
heads,  and  felt  the  necessity  of  coming  down  to  particu- 
lars, he  opened  upon  the  family  of  Littlepage,  in  a  very 
declamatory  way.  What  had  they  ever  done  for  the  coun- 
try, he  demanded,  that  they  should  be  lords  in  the  land  ? 
By  some  process  known  to  himself,  he  had  converted  land- 
lords into  lords  in  the  land,  and  was  now  aiming  to  make 
the  tenants  occupy  the  latter  station — nay,  both  stations. 
Of  course,  some  services  of  a  public  character,  of  which 
the  Littlepages  might  boast,  were  not  touched  upon  at  all, 
everything  of  that  nature  being  compressed  into  what  the 
lecturer  and  his  audience  deemed  serving  the  people,  by 
helping  to  indulge  them  in  all  their  desires,  however  rapa- 
cious or  wicked.  As  everybody  who  knows  anything  of 
the  actual  state  of  matters  among  us,  must  be  aware  how 
rarely  the  "  people  "  hear  the  truth,  when  their  own  power 
and  interests  are  in  question,  it  is  not  surprising  that  a 
very  shallow  reasoner  was  enabled  to  draw  wool  over  the 
eyes  of  the  audience  of  Ravensnest  on  that  particular  sub- 
ject. 

But  my  interest  was  most  awakened  when  this  man  came 
to  speak  of  myself.  It  is  not  often  that  a  man  enjoys  the 
same  opportunity  as  that  I  then  possessed  to  hear  his  own 
character  delineated,  and  his  most  private  motives  analyzed. 
In  the  first  place,  the  audience  were  told  that  this  "young 
Hugh  Littlepage  had  never  done  anything  for  the  land 
that  he  proudly,  and  like  a  great  European  noble,  calls  his 
1  estate.'  Most  of  you,  fellow-citizens,  can  show  your  hard 
hands,  and  recall  the  burning  suns  under  which  you  hav?e 
opened  the  swath,  through  those  then  lovely  meadows 
yonder,  as  your  titles  to  these  farms.  But  Hugh  Littlepage 


224  THE  REDSKINS. 

never  did  a  day's  work  in  his  life  " — ten  minutes  before  he 
had  been  complaining  of  the  "  days'  work  "  in  the  Manor 
leases  as  indignities  that  a  freeman  ought  not  to  submit  to 
— "  no,  fellow-citizens,  he  never  had  that  honor,  and  never 
will  have  it,  until  by  a  just  division  of  his  property,  or 
what  he  now  calls  his  property,  you  reduce  him  to  the 
necessity  of  laboring  to  raise  the  crops  he  wants  to  con- 
sume." 

"  Where  is  this  Hugh  Littlepage  at  this  very  moment  ? 
In  Paris,  squandering  your  hard  earnings  in  riotous  living, 
according  to  the  best  standards  of  aristocracy.  He  lives 
in  the  midst  of  abundance,  dresses  richly  and  fares  richly, 
while  you  and  yours  are  eating  the  sweat  of  your  brows. 
He  is  no  man  for  a  pewter  spoon  and  two-pronged  fork  ! 
No,  my  countrymen  !  He  must  have  a  gold  spoon  for  some 
of  his  dishes,  and  you  will  find  it  hard  to  believe — plain, 
unpretending,  republican  farmers  as  you  are,  but  it  is  not 
the  less  true — he  must  have  forks  of  silver  f  Fellow-citi- 
zens, Hugh  Littlepage  would  not  put  his  knife  into  his 
mouth,  as  you  and  I  do,  in  eating — as  all  plain,  unpre- 
tending republicans  do — for  the  world.  It  would  choke 
him  ;  no,  he  keeps  stiver  forks  to  touch  his  anointed  lips!" 
Here  there  was  an  attempt  to  get  up  something  like  ap- 
plause, but  it  totally  failed.  The  men  of  Ravensnest  had 
been  accustomed  all  their  lives  to  see  the  Littlepages  in 
the  social  station  they  occupied  ;  and,  after  all,  it  did  not 
seem  so  very  extraordinary  that  we  should  have  silver 
forks,  any  more  than  that  others  should  have  silver  spoons. 
The  lecturer  had  the  tact  to  see  that  he  had  failed  on  this 
point  and  he  turned  to  another. 

The  next  onset  was  made  against  our  title.  Whence 
did  it  come  ?  demanded  the  lecturer.  From  the  King  of 
England  ;  and  the  people  had  conquered  the  country  from 
that  sovereign,  and  put  themselves  in  his  place.  Now,  is 
it  not  a  good  principle  in  politics,  that  to  the  victors  be- 
long the  spoils  ?  He  believed  it  was  ;  and  that  in  con- 
quering America,  he  was  of  opinion  that  the  people  of 
America  had  conquered  the  land,  and  that  they  had  a 
right  to  take  the  land,  and  to  keep  it.  Titles  from  kings 
he  did  not  respect  much  ;  and  he  believed  the  American 
people,  generally,  did  not  think  much  of  them.  If  Hugh 
Littlepage  wished  an  "  estate,"  as  he  called  it,  let  him  come 
to  the  people  and  "  starve  them"  and  see  what  sort  of  an 
estate  they  \vould  give  him. 

But  there  was  one  portion  of  his  speech  which  was  so 


THE  REDSKIN'S,  vt$ 

remarkable,  that  I  must  attempt  to  give  it  as  it  was  ut- 
tered. It  was  while  the  lecturer  was  expatiating  on  this 
subject  of  titles,  that  he  broke  out  in  the  following  lan- 
guage : — "  Don't  talk  to  me,"  he  bellowed — for  by  this 
time  his  voice  had  risen  to  the  pitch  of  a  Methodist's  in  a 
camp-meeting — "  Don't  talk  to  me  of  antiquity,  and  time, 
and  length  of  possession,  as  things  to  be  respected.  They're 
nawthin' — jest  nawthin'  at  all.  Possession's  good  in  law, 
I'll  admit ;  and  I  contind  that's  jest  what  the  tenants  has. 
They've  got  the  lawful  possession  of  this  very  property, 
that  layeth  (not  eggs,  but)  up  and  down,  far  and  near,  and 
all  around  ;  a  rich  and  goodly  heritage,  when  divided  up 
among  hard-working  and  honest  folks  ;  but  too  much,  by 
tens  of  thousands  of  acres,  for  a  young  chap,  who  is  wast- 
ing his  substance  in  foreign  lands,  to  hold.  I  contind 
that  the  tenants  has  this  very  precise,  lawful  possession, 
ut  this  blessed  moment,  only  the  law  won't  let  'em  enj'y  it. 
it's  all  owing  to  that  accursed  law,  that  the  tenant  can't 
4et  up  a  title  ag'in  his  landlord.  You  see  by  this  one  fact, 
fellow-citizens,  that  they  are  a  privileged  class,  and  ought 
to  be  brought  down  to  the  level  of  gin'ral  humanity.  You 
can  set  up  title  ag'in  anybody  else,  but  you  shan't  set  up 
title  ag'in  a  landlord.  I  know  what  is  said  in  the  primisis," 
shaking  his  head,  in  derision  of  any  arguments  on  the 
other  side  of  this  particular  point ;  "  I  know  that  circum- 
stances alter  cases.  I  can  see  the  hardship  of  one  neigh- 
bor's coming  to  another,  and  asking  to  borrow  or  hire  his 
horse  for  a  day,  and  then  pretendin'  to  hold  him  on  some 
other  ketch.  But  horses  isn't  land  ;  you  must  all  allow  that. 
No,  if  horses  was  land,  the  case  would  be  altered.  Land  is 
an  element,  and  so  is  fire,  and  so  is  water,  and  so  is  air.  Now 
who  will  say  that  a  freeman  hasn't  a  right  to  air,  hasn't  a 
right  to  water,  and,  on  the  same  process,  hasn't  a  right  to 
land?  He  /ias,  fellow-citizens — he  has.  These  are  what  are 
called  in  philosophy  elementary  rights  ;  which  is  the  same 
thing  as  a  right  to  the  elements,  of  which  land  is  one,  and 
a  principal  one.  I  say  a  principal  one  ;  for,  if  there  was 
no  land  to  stand  on,  we  should  drop  away  from  air,  and 
couldn't  enj'y  that ;  we  should  lose  all  our  water  in  vapor, 
and  couldn't  put  it  to  millin'  and  manafacterin'  purposes  ; 
and  where  could  we  build  our  fires  ?  •  No  ;  land  is  \\\Q  first 
elementary  right,  and  connected  with  it  comes  the  first 
and  most  sacred  right  to  the  elements. 

"  I  do  not  altogether  disregard  antiquity,  neither.     No  ; 
I  respect  and  revere  pre-emption  rights  ;  for  they  fortify 

15 


226  THE  REDSKINS. 

and  sustain  the  right  to  the  elements.  Now  I  do  not  con- 
demn squattin'  as  some  does.  It's  actin'  accordin'  to  natur', 
and  natur'  is  right.  I  respect  and  venerate  a  squatter's 
possession  ;  for  it's  held  under  the  sacred  principle  of  use- 
fulness. It  says,  'Go  and  make  the  wilderness  blossom  as 
the  rose,'  and  means  '  progress.'  That's  an  antiquity  I  re- 
spect. I  respect  the  antiquity  of  your  possessions  here, 
as  tenants  ;  for  it  is  a  hard-working  and  useful  antiquity — 
an  antiquity  that  increases  and  multiplies.  If  it  be  said 
that  Hugh  Littlepage's  ancestors — your  noble  has  his  'an- 
cestors,' while  us  'common  folks'  are  satisfied  with  fore- 
fathers " — [this  hit  took  with  a  great  many  present,  raising 
a  very  general  laugh] — "but  if  this  Hugh's  ancestors  did 
pay  anything  for  the  land,  if  I  was  you,  fellow-citizens,  I'd 
be  gin'rous,  and  let  him  have  it  back  ag'in.  Perhaps  his 
forefathers  gave  a  cent  an  acre  to  the  king — may  be  two  ; 
or  say  sixpence,  if  you  will.  I'd  let  him  have  his  sixpence 
an  acre  back  again,  by  way  of  shutting  his  mouth.  No  ; 
I'm  for  nawthin'  that's  ungin'rous. 

"  Fellow-citizens,  I  profess  to  be  what  is  called  a  demo- 
crat. I  know  that  many  of  you  be  what  is  called  whigs  ; 
but  I  apprehend  there  isn't  much  difference  between  us  on 
the  subject  of  this  system  of  leasing  land.  We  are  all  re- 
publicans, and  leasing  farms  is  anti-republican.  Then,  I 
wish  to  be  liberal  even  to  them  I  commonly  oppose  at 
elections,  and  I  will  freely  admit,  then,  on  the  whull,  the 
whigs  have  rather  outdone  us  democrats,  on  the  subject  of 
this  anti-rentism.  I  am  sorry  to  be  obliged  to  own  in  it, 
but  it  must  be  confessed  that,  while  in  the  way  of  gov- 
ernors there  hasn't  been  much  difference — yes,  put  'em  in 
a  bag,  and  shake  'em  up,  and  you'd  hardly  know  which 
would  come  out  first — which  has  done  himself  the  most 
immortal  honor,  which  has  shown  himself  the  most  com- 
prehensive, profound,  and  safe  statesman  ;  I  know  that 
some  of  our  people  complain  of  the  governors  for  order- 
ing out  troops  ag'in  the  Injins,  but  they  could  not  help  that 
— they  wouldn't  have  done  it,  in  my  judgment,  had  there 
been  any  way  of  getting  round  it  ;  but  the  law  was  too 
strong  for  them,  so  they  druv'  in  the  Injins,  and  now  they 
join  us  in  putting  down  aristocracy,  and  in  raising  up 
gin'ral  humanity.  No  ;  I  don't  go  ag'in  the  governors, 
though  many  does. 

"  But  I  profess  to  be  a  democrat,  and  I'll  give  an  outline 
of  my  principles,  that  all  may  see  why  they  can't,  and 
aon't,  and  never  will  agree  with  aristocracy  or  nobility,  in 


THE   REDSKINS.  227 

any  form  or  shape.  I  believe  one  man  is  as  good  as  an- 
other in  all  things.  Neither  birth,  nor  law,  nor  edication, 
nor  riches,  nor  poverty,  nor  anything  else,  can  ever  make 
any  difference  in  this  principle,  which  is  sacred  and  funda- 
mental, and  is  the  chief  stone  of  the  corner  in  true  democ- 
racy. One  man  is  as  good  as  another,  I  say,  and  has  just 
the  same  right  to  the  enj'yrnent  of  'arth  and  its  privileges, 
as  any  other  man.  I  think  the  majority  ought  to  rule  in 
all  things,  and  that  it  is  the  duty  of  the  minority  to  sub- 
mit. Now  I've  had  this  here  sentiment  thrown  back  upon 
me,  in  some  places  where  I  have  spoken,  and  been  asked, 
'how  is  this — the  majority  must  rule,  and  the  minority 
must  submit — in  that  case,  the  minority  isn't  as  good  as  the 
majority  in  practice,  and  hasn't  the  same  right.  They  are 
made  to  own  what  they  think  ought  not  to  be  done  ?'  The 
answer  to  this  is  SQ  plain,  I  wonder  a  sensible  man  can  ask 
the  question,  for  all  the  minority  has  to  do,  is  to  join  the 
majority,  to  have  things  as  they  want  'em.  The  road  is  free, 
and  it  is  this  open  road  that  makes  true  liberty.  Any  man 
can  faU  in  with  the  majority,  and  sensible  folks  commonly 
do,  when  they  can  find  it,  and  that  makes  a  person  not 
only  a  man,  as  the  saying  is,  but  a  FREEMAN,  a  still  more 
honorable  title. 

"  Fellow-citizens,  a  great  movement  is  in  progress.  '  Go 
ahead  ! '  is  the  cry,  and  the  march  is  onward  ;  our  thoughts 
already  fly  about  on  the  wings  of  the  lightning,  and  our 
bodies  move  but  little  slower,  on  the  vapor  of  steam — soon 
our  principles  will  rush  ahead  of  all,  and  let  in  the  radiance 
of  a  glorious  day  of  universal  reform,  and  loveliness,  and 
virtue  and  charity,  when  the  odious  sound  of  rent  will  never 
be  heard,  when  every  man  will  sit  down  under  his  own 
apple,  or  cherry  tree,  if  not  under  his  own  fig-tree. 

"  I  am  a  democrat — yes,  a  democrat.  Glorious  appella- 
tion !  I  delight  in  it  !  It  is  my  pride,  my  boast,  my  very 
virtue.  Let  but  the  people  truly  rule,  and  all  must  come 
well.  The  people  has  no  temptation  to  do  wrong.  If  they 
hurt  the  State,  they  hurt  themselves,  for  they  are  the  State. 
Is  a  man  likely  to  hurt  himself  ?  Equality  is  my  axiom. 
Nor,  by  equality,  do  I  mean  your  narrow  pitiful  equality 
before  the  law,  as  it  is  sometimes  tarmed,  for  that  may  be 
no  equality  at  all ;  but  I  mean  an  equality  that  is  substan- 
tial, and  which  must  be  restored,  when  the  working  of  the 
law  has  deranged  it.  Fellow-citizens,  do  you  know  what 
leap-year  means  ?  I  dare  say  some  of  you  don't,  the  ladies 
in  partic'lar  not  giving  much  attention  to  astronomy.  Well, 


228  THE   REDSKINS. 

I  have  inquired,  and  it  is  this  :  The  'arth  revolves  around 
the  sun  in  a  year,  as  we  all  know.  And  we  count  three 
hundred  and  sixty-five  days  in  a  year,  we  all  know.  But 
the  'arth  is  a  few  hours  longer  than  three  hundred  and 
sixty-five  days  in  making  its  circuit — nearly  six  hours 
longer.  Now  everybody  knows  that  four  times  six  makes 
twenty-four,  and  so  a  twenty-ninth  day  is  put  into  Febru- 
ary, every  fourth  year,  to  restore  the  lost  time  ;  another 
change  being  to  be  made  a  long  distance  ahead  to  settle 
the  fractions.  Thus  will  it  be  with  democracy.  Human 
natur'  can't  devise  laws  yet,  that  will  keep  all  things  on  an 
exactly  equal  footing,  and  political  leap-years  must  be  in- 
troduced into  the  political  calendar,  to  restore  the  equilib- 
rium. In  astronomy  we  must  divide  up  anew  the  hours 
and  minutes  ;  in  humanity,  we  must,  from  time  to  time, 
divide  up  the  land." 

But  I  cannot  follow  this  inflated  fool  any  longer  ;  for  he 
was  quite  as  much  of  fool  as  of  knave,  though  partaking 
largely  of  the  latter  character.  It  was  plain  that  he  car- 
ried many  of  his  notions  much  further  than  a  good  portion 
of  his  audience  carried  theirs  ;  though,  whenever  he 
touched  upon  anti-rentism,  he  hit  a  chord  that  vibrated 
through  the  whole  assembly.  That  the  tenants  ought  to 
own  their  farms,  and  pay  no  more  rents,  AND  POCKET 

ALL  THE  BENEFITS  OF  THEIR  OWN  PREVIOUS  LABORS,  THOUGH 
THESE  LABORS  HAD  BEEN  CONSIDERED  IN  THE  EARLIER  RENTS, 
AND  WERE,  INDEED,  STILL  CONSIDERED  IN  THE  LOW  RATES 

AT  WHICH  THE  LANDS  WERE  LET,  was  a  doctrine  all  could 
understand  ;  and  few  were  they,  I  am  sorry  to  say,  who 
did  not  betray  how  much  self-love  and  self-interest  had 
obscured  the  sense  of  right. 

The  lecture,  such  as  it  was,  lasted  more  than  two  hours  ; 
and  when  it  was  done,  an  individual  rose,  in  the  character 
of  a  chairman — when  did  three  Americans  ever  get  together 
to  discuss  anything,  that  they  had  not  a  chairman  and  sec- 
retary, and  all  the  parliamentary  forms  ? — and  invited  any 
one  present,  who  might  entertain  views  different  from  the 
speaker,  to  give  his  opinion.  Never  before  did  I  feel  so 
tempted  to  speak  in  public.  My  first  impulse  was  to  throw 
away  the  wig,  and  come  out  in  my  own  person,  and  ex- 
pose the  shallow  trash  that  had  just  been  uttered.  I  be- 
lieve even  I,  unaccustomed  as  I  was  to  public  speaking, 
could  easily  have  done  this,  and  I  whispered  as  much  to 
my  uncle,  who  was  actually  on  his  feet,  to  perform  the 
office  for  me,  when  the  sound  of  "  Mr.  Chairman,"  from  a. 


THE   REDSKINS.  229 

different  part  of  the  church,  anticipated  him.  Looking 
round,  I  recognized  at  once  the  face  of  the  intelligent  me- 
chanic, named  Hall,  whom  we  had  met  at  Mooseridge,  on 
our  way  to  the  Nest.  I  took  my  seat  at  once,  perfectly 
satisfied  that  the  subject  was  in  good  hands. 

This  speaker  commenced  with  great  moderation,  both  of 
manner  and  tone,  and,  indeed,  he  preserved  them  through- 
out. His  utterance,  accent,  and  language,  of  course,  were 
all  tinctured  by  his  habits  and  associations  ;  but  his  good 
sense  and  his  good  principles  were  equally  gifts  from  above. 
More  of  the  "true  image  of  his  Maker"  was  to  be  found 
in  that  one  individual  than  existed  in  fifty  common  men. 
He  saw  clearly,  spoke  clearly,  and  demonstrated  effectively. 
As  he  was  well  known  in  that  vicinity  and  generally  re- 
spected, he  was  listened  to  with  profound  attention,  and 
spoke  like  a  man  who  stood  in  no  dread  of  tar  and  feathers. 
Had  the  same  sentiments  been  delivered  by  one  in  a  fine 
coat,  and  a  stranger,  or  even  by  myself,  who  had  so  much 
at  stake,  very  many  of  them  would  have  been  incontinently 
set  down  as  aristocratic,  and  not  to  be  tolerated,  the  most 
sublimated  lover  of  equality  occasionally  falling  into  these 
little  contradictions. 

Hall  commenced  by  reminding  the  audience  that  they 
all  knew  him,  and  knew  he  was  no  landlord.  He  was  a 
mechanic,  and  a  laboring  man,  like  most  of  themselves, 
and  had  no  interest  that  could  be  separated  from  the  gen- 
eral good  of  society.  This  opening  was  a  little  homage  to 
prejudice,  since  reason  is  reason,  and  right  right,  let  them 
come  whence  they  will.  "  I,  too,  am  a  democrat,"  he  went 
on  to  say,  "but  I  do  not  understand  democracy  to  mean 
anything  like  that  which  has  been  described  by  the  last 
speaker.  I  tell  that  gentleman  plainly,  that  if  he  is  a  dem- 
ocrat, I  am  none,  and  if  I  am  a  democrat,  he  is  none.  By 
democracy  I  understand  a  government  in  which  the  sov- 
ereign power  resides  in  the  body  of  the  nation  ;  and  not  in 
a  few,  or  in  one.  But  this  principle  no  more  gives  the 
body  of  the  people  authority  to  act  wrong,  than  in  a  mon- 
archy, in  which  the  sovereign  power  resides  in  one  man, 
that  one  man  has  a  right  to  act  wrong.  By  equality,  I  do 
not  understand  anything  more  than  equality  before  the 
law — now  if  the  law  had  said  that  when  the  late  Malbone 
Littlepage  died,  his  farms  should  go  not  to  his  next  of  kin, 
or  to  his  devisee,  but  to  his  neighbors,  then  that  would 
have  been  the  law  to  be  obeyed,  although  it  would  b£  a 
law  destructive  of  civilization,  since  men  wrould  never  ac- 


230  THE  REDSKINS. 

cumulate  property  to  go  to  the  public.  Something  nearer 
home  is  necessary  to  make  men  work,  and  deny  themselves 
what  they  like. 

"  The  gentleman  has  told  us  of  a  sort  of  a  political  leap- 
year  that  is  to  regulate  the  social  calendar.  I  understand 
him  to  mean  that  when  property  has  got  to  be  unequal,  it 
must  be  divided  up,  in  order  that  men  may  make  a  new 
start.  I  fear  he  will  have  to  dispense  with  leap-years,  and 
come  to  leap-months,  or  leap-weeks,  ay,  or  even  to  leap- 
days  ;  for,  was  the  property  of  this  township  divided  up 
this  very  morning,  and  in  this  meetin'-'us,  it  would  get  to 
be  unequal  before  night.  Some  folks  can't  keep  money 
when  they  have  it ;  and  others  can't  keep  their  hands 
off  it. 

"  Then,  again,  if  Hugh  Littlepage's  property  is  to  be 
divided,  the  property  of  all  of  Hugh  Littlepage's  neighbors 
ought  to  be  divided  too,  to  make  even  an  appearance  of 
equality  ;  though  it  would  be  but  an  appearance  of  equality, 
admitting  that  were  done,  since  Hugh  Littlepage  has  more 
than  all  the  rest  of  the  town  put  together.  Yes,  fellow- 
citizens,  Hugh  Littlepage  pays,  at  this  moment,  one-twen- 
tieth of  the  taxes  of  this  whole  county.  That  is  about  the 
proportion  of  Ravensnest  ;  and  that  tax,  in  reality,  comes 
out  of  his  pockets,  as  much  as  the  greater  part  of  the  taxes 
of  Rensselaer  and  Albany  Counties,  if  you  will  except  the 
cities  they  contain,  are  paid  by  the  Rensselaers.  It  wun't 
do  to  tell  me  the  tenants  pay  the  taxes,  for  I  know  better. 
We  all  know  that  the  probable  amount  of  the  taxes  is  esti- 
mated in  the  original  bargain,  and  is  so  much  deducted 
from  the  rent,  and  comes  out  of  the  landlord  if  it  comes 
out  of  anybody.  There  is  a  good  reason  why  the  tenant 
should  pay  it,  and  a  reason  that  is  altogether  in  his  inter- 
est; because  the  law  would  make  his  oxen,  and  horses,  and 
carts  liable  for  the  taxes,  should  the  landlord  neglect  to 
pay  the  taxes.  The  collector  always  sells  personals  for  a 
tax  if  he  can  find  them  on  the  property  ;  and  by  deducting 
it  from  the  rent,  and  paying  it  himself,  the  tenant  makes 
himself  secure  against  that  loss.  To  say  that  a  tenant 
don't  take  any  account  of  the  taxes  he  will  be  likely  to  pay, 
in  making  his  bargain,  is  as  if  one  should  say  he  is  non 
com.,  and  not  fit  to  be  trusted  with  his  own  affairs.  There 
are  men  in  this  community,  I  am  sorry  to  say,  who  wish  a 
law  passed  to  tax  the  rents  on  durable  leases,  or  on  all 
leases,  in  order  to  choke  the  landlords  off  from  their  claims, 
but  such  men  are  true  friends  to  neither  justice  nor  thei/ 


THE  REDSKINS.  231 

country.  Such  a  law  would  be  a  tax  on  the  incomes  of  a 
particular  class  of  society,  and  on  no  other.  It  is  a  law 
that  would  justify  the  aggrieved  parties  in  taking  up  arms 
to  resist  it,  unless  the  law  would  give  'em  relief,  as  I  rather 
think  it  would.  By  removing  into  another  State,  however, 
they  would  escape  the  tax  completely,  laugh  at  those  who 
framed  it,  who  would  incur  the  odium  of  doing  an  impotent 
wrong,  and  get  laughed  at  as  well  as  despised,  besides  in- 
juring the  State  by  drawing  away  its  money  to  be  spent 
out  of  its  limits.  Think,  for  one  moment,  of  the  impres- 
sion that  would  £>e  made  of  New  York  justice,  if  a  hundred 
citizens  of  note  and  standing  were  to  be  found  living  in 
Philadelphia  or  Paris,  and  circulating  to  the  world  the  re- 
port that  they  were  exiles  to  escape  a  special  taxation  ! 
The  more  the  matter  was  inquired  into,  the  worse  it  must 
appear ;  for  men  may  say  what  they  please,  to  be  ready 
ag'in  election  time,  as  there  is  but  one  piece  or  parcel  of 
property  to  tax,  it  is  an  income  tax,  and  nothing  else. 
What  makes  the  matter  still  worse  is,  that  every  man  of 
sense  will  know  that  it  is  taxing  the  same  person  twice, 
substantially  for  the  same  thing,  since  the  landlord  has  the 
direct  land-tax  deducted  from  the  rent  in  the  original  bar- 
gain. 

"As  for  all  this  cry  about  aristocracy,  I  don't  understand 
it.  Hugh  Littlepage  has  just  as  good  a  right  to  his  ways  as 
I  have  to  mine.  The  gentleman  says  he  needs  gold  spoons 
and  silver  forks  to  eat  with.  Well,  what  of  that  ?  I  dare 
say  the  gentleman  himself  finds  a  steel  knife  and  fork  use- 
ful, and  has  no  objection  to  silver,  or,  at  least,  to  a  pewter 
spoon.  Now,  there  are  folks  that  use  wooden  forks,  or  no 
forks,  and  who  are  glad  to  get  horn  spoons  ;  and  they  might 
call  that  gentleman  himself  an  aristocrat.  This  setting  of 
ourselves  up  as  the  standard  in  all  things  is  anything  but 
liberty.  If  I  don't  like  to  eat  my  dinner  with  a  man  who 
uses  a  silver  fork,  no  man  in  this  country  can  compel  me. 
On  the  other  hand,  if  young  Mr.  Littlepage  don't  like  a 
companion  who  chews  tobacco,  as  I  do,  he  ought  to  be  left 
to  follow  his  own  inclination. 

"Then,  this  doctrine  that  one  man's  as  good  as  another 
has  got  two  sides  to  it.  One  man  ought  to  have  the  same 
general  rights  as  another,  I  am  ready  to  allow  ;  but  if  one 
man  is  as  good  as  another,  why  do  we  have  the  trouble 
and  cost  of  elections  ?  We  might  draw  lots,  as  we  do  for 
jurors,  and  save  a  good  deal  of  time  and  money.  We  all 
know  there  is  ch'ice  in  men,  and  I  think  that  so  long  as 


232  THE  REDSKINS. 

the  people  have  their  ch'ice  in  sayin'  who  shall  and  who 
shall  not  be  their  agents,  they've  got  all  they  have  any 
right  to.  So  long  as  this  is  done,  the  rest  of  the  world 
may  be  left  to  follow  their  own  ways,  provided  they  obey 
the  laws. 

"Then,  I  am  no  great  admirer  of  them  that  are  always 
telling  the  people  they're  parfect.  I  know  this  county 
pretty  well,  as  well  as  most  in  it  ;  and  if  there  be  a  parfect 
man  in  Washington  County,  I  have  not  yet  fallen  in  with 
him.  Ten  millions  of  imparfect  men  won't  make  one  par- 
fect man,  and  so  I  don't  look  for  parfection  in  the  people 
any  more  than  I  do  in  princes.  All  I  look  for  in  democracy 
is  to  keep  the  reins  in  so  many  hands  as  to  prevent  a  few 
from  turning  everything  to  their  own  account ;  still,  we 
must'nt  forget  that  when  a  great  many  do  go  wrong,  it  is 
much  worse  than  when  a  few  go  wrong. 

"If  my  son  didn't  inherit  the  property  of  Malbone  Little- 
page,  neither  will  Malbone  Littlepage's  son  inherit  mine. 
We  are  on  a  footing  in  that  respect.  As  to  paying  rent, 
which  some  persons  think  so  hard,  what  would  they  do  if 
they  had  no  house  to  live  in,  or  farm  to  work  ?  If  folks 
wish  to  purchase  houses  and  farms,  no  one  can  prevent 
them  if  they  have  money  to  do  it  with  ;  and  if  they  have 
not,  is  it  expected  other  people  have  to  provide  them  with 
such  things  out  of  their  own  "- 

Here  the  speaker  was  interrupted  by  a  sudden  whoop- 
ing, and  the  Injins  came  pressing  into  the  house,  in  a  way 
to  drive  all  in  the  aisles  before  them.  Men,  women  and 
children  leaped  from  the  windows,  the  distance  being 
trifling,  while  others  made  their  escape  by  the  two  side- 
doors,  the  Injins  coming  in  only  by  the  main  entrance.  In 
less  time  than  it  takes  to  record  the  fact,  the  audience  had 
nearly  all  dispersed. 


CHAPTER    XVI. 

"And  yet  it  is  said — Labor  in  thy  vocation  ;  which  is  as  much  as  to  say — 
let  the  magistrates  be  laboring  men ;  and  therefore  should  we  be  magis- 
trates. ' '  — King  Hen  ry  VI. 

IN  a  minute  or  two  the  tumult  ceased,  and  a  singular 
scene  presented  itself.  The  church  had  four  separate 
groups  or  parties  left  in  it,  beside  the  Injins,  who  crowded 


THE  REDSKINS.  233 

the  main  aisle.  The  chairman,  secretary,  two  ministers, 
and  lecturer,  remained  perfectly  tranquil  in  their  seats, 
probably  understanding  quite  well  they  had  nothing  to 
fear  from  the  intruders.  Mr.  Warren  and  Mary  were  in 
another  corner,  under  the  gallery,  he  having  disdained 
flight,  and  prudently  kept  his  daughter  at  his  side.  My 
uncle  and  myself  were  the  pendants  of  the  two  last  named, 
occupying  the  opposite  corner,  also  under  the  gallery. 
Mr.  Hall,  and  two  or  three  friends  who  stuck  by  him,  were 
in  a  pew  near  the  wall,  but  about  half-way  down  the 
church,  the  former  erect  on  a  seat,  where  he  had  placed 
himself  to  speak. 

"  Proceed  with  your  remarks,  sir,"  coolly  observed  the 
chairman,  who  was  one  of  those  paradoxical  anti-renters 
who  had  nothing  to  do  with  the  Injins,  though  he  knew 
all  about  them,  and,  as  I  have  been  told,  was  actually 
foremost  in  collecting  and  disbursing  their  pay.  At  this 
instant,  Seneca  Newcome  sneaked  in  at  the  side  door, 
keeping  as  far  as  possible  from  the  "  disguised  and 
armed,"  but  curious  to  ascertain  what  would  come  next. 

As  for  Hall,  he  behaved  with  admirable  self-possession. 
He  probably  knew  that  his  former  auditors  were  collecting 
under  the  windows,  and  by  raising  his  voice  he  would  be 
easily  heard.  At  all  events,  he  did  elevate  his  voice,  and 
went  on  as  if  nothing  had  happened. 

"  I  was  about  to  say  a  word,  Mr.  Chairman,  on  the  natur* 
of  the  two  qualities  that  have,  to  me  at  least,  seemed  up- 
permost in  the  lecturer's  argooment " — yes,  this  sensible, 
well-principled  man,  actually  used  that  detestable  sound, 
just  as  I  have  written  it,  calling  "  argument"  "  argooment  " 
— what  a  pity  it  is  that  so  little  attention  is  paid  to  the  very 
first  principles  of  speaking  the  language  well  in  this  coun- 
try, the  common  schools  probably  doing  more  harm  than 
they  do  good  in  this  respect — "  that  have,  to  me  at  least, 
seemed  uppermost  in  the  lecturer's  argooment,  and  they 
are  both  those  that  God  himself  has  viewed  as  of  so  great 
importance  to  our  nature  as  to  give  his  express  command- 
ments about  them.  He  has  commanded  us  not  to  steal, 
and  he  has  commanded  us  not  to  covet  our  neighbor's 
goods  ;  proof  sufficient  that  the  possession  of  property  is 
sanctioned  by  divine  authority,  and  that  it  is  endowed 
with  a  certain  sanctity  of  privilege.  Now  for  the  applica- 
tion. 

"  You  can  do  nothing  as  to  leases  in  existence,  because 
the  State  can't  impair  a  contract.  A  great  deal  is  said 


234  THE  REDSKINS. 

about  this  government's  being  one  of  the  people,  and  thai 
the  people  ought  to  do  as  they  please.  Now,  I'm  a  plain 
man,  and  am  talking  to  plain  men,  and  mean  to  talk 
plainly.  That  this  is  a  government  of  the  people,  being  a 
democracy,  or  because  the  sovereign  power,  in  the  last 
resort,  resides  in  the  body  of  the  people,  is  true  ;  but  that 
this  is  a  government  of  the  people,  in  the  common  signifi- 
cation, or  as  too  many  of  the  people  themselves  understand 
it,  is  not  true.  This  very  interest  about  which  there  is  so 
much  commotion,  or  the  right  to  interfere  with  contracts, 
is  put  beyond  the  people  of  the  State  by  a  clause  in  the 
Constitution  of  the  United  States.  Now,  the  Constitution 
of  the  United  States  might  be  altered,  making  another 
provision,  saying  that  'no  State  shall  ever  pass  any  law  to 
do  away  with  the  existence  of  durable  leases,'  and  every 
man,  woman,  and  child  in  New  York  be  opposed  to  such  a 
change,  but  they  would  have  to  swallow  it.  Come,  let  us 
see  what  figures  will  do.  There  are  twenty-seven  States  in 
actual  existence,  and  soon  will  be  thirty.  I  don't  care  on 
which  number  you  calculate  ;  say  thirty,  if  you  please,  as 
that  is  likely  to  be  the  number  before  the  Constitution 
could  be  altered.  Well,  twenty-three  of  these  States  can 
put  a  clause  into  the  Constitution,  saying  you  shan't  med- 
dle with  leases.  This  might  leave  the  seven  most  populous 
States,  with  every  voter,  opposed  to  the  change.  I've  made 
a  calculation,  and  find  what  the  seven  most  populous  States 
had  in  1840,  and  I  find  that  more  than  half  of  all  the  popu- 
lation of  the  country  is  contained  in  them  seven  States, 
which  can  be  made  to  submit  to  a  minority.  Nor  is  this 
all ;  the  alteration  may  be  carried  by  only  one  -vote  in  each 
of  the  twenty-three  States,  and,  deducting  these  from  the 
electors  in  the  seven  dissenting  States,  you  might  have  a 
Constitutional  change  made  in  the  country  against  a  ma- 
jority of  say  two  millions  !  It  follows  that  the  people,  in 
the  common  meaning,  are  not  as  omnipotent  as  some  sup- 
pose. There's  something  stronger  than  the  people,  after 
all,  and  that's  principles,  and  if  we  go  to  work  to  tear  to 

pieces  our  own  " 

It  was  impossible  to  hear  another  word  that  the  speaker 
said.  The  idea  that  the  people  are  not  omnipotent  was 
one  little  likely  to  find  favor  among  any  portion  of  the 
population  that  fancy  themselves  to  be  peculiarly  the  peo- 
ple. So  much  accustomed  to  consider  themselves  invested 
with  the  exercise  of  a  power  which,  in  any  case,  can  be 
rightfully  exercised  by  only  the  whole  people,  have  local 


THE  REDSKINS.  235 

• 

assemblages  got  to  be,  that  they  often  run  into  illegal  ex- 
cesses, fancying  even  their  little  fragment  of  the  body 
politic  infallible,  as  well  as  omnipotent,  in  such  matters  at 
least.  To  have  it  openly  denied,  therefore,  that  the  popu- 
lar fabric  of  American  institutions  is  so  put  together  as  to 
leave  it  in  the  power  of  a  decided  minority  to  change  the 
organic  law,  as  is  unquestionably  the  fact  in  theory,  how- 
ever little  likely  to  occur  in  practice,  sounded  in  the  ears  of 
Mr.  Hall's  auditors  like  political  blasphemy.  Those  under 
the  windows  groaned,  while  the  gang  in  the  aisle  whooped 
and  yelled,  and  that  in  a  fashion  that  had  ail  the  exaggera- 
tion of  a  caricature.  It  was  very  apparent  that  there  was 
an  end  of  all  the  deliberative  part  of  the  proceedings  of  the 
day. 

Hall  seemed  neither  surprised  nor  uneasy.  He  wiped 
his  face  very  coolly,  and  then  took  his  seat,  leaving  the 
Injins  to  dance  about  the  church,  nourishing  their  rifles 
and  knives,  in  a  way  that  might  have  frightened  one  less 
steady.  As  for  Mr.  Warren,  he  led  Mary  out,  though 
there  was  a  movement  that  threatened  to  stop  him.  My 
uncle  and  myself  followed,  the  whooping  and  screaming 
being  really  unpleasant  to  the  ear.  As  to  the  chairman, 
the  secretary,  and  the  two  ministers  of  the  gospel,  they 
kept  their  stations  on  the  stage,  entirely  self-possessed 
and  unmolested.  No  one  went  near  them,  a  forbearance 
that  must  have  been  owing  to  the  often  alleged  fact  that 
the  real  anti-renters,  the  oppressed  tenantry  of  New  York, 
and  these  vile  masqueraders,  had  nothing  to  do  with  each 
other ! 

One  of  the  astounding  circumstances  of  the  times,  is  the 
general  prevalence  of  falsehood  among  us,  and  the  almost 
total  suppression  of  truth.  No  matter  what  amount  of 
evidence  there  may  be  to  contradict  a  statement,  or  how 
often  it  has  been  ^disproved,  it  is  reaffirmed,  with  just  as 
much  assurance,  as  if  the  matter  had  never  been  investi- 
gated ;  ay,  and  believed,  as  if  its  substance  were  uncon- 
tradicted.  I  am  persuaded  there  is  no  part  of  the  world, 
in  which  it  is  more  difficult  to  get  a  truth  into  the  public 
mind,  when  there  is  a  motive  to  suppress  it,  than  among 
ourselves.  This  may  seem  singular,  when  it  is  remem- 
bered how  many  journals  there  are,  which  are  uttered 
with  the  avowed  purpose  to  circulate  information.  Alas  ! 
the  machinery  which  can  be  used  to  give  currency  to  truth, 
is  equally  efficient  in  giving  currency  to  falsehood.  There 
are  so  many  modes,  too,  of  diluting  truth,  in  addition  to 


256  THE  REDSKINS. 

• 

the  downright  lies  which  are  told,  that  I  greatly  question, 
if  one  alleged  fact  out  of  twenty,  that  goes  the  rounds  of 
the  public  prints,  those  of  the  commoner  sort  excepted,  is 
true  in  all  its  essentials.  It  requires  so  much  integrity  ol 
purpose,  so  much  discrimination,  such  a  sensitiveness  of 
conscience,  and  often  so  large  a  degree  of  self-sacrifice, 
in  men,  to  speak  nothing  but  truth,  that  one  is  not  to  ex- 
pect that  their  more  vulgar  and  irresponsible  agents  are 
to  possess  a  quality  that  is  so  very  rare  among  the  very 
best  of  the  principals. 

If  I  was  glad  to  get  out  of  the  church  myself,  the  reader 
may  depend  on  it,  I  was  rejoiced  when  I  saw  Mr.  Warren 
leading  Mary  toward  the  place  where  I  had  left  his  wagon, 
as  if  about  to  quit  a  scene  that  now  promised  nothing  but 
clamor  and  wrangling,  if  not  something  more  serious. 
Uncle  Ro  desired  me  to  bring  out  the  wagon  in  which  we 
had  left  the  farm  ;  and,  in  the  midst  of  a  species  of  gen- 
eral panic,  in  which  the  women,  in  particular,  went  flying 
about  in  all  directions,  I  proceeded  to  comply.  It  was  at 
this  moment  that  a  general  pause  to  all  movements  was 
produced  by  the  gang  of  Injins  pouring  out  of  the  church, 
bringing  in  their  centre  the  late  speaker,  Mr.  Hall.  As  the 
chairman,  secretary,  lecturer,  and  the  two  "  ministers  of 
the  gospel "  followed,  if  was  conclusive  as  to  the  termina- 
tion of  anything  like  further  discussion. 

My  uncle  called  me  back,  and  I  thought  was  disposed 
to  assist  Hall,  who,  manfully  supported  by  the  two  or  three 
friends  that  had  stood  by  him  the  whole  day,  was  now 
moving  toward  us,  surrounded  by  a  cluster  of  wrangling 
and  menacing  Injins  ;  the  whole  party  bearing  no  little 
resemblance  to  a  pack  of  village  curs  that  set  upon  the 
strange  dog  that  has  ventured  in  among  them. 

Oaths  and  threats  filled  the  air';  and  poor  Hall's  ears 
were  offended  by  an  imputation  that,  I  dare  say,  they  then 
heard  for  the  first  time.  He  was  called  a  "d d  aristo- 
crat," and  a  hireling  is  the  pay  of  "  d d  aristocrats." 

To  all  this,  however,  the  sturdy  and  right-thinking  black- 
smith was  very  indifferent ;  well  knowing  there  was  not 
a  fact  connected  with  his  existence,  or  a  sentiment  of  his 
moral  being,  that  would  justify  any  such  charge.  It  was 
in  answer  to  this  deadly  imputation,  that  I  first  heard  him 
speak  again,  after  he  had  been  interrupted  in  the  church. 

"  Call  me  what  you  please,"  he  cried,  in  his  clear  full  voice; 
"  I  don't  mind  hard  names.  There  isn't  a  man  among  you 
who  thinks  I'm  an  aristocrat,  or  the  hireling  of  any  one ; 


THE   REDSKINS.  237 

but  I  hope  I  am  not  yet  so  great  a  knave  as  to  wish  to 
rob  a  neighbor  because  he  happens  to  be  richer  than  I  am 
myself." 

"  Who  gave  Hugh  Littlepage  his  land  ? "  demanded  one 
in  the  midst  of  the  gang,  speaking  without  the  affectation 
of  mimicry,  though  the  covering  to  his  head  sufficiently 
changed  his  voice.  "You  know  yourself  it  came  from  the 
king." 

"  He  never  worked  for  an  acre  of  it !  "  bawled  another. 
"  If  he  was  a  hard-working,  honest  man,  like  yourself,  Tim 
Hall,  we  might  bear  it  ;  but  you  know  he  is  not.  He's  a 
spendthrift  and  an  aristocrat." 

"  I  know  that  hard  hands  don't  make  a  man  honest,  any 
more  than  soft  hands  make  him  a  rogue,"  answered  Tim 
Hall,  with  spirit.  "As  for  the  Littlepages,  they  are  gen- 
tlemen in  every  sense  of  the  word,  and  always  have  been. 
Their  word  will  pass  even  now,  when  the  bond  of  many  a 
man  who  sets  himself  up  ag'in  them  wouldn't  be  looked  at." 

I  was  grateful  and  touched  with  this  proof  that  a  char- 
acter, which  I  fully  believed  to  be  merited,  was  not  lost  on 
one  of  the  most  intelligent  men  of  his  class,  in  that  part  of 
the  country.  Envy,  and  covetousness,  and  malignancy, 
may  lie  as  they  will,  but  the  upright  recognize  the  upright ; 
the  truly  poor  know  who  most  assuage  their  sorrows  and 
relieve  their  wants ;  and  the  real  lover  of  liberty  under- 
stands that  its  privileges  are  not  to  be  interpreted  alto- 
gether in  his  own  favor.  I  did  not  like  the  idea  of  such  a 
man's  being  ill-treated  by  a  gang  of  disguised  blackguards 
— fellows  who  added  to  the  crime  of  violating  a  positive 
law,  the  high  moral  offence  of  prostituting  the  sacred 
principles  of  liberty,  by  professing  to  drag  them  into  the 
service  of  a  cause,  which  wanted  very  little,  in  its  range, 
to  include  all  the  pickpockets  and  thieves  in  the  land. 

"They  will  do  that  noble  fellow  some  injury,  I  fear,"  I 
whispered  to  my  uncle. 

"  If  it  were  not  for  the  mortification  of  admitting  our 
disguise,  I  would  go  forward  at  once,  and  attempt  to  bring 
him  out  of  the  crowd,"  was  the  answer.  "  But  that  will 
not  do,  under  the  circumstances.  Let  us  be  patient,  and 
observe  what  is  to  follow." 

"Tar  and  feathers  !  "  shouted  some  one  among  the  In- 
jins  ;  "Tar  and  feather  him!"  "Crop  him,  and  send 
him  home  ! "  answered  others.  "  Tim  Hall  has  gone  over 
to  the  enemy,"  added  the  Injin  who  asked  whence  I  had 
my  lands. 


238  THE  REDSKINS. 

I  fancied  I  knew  that  voice,  and  wheii  its  tones  nad  been 
repeated  two  or  three  times,  it  struck  me  it  was  that  of 
Seneca  Newcome.  That  Seneca  was  an  anti-renter,  was 
no  secret  ;  but  that  he,  a  lawyer,  would  be  guilty  of  the 
great  indiscretion  of  committing  felony,  was  a  matter 
about  which  one  might  well  entertain  a  doubt.  To  urge 
others  to  be  guilty  was  a  different  matter,  but  to  commit 
himself  seemed  unlikely.  With  a  view  to  keep  an  eye  on 
the  figure  I  distrusted,  I  looked  out  for  some  mode  by 
which  he  might  be  known.  A  patch,  or  rather  gore  in  the 
calico,  answered  admirably,  for  on  looking  at  others,  I  saw 
that  this  gore  was  accidental,  and  peculiar  to  that  particu- 
lar dress,  most  probably  owing  to  a  deficiency  in  the  ma- 
terial originally  supplied. 

All  this  time,  which  indeed  was  but  a  minute  or  two,  the 
tumult  continued.  The  Injins  seemed  undetermined  what 
to  do  ;  equally  afraid  to  carry  out  their  menaces  against 
Hall,  and  unwilling  to  let  him  go.  At  the  very  instant 
when  we  were  looking  for  something  serious,  the  storm 
abated,  and  an  unexpected  calm  settled  on  the  scene. 
How  this  was  effected,  I  never  knew  ;  though  it  is  reason- 
able to  suppose  an  order  had  been  communicated  to  the 
Injins,  by  some  signal  that  was  known  only  to  themselves. 
Of  the  result  there  was  no  doubt  ;  the  crowd  around  Hall 
opened,  and  that  sturdy  and  uncompromising  freeman 
came  out  of  it,  wiping  his  face,  looking  heated  and  a  little 
angry.  He  did  not  yield,  however,  remaining  near  the 
spot,  still  supported  by  the  two  or  three  friends  who  had 
accompanied  him  from  Mooseridge. 

My  uncle  Ro,  on  reflection,  conceived  it  wisest  not  to 
seem  in  a  hurry  to  quit  the  village,  and  as  soon  as  I  had 
ascertained  that  Mr.  Warren  had  come  to  a  similar  decision, 
and  had  actually  taken  refuge  in  the  house  of  a  parish- 
ioner, I  "was  agreeable,"  as  the  English  say.  While  the 
pedler,  therefore,  made  a  new  display  of  his  watches,  I 
strolled  round  among  the  crowd,  Injins  and  others  inter- 
mixed, to  see  what  could  be  seen,  and  to  glean  intelligence. 
In  the  course  of  my  wanderings,  chance  brought  me  close 
to  the  side  of  the  masker  in  the  dress  with  the  gore. 
Tickling  him  gently  on  the  elbow,  I  induced  him  to  step  a 
little  aside  with  me,  where  our  conversation  would  not  be 
overheard. 

"Why  might  you  be  Injin — gentleman  as  you  be?"  I 
asked,  with  as  much  of  an  air  of  simplicity  as  I  could  as 
sume. 


TJfE    REDSA'I.YS.  239 

The  start  with  which  this  question  was  met  convinced 
me  I  was  right  ;  and  I  scarce  needed  farther  confirmation 
of  the  justice  of  my  suspicion.  If  I  had,  however,  it  was 
afforded. 

"Why  ask  Injin  dat?"  returned  the  man  with  the  gore. 

"Veil,  dat  might  do,  and  it  might  not  do,  'Squire  New- 
come  ;  but  it  might  not  do  wid  one  as  knows  you  as  veil 
as  I  know  you.  So  dell  me  ;  vy  might  you  be  Injin  ?  " 

"  Harkee,"  said  Seneca,  in  his  natural  speech,  and  evi- 
dently much  disturbed  by  my  discovery:  "you  must,  on- 
no  account,  let  it  be  known  who  I  am.  You  see,  this  Injin 
business  is  ticklish  work,  and  the  law  might — that  \&—you 
could  get  nothing  by  mentioning  what  you  know,  but  as 
you  have  said,  as  I'm  a  gentleman,  and  an  attorney  at  law, 
it  wouldn't  sound  well  to  have  it  said  that  I  was  caught 
dressed  up  in  this  manner,  playing  Injin." 

"  Ja — ja — I  oonderstants—  gentlemans  might  not  do  sich 
dings,  und  not  be  laughed  at — dat's  all." 

"  Ye-e-e-s — that's  all,  as  you  say,  so  be  careful  what  you 
say  or  hint  about  it.  Well,  since  you  have  found  me  out, 
it's  my  treat.  What  shall't  be  ?  " 

This  was  not  very  elegant  fora  "gentleman,"  and  "an 
attorney  at  law,"  certainly,  but,  as  it  belonged  to  the  school 
of  Mr.  Newcome,  it  struck  me  it  might  not  be  prudent  for 
me  to  betray  that  I  belonged  to  one  of  a  different  sort. 
Affecting  contentment,  therefore,  I  told  him,  what  he 
pleased,  and  he  led  me  to  a  store  of  all  business,  that  was 
kept  by  his  brother,  and  in  which,  as  I  afterward  found,  he 
himself  was  a  partner.  Here  he  generously  treated  me  to 
a  glass  of  fiery  whiskey,  which  I  managed  to  spill  in  a  way 
that  prevented  my  being  choked.  This  was  adroitly  enough 
effected,  as  a  refusal  to  drink  would  have  been  taken  as  a 
most  suspicious  circumstance  in  a  German.  As  respects 
Americans  of  my  assumed  class,  I  am  happy  to  say  it  is 
now  more  possible  for  one  to  refuse  a  glass  than  to  accept 
it.  It  says  a  good  deal  in  favor  of  the  population  of  a 
country,  when  even  the  coachman  declines  his  whet. 
Nevertheless,  a  nation  may  become  perfectly  sober,  and 
fall  away  with  fearful  rapidity  on  other  great  essentials. 
On  the  subject  of  sobriety,  I  agree  altogether  with  my 
uncle,  in  thinking  that  the  Americans  drink  much  less 
than  most,  if  not  less  than  any  European  nation ;  the  com- 
mon notion  that  long  prevailed  to  the  contrary  in  the 
country,  being  no  more  than  the  fruits  of  the  general  dis- 
position, in  other  people,  to  decry  democracy,  aided  some- 


240  THE  REDSKINS. 

what,  perhaps,  by  the  exaggerations  that  are  so  common 
in  all  the  published  statistics  of  morals. 

I  remarked  that  very  few  even  of  the  Injins  drank, 
though  they  now  began  to  circulate  freely  among  the 
crowd,  and  in  the  stores.  Seneca  left  me  as  soon  as  he 
fancied  he  had  clinched  my  discretion  with  a  treat,  and  I 
stood  looking  round  at  the  manner  in  which  the  "armed 
and  disguised"  conducted  themselves.  One  fellow,  in  par- 
ticular, attracted  my  attention  ;  and  his  deportment  may 
be  taken  as  a  specimen  of  that  of  many  of  his  comrades. 

I  was  soon  struck  by  the  fact  that  Orson  Newcome, 
Seneca's  brother  and  partner,  was  obviously  desirous  of 
having  as  little  to  do  with  any  of  the  Injins  as  possible. 
As  soon  as  one  entered  his  store,  he  appeared  uneasy,  and 
whenever  one  left  it,  he  seemed  glad.  At  first,  I  was  in- 
clined to  think  that  Orson — what  names  will  not  the  great 
Eastern  family  adopt,  before  they  have  got  through  with 
their  catalogue  ? — really,  they  seem  to  select  their  appel- 
lations as  they  do  so  many  other  things,  or  to  prove  that 
they'll  do  as  they  please ;  but  Orson,  I  fancied  at  first,  was 
Influenced  by  principle,  and  did  not  care  to  conceal  the 
disgust  he  felt  at  such  audacious  and  illegal  proceedings. 
But  I  soon  discovered  my  mistake,  by  ascertaining  the  true 
cause  of  his  distaste  for  the  presence  of  an  Injin. 

"  Injin  want  calico,  for  shirt " — said  one  of  these  worthies, 
significantly,  to  Orson,  who  at  first  affected  not  to  hear 
him. 

The  demand  was  repeated,  however,  with  additional  sig- 
nificance, when  the  cloth  was  reluctantly  thrown  on  the 
counter. 

"Good,"  said  the  Injin,  after  examining  the  quality; 
"  cut  Injin  twenty  yard — good  measure,  hear  ? " 

The  calico  was  cut,  with  a  sort  of  desperate  submission  ; 
the  twenty  yards  were  folded,  enveloped,  and  handed  to  the 
customer,  who  coolly  put  the  bundle  under  his  arm,  say- 
ing, as  he  turned  to  leave  the  store — "  Charge  it  to  Down 
Rent." 

The  mystery  of  Orson's  sullenness  was  now  explained. 
As  invariably  follows  the  abandonment  of  principle,  the 
fomenters  of  wrong  were  suffering  smartly  through  the 
encroachments  of  their  own  agents.  I  ascertained  after- 
ward that  these  very  Injins,  who  had  been  embodied  in 
hundreds,  with  a  view  to  look  down  law,  and  right,  and  the 
sacred  character  of  contracts,  had  begun  to  carry  out  their 
TP.ain  principle,  and  were  making  all  sovts  of  demands  on 


THE  REDSKINS.  241 

the  pockets  and  property  of  their  very  employers,  under 
one  pretence  or  another,  but  with  very  obvious  tendencies 
toward  their  own  benefit.  The  "  spirit  of  anti-rentism  " 
was  beginning  to  develop  itself  in  this  form,  under  the 
system  of  violence  ;  as,  under  that  of  legislative  usurpa- 
tion, and  legislative  truckling  to  numbers,  which  is  most 
to  be  feared  from  the  character  of  our  representatives,  it 
will  as  certainly  be  developed,  unless  suppressed  in  the 
bud,  by  such  further  demands  on  its  complaisant  ministers, 
as  will  either  compel  them  to  repent  of  their  first  false 
step,  will  drive  the  State  to  civil  war,  or  will  drive  all  the 
honest  men  out  of  it. 

I  did  not  remain  long  in  the  store.  After  quitting  it,  I 
went  in  quest  of  Mr.  Warren  and  Mary,  anxious  to  know 
if  I  could  be  of  any  service  to  them.  The  father  thanked 
me  for  this  attention,  and  let  me  know  that  he  was  now 
about  to  quit  the  village,  as  he  saw  others  beginning  to 
go  away,  among  whom  was  Hall,  who  was  an  old  and 
much  valued  acquaintance  of  his,  and  whom  he  had 
invited  to  stop  at  the  rectory  to  dine.  He  advised  us  to 
imitate  the  example,  as  there  were  strangers  among  the 
Injins,  who  might  be  addicted  to  drinking. 

On  this  information  I  hunted  up  my  uncle,  who  had 
actually  sold  most  of  his  trinkets,  and  all  his  watches  but 
one,  the  secret  of  his  great  success  being  the  smallness  of 
his  prices.  He  sold  for  what  he  had  bought,  and  in  some 
instances  for  even  less,  quitting  the  place  with  the  reputa- 
tion of  being  the  most  reasonable  jewel-pedler  who  had  ever 
appeared  in  it. 

The  road  was  beginning  to  be  lined  with  vehicles  carry- 
ing home  the  people  who  had  collected  to  hear  the  lecture. 
As  this  was  the  first  occasion  which  offered  for  witnessing 
such  an  exhibition  since  my  return,  I  examined  the  differ- 
ent parties  we  passed,  with  a  view  to  comparison.  There 
is  a  certain  air  of  rusticity,  even  in  the  large  towns  of 
America,  which  one  does  not  meet  with  in  the  capitals  of 
the  old  world.  But  the  American  country  is  less  rustic 
than  any  part  of  the  world  with  which  I  am  acquainted, 
England  alone  excepted.  Of  course,  in  making  such  a 
remark,  no  allusion  is  intended  to  the  immediate  environs 
of  very  large  towns  ;  though  I  am  far  from  certain  that 
the  population  of  St.  Ouen,  the  Runnymede  of  France, 
and  which  stands  within  a  league  of  the  walls  of  Paris, 
would  not  have  offered  a  more  decidedly  rustic  spectacle 
than  that  which  we  then  saw.  As  respects  females,  thi? 


242  THE  REDSKINS. 

was  very  strikingly  true  ;  scarce  one  being  visible  who 
had  that  air  of  coarseness,  and  ignorance,  and  vulgarity, 
which  denotes  a  degraded  condition  and  a  life  of  hardships. 
There  was  little  apparent  that  marked  a  peasantry  in  the 
moral  sense  of  the  word  ;  but  the  whole  population  seemed 
to  be  at  their  ease,  using  neat  and  well-kept  vehicles  ;  solid, 
active  horses ;  and  being  themselves  reasonably  well, 
though  not  very  tastefully  clad.  Yet,  all  this  was  on  a 
leased  estate,  under  the  dire  oppression  of  a  landlord,  and 
beneath  the  shadow  of  aristocracy  !  A  short  dialogue 
which  took  place  between  my  uncle  and  two  sturdy  weather- 
beaten  husbandmen,  who  drove  their  horses  to  a  short  dis- 
tance on  a  walk  at  the  side  of  ours,  made  the  impression 
produced  by  such  facts  deeper  than  it  might  otherwise 
have  been.  I  will  relate  it. 

"  You  are  Jarmans,  I  b'lieve,"  commenced  the  oldest  of 
the  two  men,  a  gray-headed  tenant  of  my  own,  of  the  name 
of  Holmes,  who  was  well  known  to  us  both — "  Jarmans, 
from  the  old  countries,  I  hear  ? " 

"  Ja — we  bees  from  der  olt  coontries  ;  und  dat  is  a  great 
vay  off." 

"  Ye-e-es,  I  s'pose  it  is — I've  heern  tell  of  them  coontries, 
often.  Does  the  landlord  system  exist  there  ?  " 

"  Ja — dere  ist  lantlordts  all  ofer  dis  worlt,  I  do  dinks  ; 
und  tenants,  doo." 

"Well,  and  how  is  the  plan  liked  there;  or  be  folks 
thinking  of  getting  red  (rid)  on't  ?" 

"  Nein — how  might  dey  gets  red  of  it  ?  It  ist  der  law, 
you  might  see,  and  vhat  ist  der  law  moost  be  done." 

This  answer  puzzled  old  Holmes  a  good  deal.  He  passed 
a  hand  over  his  face,  and  turned  to  his  companion,  one 
Tubbs,  also  a  tenant  on  my  estate,  as  if  to  ask  assistance. 
Tubbs  was  one  of  the  new  school  ;  a  school  that  makes 
more  laws  than  it  respects,  and  belongs  to  the  movement. 
He  is  a  man  that  fancies  the  world  never  knew  anything 
of  principles,  facts,  or  tendencies,  until  the  commence- 
ment of  this  century. 

"What  sort  of  a  goverment  had  you,  in  your  own  coun- 
try ?"  demanded  Tubbs. 

"  Bretty  goot.  Mein  coontry  was  Preussen  ;  und  dat 
might  be  t'ought  a  bretty  goot  gofernment." 

"Yes,  but  it's  a  kingly  government,  I  take  it  ; — it  seems 
to  me,  I  have  heern  tell  of  kings  in  that  land." 

"Ja,  ja — dere  ist  ein  koenig — one  king.  De  last  might 
be  der  goot  koenig  Vilhelm,  und  now  dere  ist  his  son,  who 


THE   REDSKINS.  243 

1st  a  goot  koenig,  too,  as  I  might  dink.  Ja,  ja — dere  ist  a 
king." 

"  That  explains  it  all,"  cried  Tubbs,  with  a  sort  of  tri- 
umph. "  You  see,  they  have  a  king,  and  so  they  have 
tenants  ;  but,  here  we  have  no  king,  and  we  have  no  need 
of  landlords.  Every  man,  in  a  free  country,  should  be 
his  own  landlord ;  that's  my  doctrine,  and  to  that  I'll 
stick." 

"  There  is  some  reason  in  that,  fri'nd  ;  isn't  that  your 
idee  ? "  asked  Holmes. 

"Veil,  I  might  not  oonderstandt.  Dost  der  shentlemans 
object  to  landlordts,  in  his  coontry,  because  dere  might  be 
landlordts  in  dem  coontries  as  might  haf  kings." 

"  That's  it  !  That's  just  the  reason  on't,  and  the  true 
principle  !  "  answered  Tubbs.  "  Kings  and  liberty  can't 
go  together,  and  landlords  and  liberty  can't  go  together." 

'•  But  might  not  der  law  in  this  coontry  be  to  haf  land- 
lordts, too  ?  I  hear  dat  it  ist  so." 

"  Yes,  that  is  the  law,  as  it  stands  ;  but  we  mean  to  alter 
it  all.  We  have  got  so  many  votes  now,  as  to  be  sure  to 
have  both  parties  with  us  at  the  gin'ral  election  ;  and  give 
us  the  Governor  on  our  side,  with  the  sartainty  of  votes 
enough  to  turn  an  election,  and  we're  pretty  confident  of 
success.  Votes  is  all  that  is  wanting,  in  a  truly  free  coun- 
try, for  men  to  have  things  pretty  much  in  their  own  way." 

"  Und  dost  you  mean  to  haf  not'in  dat  might  be  in  de 
coontries  ast  haf  kings  ?  " 

"  To  be  sure  not.  What  do  we  want  of  any  of  your 
lordly  contrivances,  to  make  the  rich  richer,  and  the  poor 
poorer." 

"Veil,  you  moost  alter  de  law  of  nature,  if  de  rich  vilt 
not  get  riches,  und  de  poor  vill  not  feel  dey  be  poor. 
De  Piple  dells  us  dat  de  misery  of  de  poor  ist  deir  pov- 
erty." 

"  Ay,  ay,  Bible  talk  don't  go  for  much  in  politics.  Sab- 
ba*  days  are  set  aside  for  the  Bible,  and  week-days  for 
public  arid  private  matters.  Now,  here  is  Hugh  Littlepage, 
of  the  same  flesh  and  blood  as  my  neighbor  Holmes  and 
myself  be — no  better  and  no  worse  ;  yes,  I'tii  willing  to 
allow  he's  no  worse,  in  the  main,  though  in  some  things  I 
do  think  we  might  claim  the  preference  ;  but  I'll  allow  he's 
no  worse,  for  the  sake  of  argooment.  Each  on  us  rents  a 
farm  of  this  Littlepage,  of  a  hundred  acres  good.  Wa-al, 
this  land  we  till,  and  crop,  and  labor,  with  our  own  hands, 
and  the  hands  of  our  sons,  and  hired  help,  perhaps  ;  and 


244  THE  REDSKINS. 

yet  we  have  to  pay  fifty  dollars  apiece,  annually,  to  that 
youngster,  Hugh  Littlepage,  for  rent  ;  which  money  he 
takes  and  squanders  where  he  pleases,  in  riotous  livin',  for't 
we  know.  Now,  is  that  right,  I  ask  ;  and  isn't  it  an  onsuit- 
able  state  of  things  for  a  republican  country  ? " 

"Und  you  dinks  yoong  Littlebage  might  spend  his 
money  in  riotous  lifin'  in  foreign  landts  ?" 

"  Sartain — that's  the  tale  hereabouts  ;  and  I  have  seen  a 
man  who  knows  another,  that  has  an  acquaintance  who 
has  been  in  Paris,  and  who  tells  the  people  of  his  neigh- 
borhood that  he  stood  at  the  door  of  the  king's  palace  one 
day,  and  actually  saw  both  the  Littlepages  going  in  to 
pay  'tribute  unto  Caesar,'  as  it  is  called — I  suppose  you 
know  ;  and  they  tell  me  that  all  that  goes  to  see  a  king, 
has  to  kneel  and  kiss  his  hand — some  say  his  toe.  Do  you 
happen  to  know  how  it  is  in  the  old  countries  ?" 

"  It  ist  not  so  ;  I  haf  seen  more  kings  as  half  a  dozen,  und 
dey  dost  not  kneel  down  and  kiss  deir  hants,  except  on 
sartain  business.  Dey  might  not  allvays  hear  what  is  true, 
in  dis  country." 

"Wa-a-1,  I  don't  know,  I  never  was  there  to  see,"  an- 
swered Tubbs,  in  that  peculiar  manner,  which,  whenever  it 
is  used  by  an  American,  may  safely  be  interpreted  to  mean, 
"  I'll  not  contradict  you,  but  I'll  believe  what  I  please." 
"  That  is  what  I've  heern  say.  But,  why  should  we  pay 
rent  to  young  Littlepage  to  spend  in  riotous  living  ? " 

"  I  might  not  know,  oonless  you  haf  hiret  his  landt,  und 
agree't  to  pay  him  rent ;  in  which  case  you  might  do  as 
you  agree't." 

"  But  when  the  bargain's  of  a  kingly  natur',  I  say  no. 
Every  country  has  its  natur',  and  every  government  has  its 
natur',  and  all  things  should  be  in  conformity  with  natur'. 
Now  it's  ag'in  natur'  to  pay  rent  in  a  republican  country. 
We  want  nothing  here,  that's  in  common  with  lords  and 
kings." 

"  Veil,  den,  you  most  alter  your  whole  coontry.  You 
might  not  haf  wifes  und  children  ;  you  might  not  lif  in 
houses  ;  and  plough  de  landt ;  you  might  not  eat  und 
drink  ;  and  you  might  not  wear  any  shirt." 

Tubbs  looked  a  little  astonished.  Like  the  Bourgeois 
Gentilhomme,  he  was  amazed  to  find  he  had  been  talking 
prose  all  his  life  without  knowing  it.  There  is  no  ques- 
tion that  laws  unsuitable  to  the  institutions  of  a  republic 
might  exist  in  a  kingdom,  but  it  is  equally  certain  that  the 
law  which  compels  the  tenant  to  pay  for  the  use  of  his 


THE   REDSKINS.  245 

house  or  farm  is  not  one  of  the  number.  Tubbs,  how- 
ever, had  been  so  thoroughly  persuaded,  by  dint  of  talk- 
ing, there  was  something  exceedingly  anti-republican  in 
one  man's  paying  rent  to  another,  that  he  was  not  disposed 
to  give  the  matter  up  so  easily. 

"Ay,  ay,"  he  answered,  "we  have  many  things  in  com- 
mon with  kingdoms  as  men,  I  must  allow  ;  but  why  should 
we  have  anything  in  common  of  this  aristocratic  natur'  ?  A 
free  country  should  contain  freemen,  and  how  can  a  man 
be  free  if  he  doesn't  own  the  land  out  of  which  he  makes 
his  living  ? " 

"  Und  if  he  makes  his  lifin'  out  of  anoder  man's  land, 
he  might  be  honest  enough  to  pay  for  its  use,  I  dinks." 

"  But,  we  hold  it  ought  not  to  be  another  man's  land, 
but  the  land  of  him  who  works  it." 

"  Dell  me  dis — dost  you  efer  let  out  a  field  to  a  poor 
neighbor  on  shares  ?" 

l-  Sartain  ;  we  will  do  that,  both  to  accommodate  folks,  and 
to  get  crops  when  we  are  crowded  with  work  ourselves." 

"  Und  why  might  not  all  dat  crop  pelong  to  him  dat 
works  de  field  ?" 

"  Oh  !  that's  doin'  business  on  a  small  scale,  and  can't 
do  anybody  harm.  But  the  American  institutions  never 
intended  that  there  should  be  a  great  privileged  class 
among  us,  like  the  lords  in  Europe." 

"  Did  you  efer  haf  any  difficulty  in  getting  your  hire  for 
a  field  dat  might  be  so  let  out  ?" 

"  Sartain.  There's  miserable  neighbors  as  well  as  them 
that  isn't.  I  had  to  sue  the  very  last  chap  I  had  such 
dealin's  with." 

"  Und  dit  das  law  let  you  haf  your  money  ? " 

"  To  be  sure  it  did  !  What  would  law  be  good  for,  if  it 
didn't  help  a  body  to  his  rights  ?  " 

"  Und  dost  den  tenants  of  dis  broperty  let  Hugh  Little- 
bage  haf  his  rents,  as  might  be  due  ?  " 

"That's  a  different  thing,  I  tell  you.  Hugh  Littlepage 
has  more  than  he  wants,  and  spends  his  money  in  riotous 
livin*  in  foreign  parts." 

"  Veil,  und  sooppose  your  neighpors  might  vants  to  ask 
you  what  you  do  wit'  your  tollars  after  you  shall  sell  your 
pork  and  beef,  to  see  you  mate  goot  use  of  it — might  dat  be 
liperty  ? " 

"  That  !  Why,  who  do  you  think  would  trouble  himself 
about  my  'arnin's.  It's  the  big  fish  only  that  folks  talk 
about,  and  care  about,  in  such  matters." 


246  THE  REDSKIN'S. 

"  Den  folks  make  Hugh  Littlebage  a  big  fish,  by  daii 
own  mettlin',  und  enfy,  und  cofetousness — is  it  not  so  ? " 

"  Harkee,  fri'nd,  I  some  think  you're  leanin'  yourself 
to  kingly  ways,  and  to  the  idees  in  which  you  was  brought 
up.  Take  my  advice,  and  abandon  all  these  notions  as  soon 
as  you  can,  for  they'll  never  be  popular  in  this  part  of  the 
world." 

Popular !  How  broad  has  the  signification  of  this  word 
got  to  be  !  In  the  eyes  of  two-thirds  of  the  population  it 
already  means,  "  what  is  right."  Vox populi,  vox  del !  To 
what  an  extent  is  this  little  word  made  to  entwine  itself 
around  all  the  interests  of  life !  When  it  is  deemed  ex- 
pedient to  inculcate  certain  notions  in  the  minds  of  the 
people,  the  first  argument  used  is  to  endeavor  to  persuade 
the  inhabitants  of  New  York  that  the  inhabitants  of  Penn- 
sylvania are  already  of  that  mind.  A  simulated  public 
opinion  is  the  strongest  argument  used,  indeed,  on  every 
occasion  of  the  public  discussion  of  any  disputed  point. 
He  that  can  count  the  most  voices  is  a  better  man  than  he 
who  can  give  the  most  reasons  ;  numbers  carrying  more 
weight  with  them  than  facts  or  law.  It  is  evident,  that, 
while  in  some  things,  such  a  system  may  work  well,  there 
are  others,  and  those  of  overshadowing  importance,  in 
which  its  tendency  is  direct  and  fearful  toward  cor- 
ruption. 

As  soon  as  Tubbs  had  given  his  admonition,  he  ap- 
plied the  whip  to  his  horse,  and  trotted  on,  leaving  us  to 
follow  at  the  best  gait  we  could  extort  from  Tom  Miller's 
hack. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

"If  he  were  with  me,  King  of  Tuscarora, 

Gazing  as  I  upon  thy  portrait  now, 
In  all  its  medalled,  fringed,  and  bearded  glory, 
Its  eyes'  dark  beauty,  and  its  thoughtful  brow — 

"  Its  brow,  half  martial,  half  diplomatic  ; 

Its  eye,  upsoaring,  like  an  eagle's  wings  ; 
Well  might  he  boast  that  we,  the  democratic, 

Outrival  Europe — even  in  our  kings." — Red  Jacket. 

MY  uncle  Ro  said  nothing  when  the  two  tenants  left  us; 
though  I  saw,  by  his  countenance,  that  he  felt  all  the  ab- 
surdity of  the  stuff  we  had  just  been  listening  to.  We 


THE  REDSKINS.  247 

had  got  within  half  a  mile  of  the  woods,  when  eight  Injins 
came  galloping  up  to  a  wagon  that  was  directly  behind  us, 
which  contained  another  of  my  tenants,  with  his  eldest  son, 
a  lad  of  sixteen,  whom  he  had  brought  with  him  as  a  schol- 
ar, in  having  his  sense  of  right  unsettled  by  the  selfish  mys- 
tification that  was  going  on  in  the  land  ;  a  species  of  father- 
ly care  that  was  of  very  questionable  merit.  I  said  there 
were  eight  of  these  Injins,  but  there  were  only  four  horses, 
each  beast  carrying  double.  No  sooner  did  the  leaders  of 
the  party  reach  the  wagon  I  have  mentioned,  than  it  was 
stopped,  and  its  owner  was  commanded  to  alight.  The 
man  was  a  decided  down-renter,  but  he  obeyed  the  order 
with  a  very  ill-grace  ;  and  did  not  obey  at  all,  indeed, 
until  he  was  helped  out  of  the  wagon,  by  a  little  gentle 
violence  of  this  fragment  of  his  own  corps  d'armcc.  The- 
boy  was  soon  put  into  the  highway,  when  two  of  the  "  dis- 
guised and  armed  "  leaped  into  the  vacant  places,  and 
drove  on,  passing  us  at  a  furious  pace,  making  a  parting 
nod  to  the  owner  of  the  vehicle,  and  consoling  him  for  its 
temporary  loss  by  calling  out,  "  Injin  want  him — Injin 
good  fellow,  you  know." 

Whether  the  discomfited  farmer  knew  or  not,  we  could 
not  tell  ;  but  he  looked  as  if  he  wished  the  Injins  anywhere 
but  in  their  "happy  hunting  grounds."  We  drove  on 
laughing,  for  it  was  in  human  nature  to  be  amused  at  such 
an  exhibition  of  the  compulsory  system,  or  of  "liberty  and 
equality  carried  out;"  and  more  particularly  so,  when  I 
was  certain  that  the  "honest,  hard-working,  horny-handed 
tiller  of  the  soil,"  wanted  to  cheat  me  out  of  a  farm  ;  or  to 
put  his  case  in  the  most  favorable  point  of  view,  wanted  to 
compel  me  to  sell  him  one  at  his  own  price.  Nor  did  our 
amusement  stop  here.  Before  we  reached  the  woods,  we 
found  Holmes  and  Tubbs  in  the  highway,  too  ;  the  other 
two  worthies  who  had  been  mounted  en  croupe  having  dis- 
possessed them  of  their  wagon  also,  and  told  them  to 
"charge  it  to  Injin."  We  afterward  learned  that  this  prac- 
tice was  very  general ;  the  owner  recovering  his  horse  and 
team,  in  the  course  of  a  few  days,  by  hearing  it  had  been  left 
secretly  at  some  tavern  within  a  few  miles  of  his  residence. 
As  for  old  Holmes,  he  was  in  an  honest  indignation,  when 
we  came  up  with  him,  while  even  Tubbs  looked  soured 
and  discontented,  or  as  if  he  thought  friends  were  entitled 
to  better  treatment. 

"Vhat  ist  der  matter?"  cried  out  uncle  Ro,  who  could 
hardly  keep  from  laughing  the  whole  time  ;  "vhat  ist  der 


248  THE  REDSKINS. 

matter  now?     Vhere  might  be  your  hantsome  Vaggin  ani! 
your  gay  horse  ? " 

"It's  too  bad!— yes,  it's  eeny  most  too  bad  !"  grunted 
Holmes.  "  Here  am  I,  past  threescore-and-teri,  which  is 
the  full  time  of  man,  the  Bible  says — and  what  the  Bible 
says  must  be  true,  you  know  ? — here  have  they  trundled 
me  into  the  highway,  as  they  would  a  sack  of  potatoes,  and 
left  me  to  walk  every  step  of  four  miles  to  reach  my  own 
door  !  It's  too  bad — it's  eeny  most  too  bad  !  " 

"  Oh  !  dat  might  be  a  trifle,  compared  to  vhat  it  vould 
be  to  haf  peen  drundelled  out  of  your  farm." 

"  I  know't !— I  know't !— I  understand  it !— it's  all  meant 
for  the  good  cause — to  put  down  aristocracy,  and  make 
men  raa'ly  equal  as  the  law  intends  them  to  be— but  this  I 
say  is  eeny  most  too  bad  ! " 

"  Und  you  so  olt !  " 

"  Seventy-six,  if  I'm  a  day.  My  time  can't  be  long,  and 
my  legs  is  weak,  they  be.  Yes,  the  Bible  says  a  man's  time 
is  limited  pretty  much  to  threescore-and-ten— and  I'll  never 
stand  out  ag'in  the  Bible." 

"  Und  vhat  might  der  Piple  say  apout  vanting  to  haf 
your  neighpors'  goots  ?" 

"  It  cries  that  down  dreadfully  !  Yes,  there's  plenty  of 
that  in  the  good  book,  I  know  from  havin'  heard  it  read — 
ay,  and  havin'  read  it  myself,  these  threescore  years  ;  it  doos 
cry  it  down,  the  most  awfully.  I  shall  tell  the  Injins  this, 
the  next  time  they  want  my  wagon.  There's  Bible  ag'in 
all  sich  practices." 

"  Der  Piple  ist  a  good  pook." 

"That  it  is — that  it  is — and  great  is  the  consolation  and 
hope  that  I  have  known  drawn  from  its  pages.  I'm  glad  to 
find  that  they  set  store  by  the  Bible  in  Jarmany.  I  was 
pretty  much  of  the  notion,  we  had  most  of  the  religion 
that's  goin',  in  Ameriky,  and  it's  pleasant  to  find  there  is 
some  in  Jarmany." 

All  this  time  old  Holmes  was  puffing  along  on  foot,  my 
uncle  Ro  walking  his  horse,  in  order  to  enjoy  his  discourse. 

"  Oh  !  ja — ja,  ja — dere  might  be  some  religion  left  in  der 
olt  worlt — de  Puritans,  as  you  might  call  dem,  did  not 
pring  it  all  away." 

"  Desp'rate  good  people  them  !  We  got  all  our  best  sar- 
cu instances  from  our  Puritan  forefathers.  Some  folks  say 
that  all  America  has  got,  is  owing  to  them  very  saints ! " 

"  Ja — und  if  it  bees  not  so,  nefer  mind  ;  for  dey  will  be 
sartain  to  get  all  Ameriky." 


THE  REDSKIN'S.  24$ 

Holmes  was  mystified,  but  he  kept  tugging  on,  casting 
wistful  glances  at  our  wagon,  as  he  endeavored  to  keep  up 
with  it.  Fearful  we  might  trot  on  and  leave  him,  the  old  man 
continued  the  discourse.  "  Yes,"  he  said,  "  our  authority 
for  everything  must  come  from  the  Bible,  a'ter  all.  It  tells 
us  we  hadn't  ought  to  bear  malice,  and  that's  a  rule  I  en- 
divor  to  act  up  to  ;  for  an  old  man,  you  see,  can't  indulge 
his  sinful  natur'  if  he  would.  Now  I've  been  down  to 
Little  Neest  to  attend  a  Down-Rent  meetin',—  but  I  bear 
no  more  malice  ag'in  Hugh  Littlepage,  not  I,  no  more  than 
if  he  weren't  a  bit  of  my  landlord  !  All  I  want  of  him  is 
my  farm,  on  such  a  lay  as  I  can  live  by,  and  the  b'ys  a'ter 
me.  I  look  on  it  as  dreadful  hard  and  oppressive  that  the 
Littlepages  should  refuse  to  let  us  have  the  place,  seem' 
that  I  have  worked  it  now  for  the  tarm  of  three  whull 
lives." 

"  Und  dey  agreet  dat  dey  might  sell  you  de  farm,  when 
dem  dree  lifes  wast  up  ?  " 

"No,  not  in  downright  language  they  didn't,  as  I  must 
allow.  In  the  way  of  bargain,  I  must  own  the  advantage 
is  altogether  on  the  side  of  Littlepage.  That  was  his 
grand'ther's  act ;  and  if  you  wun't  drive  quite  so  fast,  as 
I'm  getting  a  little  our,  of  wind,  I'll  tell  you  all  about  it. 
That  is  just  what  we  complain  on  ;  the  bargain  being  so 
much  in  his  favor.  Now  my  lives  have  hung  on  desp'rately, 
haven't  they,  Shabbakuk  ? "  appealing  to  Tubbs.  "  It's  every 
hour  of  forty-five  years  sin'  I  tuck  that  lease,  and  one  life, 
that  of  my  old  woman,  is  still  in  bein',  as  they  call  it,  though 
it's  a  sort  of  bein'  that  a  body  might  as  well  not  have  as 
have.  She  can't  stand  it  a  great  while  longer,  and  then 
that  farm  that  I  set  so  much  store  by,  out  of  which  I've 
made  my  livelihood  most  of  my  life,  and  on  which  I've 
brought  up  fourteen  children,  will  go  out  of  my  hands  to 
enrich  Hugh  Littlepage,  who's  got  so  much  now  he  can't 
spend  it  at  hum  like  honest  folks,  but  must  go  abroad,  to 
waste  it  in  riotous  living,  as  they  tell  us.  Yes,  onless  the 
Governor  and  the  Legislature  helps  me  out  of  my  difficulty, 
I  don't  see  but  Hugh  Littlepage  must  get  it  all,  making 
the  '  rich  richer,  and  the  poor  poorer.'  " 

"Und  vhy  must  dis  cruel  ding  come  to  pass  ?  Vhy  might 
not  mans  keep  his  own  in  Ameriky?" 

"  That's  jest  it,  you  see.  It  isn't  my  own,  in  law,  only  by 
natur',  like,  and  the  'speret  of  the  institutions,'  as  they 
call  it.  I'm  sure  I  don't  kear  much  how  I  get  it,  so  it  only 
comes.  If  the  Governor  can  only  make  the  landlords  sell, 


250  THE  REDSKINS. 

>r  even  give  away,  he  may  sartainly  count  on  my  support 
providin'  they  don't  put  the  prices  too  high.  I  hate  high 
prices,  which  is  onsuitable  to  a  free  country." 

"  Fery  drue.  I  sooppose  your  lease  might  gif  you  dat 
farm  quite  reasonaple,  as  it  might  be  mate  so  long  ago  ?" 

"  Only  two  shillings  the  acre,"  answered  the  old  fellow, 
ATith  a  knowing  look,  which  as  much  as  boasted  of  the  capital 
bargain  he  had  in  the  affair,  "  or  twenty-five  dollars  a  year 
for  a  hundred  acres.  That's  no  great  matter,  I'm  ready  to 
Allow  ;  but  my  lives  havin'  held  on  so  desp'rately,  until 
land's  got  up  to  forty  dollars  an  acre  about  here,  I  can't 
no  more  expect  sich  another  lay  than  I  can  expect  to  go 
to  Congress.  I  can  rent  that  place,  to-morrow  mornin',  for 
$150  of  as  good  money  as  any  man  can  pay." 

"  Und  how  much  might  you  expect  'Squire  Littlepage 
wroult  ask  on  a  new  lease  ?" 

"  Some  think  as  much  as  $62.50  ;  though  other  some 
think  he  would  let  it  go  to  me  for  $50,  for  three  lives  longer. 
The  old  gin'ral  told  me  when  he  signed  the  lease  that  I  was 
gettin'  a  bargain,  '  but,  niver  mind,'  said  he,  *  if  I  give  you 
good  tarms,  you'll  make  the  better  tenant,  and  I  look  to 
posterity  and  their  benefit  as  much  as  I  do  to  my  own.  If 
I  don't  get  the  advantage  I  might,'  says  he,  'my  children, 
or  my  children's  children,  will.  A  man  musn't  altogether 
live  for  himself  in  this  world,  especially  if  he  has  children.' 
Them  was  good  idees,  wasn't  they  ?" 

"  You  might  not  dink  differently.  Und,  how  moch  woult 
you  love  to  bay  for  a  deet  of  de  farm  ?" 

"  Wa-a-1,  there's  differences  of  opinion  on  that  subject. 
The  most  approved  notion  is,  that  Hugh  Littlepage  ought 
to  be  made  to  give  warrantees,  with  full  covenants,  as  it's 
called  ;  and  covenants  is  all  in  all,  in  a  deed,  you 
know  " 

"  But  might  not  be  in  a  lease  ? "  put  in  uncle  Ro,  some- 
what dryly. 

"  That  depinds — but  some  say  them  deeds  ought  to  be 
given,  if  the  tenants  allow  the  landlords  the  worth  of  the 
land  when  the  patentee  got  it,  and  interest  down  to  the 
present  day.  It  does  not  seem  a  desp'rate  price  to  pay  for 
land,  to  give  principal  and  interest,  and  to  throw  in  all  that 
has  been  paid  beside  ?" 

"  Haf  you  made  a  calculation,  to  see  vhat  it  might  come 
to?" 

"  Shabbakuk  has  ;  tell  the  gentleman,  Shabbakuk,  hotv 
much  you  made  it  come  to,  the  acre." 


THE  REDSKINS.  251 

Shabbakuk  was  a  far  deeper  rogue  than  his  neighbor, 
Holmes.  The  last  was  merely  a  man  of  selfish  and  narrow 
views,  who,  from  passing  a  long  life  with  no  other  object 
before  him  than  that  of  scraping  together  property,  had 
got  his  mind  completely  ensnared  in  the  meshes  of  this 
world's  net ;  whereas,  his  companion  took  the  initiative,  as 
the  French  have  it,  in  knavery,  and  not  only  carried  out, 
but  invented  the  schemes  of  the  wicked.  He  clearly  did 
not  like  this  appeal  to  his  arithmetic,  but  having  no  sus- 
picion to  whom  he  was  talking,  and  fancying  every  man 
in  the  lower  conditions  of  life  must  be  an  ally  in  a  plan  to 
make  the  "  rich  poorer,  and  the  poor  richer,"  he  was  a  little 
more  communicative  than  might  otherwise  have  been  the 
case.  After  reflecting  a  moment,  he  gave  us  his  answer,  read- 
ing from  a  paper  in  his  hand,  on  which  the  whole  sum  had 
been  elaborately  worked  for  the  occasion  of  the  late  meeting. 

"  The  land  was  worth  ten  cents  an  acre,  maybe,  when 
the  first  Littlepage  got  it,  and  that  is  a  liberal  price.  Now 
that  was  eighty  years  since,  for  we  don't  count  old  Her- 
man Mordaunt's  time  as  anything  ;  seeing  that  the  land 
was  worth  next  to  nothin'  in  his  time.  The  interest  on  ten 
cents  at  seven  per  cent,  is  seven  mills  a  year,  or  five  hun- 
dred and  sixty  mills  for  eighty  years.  This  is  without  com- 
pound ;  compound  being  unlawful,  and  nothin'  agin  law 
should  be  taken  into  the  account.  Add  the  ten  cents  to 
the  five  hundred  and  sixty  mills,  and  you  get  six  hundred 
and  sixty  mills,  or  sixty-six  cents.  Now  this  sum,  or  a  sum 
calculated  on  the  same  principles,  all  the  tenants  are  will- 
ing to  pay  for  their  farms,*  and  if  justice  prevails  they  will 
get  'em." 

"  Dat  seems  but  little  to  bay  for  landt  dat  might  now 
rent  for  a  dollar  an  acre  each  year." 

"  You  forgit  that  the  Littlepages  have  had  the  rent  these 
eighty  years,  the  whull  time." 

"  Und  de  denants  haf  hat  de  farms  dese  eighty  years,  de 
whole  time,  too." 

"  Oh  !  we  put  the  land  ag'in  the  work.  If  my  neighbor, 
Holmes,  here,  has  had  his  farm  forty-five  years,  so  the  farm 
has  had  his  work  forty-five  years,  as  an  offset.  You  may 
depind  on't,  the  Governor  and  the  Legislature  understand 
all  that." 

*  In  order  that  the  reader  may  understand  Mr.  Hugh  Littlepage  is  not 
inventing,  I  will  add  that  propositions  still  more  extravagant  than  these, 
have  been  openly  circulated  among  the  anti-renters,  up  and  down  the 
country. — EDITOR. 


252  THE  REDSKINS. 

"  If  dey  does,"  answered  Uncle  Ro,  whipping  his  horse 
into  a  trot,  "dey  must  be  fit  for  deir  high  stations.  It  is 
goot  for  a  country  to  haf  great  governors,  and  great  legis- 
ladors.  Guten  Tag" 

Away  he  went,  leaving  neighbor  Holmes,  Shabbakuk 
Tubbs,  the  Governor  and  Legislature,  with  their  joint 
morals,  wisdom,  logic,  and  philosophy,  in  the  highway  to- 
gether. My  uncle  Ro  shook  his  head,  and  then  he  laughed, 
as  the  absurdity  of  what  had  just  passed  forced  itself  on 
his  imagination. 

I  dare  say  many  may  be  found,  who  have  openly  pro- 
fessed principles  and  opinions  identical,  in  substance,  with 
what  has  just  been  related  here,  who  will  be  disposed  to 
deny  them,  when  they  are  thrown  into  their  faces.  There 
is  nothing  unusual  in  men's  refusing  to  recognize  their 
own  children,  when  they  are  ashamed  of  the  circumstances 
that  brought  them  into  being.  But,  in  the  course  of  this  con- 
troversy, I  have  often  heard  arguments  in  discourse,  and  have 
often  read  them  in  the  journals,  as  they  have  been  put  into 
the  mouths  of  men  in  authority,  and  that,  too,  in  their  public 
communications,  which,  stripped  of  their  very  thin  cover- 
ings, are  pretty  much  on  the  level  with  those  of  Holmes 
and  Tubbs.  I  am  aware  that  no  governor  has,  as  yet;  al- 
luded to  the  hardships  of  the  tenants,  under  the  limited 
leases,  but  it  would  be  idle  to  deny  that  the  door  has  been 
opened  to  principles,  or  want  of  principles,  that  must 
sweep  away  all  such  property  in  the  current  of  reckless 
popular  clamor,  unless  the  evil  be  soon  arrested.  I  say 
evtl)  for  it  must  prove  a  curse  to  any  community  to  break 
down  the  securities  of  property,  as  it  is  held  in  what  has 
hitherto  been  thought  its  most  secure  form,  and,  what  is  of 
still  more  importance  in  a  moral  point  of  view,  all  to  appease 
the  cravings  of  cupidity,  as  they  are  exhibited  in  the  masses. 

We  were  soon  out  of  sight  of  Holmes  and  Tubbs,  and  in 
the  woods.  I  confess  that  I  expected  each  instant  to  over- 
take Hall  in  the  hands  of  the  Injins  ;  for  the  movement 
among  that  class  of  persons  had  appeared  to  me  as  one 
directed  particularly  against  him.  We  saw  nothing  of  the 
sort,  however,  and  had  nearly  reached  the  northern  limits  of 
the  bit  of  forest,  when  we  came  in  sight  of  the  two  wagons 
which  had  been  so  cavalierly  taken  possession  of,  and  of 
the  two  horses  ridden  by  the  mounted  men.  The  whole 
were  drawn  up  on  one  side  of  the  highway,  under  the 
charge  of  a  single  Injin,  in  a  manner  to  announce  that  we 
were  approaching  a  point  of  some  interest 


THE  REDSKINS.  253 

My  uncle  and  myself  fully  expected  to  be  again  stopped, 
as  we  drove  up  to  the  place  just  mentioned  ;  not  only  was 
the  track  of  the  road  left  clear,  however,  but  we  were  suf- 
fered to  pass  without  a  question.  All  the  horses  had  been 
in  a  lather,  as  if  driven  very  hard  ;  though,  otherwise,  there 
was  nothing  to  indicate  trouble,  if  we  except  the  presence 
of  the  solitary  sentinel.  From  this  fellow  neither  signs  nor 
order  molested  us  ;  but  on  we  went  at  Tom  Miller's  horse's 
favorite  amble,  until  we  were  so  near  the  verge  of  the 
wood,  as  to  get  a  view  into  the  open  fields  beyond.  Here, 
indeed,  we  obtained  a  sight  of  certain  movements  that,  I 
confess,  gave  me  some  little  concern. 

Among  the  bushes  that  lined  the  highway,  and  which 
have  been  already  mentioned,  I  got  a  glimpse  of  several 
of  the  "  disguised  and  armed,"  who  were  evidently  lying 
in  ambush.  Their  number  might  have  been  twenty  in  all, 
and  it  was  now  sufficiently  apparent  that  those  who  had 
pressed  the  wagons  had  been  hurrying  forward  to  re-en- 
force their  party.  At  this  point,  I  felt  quite  certain  we 
should  be  stopped  ;  but  we  were  not.  We  were  suffered  to 
pass  without  question,  as  we  had  just  passed  the  wagons 
and  horses,  though  it  must  have  been  known  to  the  party 
that  we  were  fully  aware  of  their  presence  at  that  particu- 
lar spot.  But  on  we  went,  and  were  soon,  unmolested,  in 
the  open  country. 

It  was  not  long,  however,  before  the  mystery  was  ex- 
plained. A  road  descended  from  the  higher  ground, 
which  lay  to  the  westward  of  us,  a  little  on  our  left,  and  a 
party  of  men  was  coming  down  it,  at  a  quick  walk,  which, 
at  the  first  glance,  I  mistook  for  a  detachment  of  the  In- 
jins,  but  which,  at  a  second  look,  I  ascertained  to  be  com- 
posed of  Indians,  or  real  red  men.  The  difference  between 
the  two  is  very  great,  as  every  American  will  at  once  ad- 
mit, though  many  who  read  this  manuscript  will  be  obliged 
to  me  for  an  explanation.  There  is  "  Indian  "  and  "  Injin." 
The  Injin  is  a  white  man,  who,  bent  on  an  unworthy  and 
illegal  purpose,  is  obliged  to  hide  his  face,  and  to  perform 
his  task  in  disguise.  The  Indian  is  a  red  man,  who  is 
neither  afraid  nor  ashamed  to  show7  his  countenance, 
equally  to  friend  or  enemy.  The  first  is  the  agent  of  de- 
signing demagogues,  the  hireling  of  a  discontented  and 
grasping  spirit,  who  mocks  at  truth  and  right  by  calling 
himself  one  who  labors  to  carry  out  "  the  spirit  of  those 
institutions"  which  he  dishonors  and  is  afraid  to  trust; 
while  the  other  serves  himself  only,  and  is  afraid  of  noth- 


254  THE  REDSKINS. 

ing.  One  is  skulking  from,  and  shirking  the  duties  of 
civilization,  while  the  other,  though  a  savage,  is,  at  least, 
true  to  his  own  professions. 

There  they  were,  sure  enough,  a  party  of  some  sixteen 
or  eighteen  of  the  real  aborigines.  It  is  not  an  uncommon 
thing  to  meet  with  an  Indian  or  two,  strolling  about  the 
country  selling  baskets — formerly  it  was  brooms  of  birch, 
but  the  march  of  improvement  has  nearly  banished  so  rude 
a  manufacture  from  the  country — with  a  squaw  or  two  in 
company  ;  but  it  is  now  very  unusual  to  meet  a  true  Indian 
warrior  in  the  heart  of  the  State,  carrying  his  rifle  and 
tomahawk",  as  was  the  case  with  all  those  who  were  so 
swiftly  descending  the  road.  My  uncle  Ro  was  quite  as 
much  astonished  as  I  was  myself  ;  and  he  pulled  up  at  the 
junction  of  the  two  highways,  in  order  to  await  the  arrival 
of  the  strangers. 

''These  are  real  redskins,  Hugh — and  of  a  noble  tribe," 
cried  my  uncle,  as  a  still  nearer  approach  gave  him  a  bet- 
ter and  better  view.  "  Warriors  of  the  West,  out  of  all 
question,  with  one  white  man  in  attendance — what  can 
such  a  party  possibly  want  at  Ravensnest!" 

"  Perhaps  the  anti-renters  intend  to  enlarge  their  plans, 
ar/d  have  a  scheme  to  come  out  upon  us,  with  an  alliance 
formed  with  the  true  sons  of  the  forest — may  they  not  in- 
tend intimidation  ?" 

"  Whom  could  they  thus  intimidate,  but  their  own  wives 
and  children  ?  But,  here  they  come,  in  a  noble  body,  and 
we  can  speak  to  them." 

There  they  did  come,  indeed  ;  seventeen  of  the  finer 
specimens  of  the  Redskins,  as  they  are  now  sometimes  seen 
passing  among  us  in  bodies,  moving  to  or  from  their  dis- 
tant prairies  ;  for  the  white  man  has  already  forced  the  In- 
dian, with  the  bears,  and  the  elk,  and  the  moose,  out  of  the 
forests  of  America,  upon  those  vast  plains. 

What  is  to  be  the  end  of  the  increase  of  this  nation  is 
one  of  the  mysteries  of  Divine  Providence.  If  faithful  to 
the  right,  iijust,  not  in  the  sense  of  yielding  to  the  clamors 
of  the  many,  but  in  the  sense  of  good  laws,  if  true  to  them- 
selves, the  people  of  this  republic  may  laugh  at  European 
interference  and  European  power,  when  brought  to  bear 
on  their  home  interests,  as  so  much  of  the  lumbering  pol- 
icy of  ages  no  longer  suited  to  the  facts  and  feelings  of 
our  own  times,  and  push  on  to  the  fulfilment  of  a  destiny, 
which,  if  carried  out  on  the  apparent  designs  of  the  Ruler 
of  the  earth,  will  leave  that  of  all  other  states  which  have 


THE  REDSKINS.  255 

preceded  us,  as  much  in  the  shade,  as  the  mountain  leaves 
the  valley-  But,  it  must  not  be  forgotten  that  the  bright- 
est dawns  often  usher  in  the  darkest  days  ;  that  the  most 
brilliant  youths  frequently  precede  manhoods  of  disap- 
pointment and  baffled  wishes  ;  that  even  the  professed  man 
of  God  can  fall  away  from  his  vows  and  his  faith,  and  fin- 
ish a  career  that  was  commenced  in  virtue  and  hope,  in 
profligacy  and  sin.  Nations  are  no  more  safe  from  the  in- 
fluence of  temptation  than  individuals,  and  this  has  a  weak- 
ness peculiarly  its  own.  Instead  of  falling  back  on  its 
popular  principle,  in  extremities,  as  its  infallible  safeguard, 
it  is  precisely  in  the  irresponsible  and  grasping  character 
of  that  principle  that  its  danger  is  to  be  apprehended. 
That  principle,  which,  kept  within  the  limits  of  right,  is  so 
admirably  adapted  to  restraining  the  ordinary  workings  of 
cupidity  and  selfishness,  as  they  are  familiarly  seen  in  nar- 
row governments,  when  permitted  to  overrun  the  boun- 
daries placed  for  its  control,  becomes  a  torrent  that  has 
broken  out  of  its  icy  bed,  in  the  spring,  and  completely 
defaces  all  that  is  beneficial  or  lovely,  in  either  nature  or 
art,  that  may  happen  to  lie  in  its  course.  As  yet,  the  ex- 
perience of  two  centuries  has  offered  nothing  so  menacing 
to  the  future  prosperity  of  this  country,  as  the  social  fer- 
mentation which  is  at  this  moment  at  work  in  the  State  of 
New  York.  On  the  result  of  this  depends  the  solution  of 
the  all-important  question,  whether  principles  are  to  rule 
this  republic,  or  men  ;  and  these  last,  too,  viewed  in  their 
most  vulgar  and  repulsive  qualities,  or  as  the  mere  creat- 
ures of  self,  instead  of  being  the  guardians  and  agents  of 
that  which  ought  to  be.  It  is  owing  to  this  state  of  things, 
that  we  have  already  seen  a  Legislature  occupied  with  dis- 
cussing the  modes  of  evading  the  provisions  of  its  own 
laws,  and  men  who  ought  to  stand  before  the  world,  stern 
and  uncompromising  in  their  public  morals,  manifesting  a 
most  pernicious  ingenuity  in  endeavoring  to  master  and 
overreach  each  other  in  wielding  the  arts  of  the  dema- 
gogue. 

As  the  Indians  entered  the  north  and  south  road,  or  that 
in  which  we  had  stopped,  the  whole  party  came  to  a  halt, 
with  characteristic  courtesy,  as  if  to  meet  our  wish  to  speak 
to  them.  The  foremost  of  the  band,  who  was  also  the 
oldest,  being  a  man  of  sixty,  if  not  older,  nodded  his  head, 
and  uttered  the  usual  conventional  salutation  of  "  Sage, 
sago." 

"Sago,"  said  my  uncle,  and  "  Sago"  put  in  I. 


256  THE   REDSKINS. 

"  How  do  ?"  continued  the  Indian,  who  we  now  discov* 
ered  spoke  English.  "  What  call  this  country  ?  " 

"  This  is  Ravensnest.  The  village  of  Little  Nest  is  about 
a  mile  and  a  half  on  the  other  side  of  that  wood." 

The  Indian  now  turned,  and  in  his  deep  guttural  tones 
communicated  this  intelligence  to  his  fellows.  The  infor 
mation  obviously  was  well  received,  which  was  as  much 
as  saying  that  they  had  reached  the  end  of  their  journey. 
Some  conversation  next  succeeded,  delivered  in  brief, 
sententious  remarks,  when  the  old  chief  again  turned  to 
us.  I  call  him  chief,  though  it  was  evident  that  the  whole 
party  was  composed  of  chiefs.  This  was  apparent  by  their 
medals,  their  fine  appearance  generally,  and  by  their  quiet, 
dignified,  not  so  say  lofty  bearing.  Each  of  them  was  in 
a  light  summer  attire,  wearing  the  moccason  and  leggings, 
etc.  ;  the  calico  shirt,  or  a  thin  blanket,  that  was  cast 
around  the  upper  part  of  the  person,  much  as  the  Roman 
may  be  supposed  to  have  worn  his  toga ;  all  carrying  the 
rifle,  the  bright,  well-scoured  tomahawk,  and  the  sheathed 
knife.  Each,  too,  had  his  horn  and  his  bullet-pouch,  and 
some  of  the  more  youthful  were  a  little  elaborate  in  their 
ornaments,  in  the  way  of  feathers,  and  such  presents  as 
they  had  received  on  their  long  journey.  Not  one  of  them 
all,  however,  was  painted. 

"  This  Raven-nest,  eh  ? "  continued  the  old  chief,  speak- 
ing directly,  but  with  sufficient  courtesy. 

"As  I  have  said.  The  village  lies  on  the  other  side  of 
that  wood  ;  the  house  from  which  the  name  is  taken  is  a 
mile  and  a  half  in  the  other  direction." 

This,  too,  was  translated,  and  a  low,  but  general  ex- 
pression of  pleasure  was  given. 

"Any  Injins  'bout  here,  eh  ?"  demanded  the  chief,  look- 
ing so  earnestly  at  the  same  time  as  to  surprise  us  both. 

"Yes,"  answered  my  uncle.  "There  are  Injins — a  party 
is  in  the  edge  of  the  woods,  there,  within  thirty  rods  of  you 
at  this  moment." 

With  great  rapidity  this  fact  was  communicated  to  the 
eager  listeners,  and  there  was  a  sensation  in  the  party, 
though  it  was  a  sensation  betrayed  as  such  feelings  are 
only  betrayed  among  the  aborigines  of  this  part  of  the 
world  ;  quietly,  reservedly,  and  with  a  coldness  amounting 
nearly  to  indifference.  We  were  amused,  however,  at  not- 
ing how  much  more  interest  this  news  awakened  than 
would  probably  have  been  excited  had  these  red-men  beer 
told  a  town  like  London  was  on  the  other  side  of  the  wood 


THE  REDSKINS.  257 

A.S  children  are  known  to  feel  most  interest  in  children,  so 
did  these  children  of  the  forest  seem  to  be  most  alive  to 
an  interest  in  these  unexpected  neighbors,  brethren  of  the 
same  habits  and  race,  as  they  unquestionably  imagined. 
After  some  earnest  discourse  among  themselves,  the  old 
chief,  whose  named  turned  out  to  be  Prairiefire,  once  more 
addressed  himself  to  us. 

"  What  tribe,  eh  ?     Know  tribe  ? " 

"They  are  called  Anti  rent  Injins — a  new  tribe  in  this 
part  of  the  country,  and  are  not  much  esteemed." 

"Bad  Injin,  eh?" 

"  I  am  afraid  so.  They  are  not  honest  enough  to  go  in 
paint,  but  wear  shirts  over  their  faces." 

Another  long  and  wondering  conference  succeeded.  It 
is  to  be  supposed  that  sucli  a  tribe  as  that  of  the  Anti-rent- 
ers was  hitherto  unknown  among  the  American  savages. 
The  first  intelligence  of  the  existence  of  such  a  people 
would  naturally  awaken  great  interest,  and  we  were  soon 
requested  to  show  them  the  way  to  the  spot  where  this  un- 
heard of  tribe  might  be  found.  This  was  going  somewhat 
further  than  my  uncle  had  anticipated,  but  he  was  not  a 
man  to  beat  a  retreat  when  he  had  once  undertaken  an  en- 
terprise. After  a  short  deliberation  with  himself,  he  signi- 
fied his  assent  ;  and  alighting  from  our  wagon,  we  fastened 
Tom  Miller's  horse  to  a  stake  of  one  of  the  fences,  and  set 
off,  on  foot,  as  guides  to  our  new  brethren,  in  seeking  the 
great  tribe  of  the  Anti-renters  !  We  had  not  gone  half  the 
distance  to  the  woods  before  we  met  Holmes  and  Tubbs, 
who,  getting  a  cast  in  another  wagon,  until  they  reached 
the  place  where  their  own  vehicle  was  stationed,  had  re- 
covered that,  and  were  now  on  their  way  home,  apprehen- 
sive that  some  new  freak  of  their  great  allies  might  throw 
them  out  into  the  highway  again.  This  wagon,  our  own 
excepted,  was  the  only  one  that  had  yet  emerged  from  the 
wood,  the  owners  of  some  twenty  others  preferring  to  re- 
main in  the  background  until  the  development  of  the  meet- 
ing between  the  tribes  should  occur. 

"What,  in  natur',  does  all  this  mean?"  exclaimed  old 
Holmes,  as  we  approached  him,  reining  in  his  horse,  for 
the  purposes  of  a  conference.  "  Is  the  governor  sending 
out  ra-al  Injins  ag'in'  us,  in  order  to  favor  the  landlords  ? " 

This  was  taking  a  harsh  and  most  uncharitable  view  of 

the  course  of  the  governor,  for  an  anti-renter  ;  but  that 

functionary  having  made  the  capital  blunder  of  serving, 

altogether,    neither  "  God    nor   Mammon "  in   this   great 

17 


258  THE  REDSKIXS. 

question,  must  expect  to  take  it  right  and  left,  as  neither 
God  nor  Mammon  will  be  very  likely  to  approve  of  his 
course. 

"  Veil,  I  don't  know,"  was  my  uncle's  answer.  "  Dese 
ist  ra-al  red-men,  und  dem  yotmder  ist  ra-al  Injins,  dat's 
all.  Vhat  might  bring  dese  warriors  here,  joost  now,  you 
must  ask  of  demselves,  if  you  wants  to  1'arn." 

"  There  can  be  no  harm  in  asking  ;  I'm  no  way  skeary 
about  redskins,  having  seen  'em  often,  and  my  father  fit 
'em  in  his  day,  as  I've  heern  him  tell.  Sago,  sago." 

"  Sago,"  answered  Prairiefire,  with  his  customary  cour 
tesy. 

"  Where,  in  natur',  do  you  red-men  all  come  from,  and 
where  can  ye  be  goin'  ?" 

It  was  apparent  that  Holmes  belonged  to  a  school  that 
never  hesitated  about  putting  any  question  ;  and  that  would 
have  an  answer,  if  an  answer  was  to  be  got.  The  old  chief 
had  probably  met  with  such  pale-faces  before,  the  un- 
trained American  being  certainly  among  the  most  diligent 
of  all  the  human  beings  of  that  class.  But,  on  the  other 
hand,  the  red-man  regards  the  indulgence  of  a  too  eager 
curiosity  as  womanish,  and  unworthy  of  the  self-command 
and  dignity  of  a  warrior.  The  betraying  of  surprise,  and 
the  indulgence  of  a  curiosity  fit  only  for  squaws,  were  two 
things  that  Prairiefire  had  doubtless  been  early  told  were 
unworthy  of  his  sex  ;  for  to  some  such  in-and-in  breeding 
alone  could  be  referred  the  explanation  of  the  circumstance 
that  neither  Holmes's  manner,  address,  nor  language, 
caused  in  him  the  least  expression  of  emotion.  He  an- 
swered the  questions,  however,  and  that  with  a  coldness 
that  seemed  of  proof. 

"  Come  from  setting  sun — been  to  see  Great  Father,  at 
Washington — go  home,"  was  the  sententious  reply. 

"  But  how  come  ye  to  pass  by  Ravensnest  ? — I'm  afeared 
the  governor,  and  them  chaps  at  Albany,  must  have  a  hand 
in  this,  Shabbakuk." 

What  Shabbakuk  thought  of  the  "  governor,  and  them 
chaps  at  Albany  "  is  not  known,  as  he  did  not  see  fit  to 
make  any  reply.  His  ordinary  propensity  to  meddle  was 
probably  awed  by  the  appearance  of  these  real  redskins. 

"  I  say,  why  do  ye  come  this-a-way  ?"  Holmes  continued, 
repeating  his  question.  "  If  you've  been  to  Washington, 
and  found  him  to  hum  (Anglice,  'at  home  '),  why  didn't  ye 
go  back  by  the  way  ye  come  ? " 

"Come  here  to  find  Injin  ;  got  no  Injin  here,  eh?" 


THE   REDSKIN'S.  259 

"  Injin  ?  why,  of  one  sort  we've  got  more  of  the  critturs 
than  a  body  can  very  well  git  along  with.  Of  what  color 
be  the  Injins  you  want  to  find  ?  Be  they  of  the  pale-face 
natur',  or  be  they  red  like  yourselves  ?" 

"Want  to  find  red-man.  He  ole,  now  ;  like  top  of  dead 
hemlock,  wind  blow  t'rough  his  branches  till  leaf  all  fall 
off." 

"By  George,  Hugh,"  whispered  my  uncle,  "these  red- 
skins are  in  search  of  old  Susquesus  !  "  Then  entirely  for- 
getting the  necessity  of  maintaining  his  broken  English  in 
the  presence  of  his  two  Ravensnest  listeners,  Shabbakuk 
Tubbs  in  particular,  he  turned,  somewhat  inconsiderately 
for  one  of  his  years,  to  the  Prairiefire,  and  hastily  remark- 
ed— 

"I  can  help  you  in  your  search.  You  are  looking  for  a 
warrior  of  the  Onondagoes  ;  one  who  left  his  tribe  a  hun- 
dred summers  ago,  a  red-man  of  great  renown  for  finding 
his  path  in  the  forest,  and  who  would  never  taste  fire-water. 
His  name  is  Susquesus." 

Until  this  moment,  the  only  white  man  who  was  in  com- 
pany with  this  strange  party — strange  at  least  in  our  por- 
tion of  the  State  of  New  York,  though  common  enough, 
perhaps,  on  the  great  thoroughfares  of  the  country — broke 
silence.  This  man  was  an  ordinary  interpreter,  who  had 
been  sent  with  the  party  in  case  of  necessity  ;  but  being 
little  more  acquainted  with  the  ways  of  civilization  than 
those  whom  he  was  to  guide,  he  had  prudently  held  his 
tongue  until  he  saw  that  he  might  be  of  some  use.  We 
afterward  learned  that  the  subagent  who  had  accompanied 
the  chiefs  to  Washington,  had  profited  by  the  wish  of  the 
Indians  to  pay  their  passing  homage  to  the  "  Withered 
Hemlock,  that  still  stands,"  as  they  poetically  called  Sus- 
quesus in  their  own  dialects — for  Indians  of  several  tribes 
were  present — to  pay  a  visit  to  his  own  relatives  in  Massa- 
chusetts, his  presence  not  being  deemed  necessary  in  such 
a  purely  pious  pilgrimage. 

"  You're  right,"  observed  the  interpreter.  "  These  chiefs 
have  not  come  to  look  up  any  tribe,  but  there  are  two  of 
the  ancient  Onondagoes  among  them,  and  their  traditions 
tell  of  a  chief,  called  Susquesus,  that  has  outlived  every- 
thing but  tradition  ;  who  left  his  own  people  long,  long 
ngo,  and  who  left  a  great  name  behind  him  forvartue,  and 
that  is  a  thing  a  redskin  never  forgets." 

"  And  all  these  warriors  have  come  fifty  miles  out  of 
their  way,  to  pay  this  homage  to  Susquesus  ?  " 


260  THE  REDSKINS. 

"  Such  has  been  their  wish,  and  I  asked  permission  oi 
the  Bureau  at  Washington,  to  permit  them  to  come.  It 
costs  Uncle  Sam  $50  or  a  $100  more  than  it  otherwise 
might,  but  such  a  visit  will  do  all  the  warriors  of  the  West 
a  million  of  dollars  of  good  ;  no  men  honor  right  and  jus- 
tice more  than  redskins,  though  it's  in  their  own  fashion." 

"  I  am  sure  Uncle  Sam  has  acted  no  more  than  right- 
eously, as  I  hope  he  always  may  act  as  respects  these  peo- 
ple. Susquesus  is  an  old  friend  of  mine,  and  I  will  lead 
you  to  him." 

"And  who  in  natur'  be  you?"  demanded  Holmes,  his 
curiosity  starting  off  on  a  new  track. 

"Who  am  I? — You  shall  know  who  I  am,"  answered 
uncle  Ro,  removing  his  wig,  an  action  that  I  imitated  on 
the  spot — "I  am  Roger  Littlepage,  the  late  trustee  of  this 
estate,  and  this  is  Hugh  Littlepage,  its  owner."  Old 
Holmes  was  good  pluck  in  most  matters  ;  of  far  better 
stuff  at  the  bottom,  than  the  sneaking,  snivelling,  prating 
demagogue  at  his  side  ;  but  by  this  discovery  he  was  dum- 
founded  !  He  looked  at  my  uncle,  then  he  looked  at  me  ; 
after  which,  he  fastened  a  distressed  and  inquiring  gaze 
on  Shabbakuk.  As  for  the  Indians,  noth withstanding 
their  habitual  self-command,  a  common  "hugh!"  was  ut- 
tered among  them,  when  they  saw  two  men,  as  it  might  be, 
thus  scalping  themselves.  Uncle  Ro  was  excited,  and  his 
manner  was,  in  the  last  degree,  theatrical,  as  with  one 
hand  he  removed  his  cap,  and  with  the  other  his  wig  ;  hold- 
ing the  last,  with  an  extended  arm,  in  the  direction  of  the 
Indians.  As  a  red-man  is  rarely  guilty  of  any  act  of  rude- 
ness, unless  he  mean  to  play  the  brute  in  good  earnest,  it 
is  possible  that  the  Chippewa  toward  whom  the  hand  which 
held  the  wig  was  extended,  mistook  the  attitude  for  an 
invitation  to  examine  that  curious  article,  for  himself.  It 
is  certain  he  gently  forced  it  from  my  uncle's  grasp,  and, 
in  the  twinkling  of  an  eye,  all  the  savages  were  gathered 
round  it,  uttering  many  but  low  and  guarded  expressions 
of  surprise.  Those  men  were  all  chiefs,  and  they  restrained 
their  astonishment  at  this  point.  Had  there  been  any  of 
the  ignoble  vulgar  among  them,  there  is  little  doubt  that 
the  wig  would  have  passed  from  hand  to  hand,  and  been 
fitted  to  a  dozen  heads,  already  shaved  to  receive  it. 


THE  REDSKINS.  46 1 


CHAPTER   XVIII. 

"  The  Gordon  is  gude  in  a  hurry, 

An'  Campbell  is  steel  to  the  bane, 
An'  Grant,  an'  Mackenzie,  an'  Murray, 

An'  Cameron  will  truckle  to  name." — HOGG. 

THE  interruption  of  this  scene  came  from  old  Holmes, 
r;ho  cried  to  his  companion,  on  the  high  key  in  which  it 
was  usual  for  him  to  speak  : 

"  This  is  downright  bad,  Shabbakuk — we'll  never  get 
our  leases  a'ter  this  !" 

"Nobody  can  say" — answered  Tubbs,  giving  a  loud 
hem,  as  if  determined  to  brazen  the  matter  out.  "  Maybe 
the  gentleman  will  be  glad  to  compromise  the  matter.  It's 
ag'in  law,  I  believe,  for  anyone  to  appear  on  the  high- 
way disguised — and  both  the  'Squire  Littlepages,  you'll 
notice,  neighbor  Holmes,  be  in  the  very  middle  of  the  road, 
and  both  was  disguised,  only  a  minute  ago." 

"  That's  true.  D'ye  think  anything  can  be  got  out  o* 
that  ?  I  want  profitable  proceeding." 

Shabbakuk  gave  another  hem,  looked  behind  him,  as  if 
to  ascertain  what  had  become  of  the  Injins,  for  he  clearly 
did  not  fancy  the  real  "  article  "  before  him,  and  then  he 
answered : 

"  We  may  get  our  farms,  neighbor  Holmes,  if  you'll 
agree  as  I'm  willin'  to  do,  to  be  reasonable  about  this  mat- 
ter, so  long  as  'Squire  Littlepage  wishes  to  hearken  to  his 
own  interests." 

My  uncle  did  not  deign  to  make  any  answer,  but,  know- 
ing we  had  done  nothing  to  bring  us  within  the  view  of 
the  late  statute,  he  turned  toward  the  Indians,  renewing 
his  offer  to  them  to  be  their  guide. 

"  The  chiefs  want  very  much  to  know  who  you  are,  and 
how  you  two  came  by  double  scalps,"  said  the  interpreter, 
smiling  like  one  who  understood,  for  his  own  part,  the 
nature  of  a  wig  very  well. 

"  Tell  them  that  this  young  gentleman  is  Hugh  Little- 
page,  and  that  I  am  his  uncle.  Hugh  Littlepage  is  the 
owner  of  the  land  that  you  see  on  every  side  of  you." 

The  answer  was  communicated,  and  we  waited  for  its 
effect  on  the  Indians.  To  our  surprise,  several  of  them 
soon  gathered  around,  evidently  regarding  us  both  with 
interest  and  respect. 


262  THE  REDSKINS. 

"  The  claims  of  a  landlord  seem  to  be  better  understood 
among  these  untutored  savages,  than  among  your  own 
tenants,  Hugh,"  said  my  uncle.  "  But  there  goes  old 
Holmes,  the  inbred  rogue,  and  his  friend  Shabbakuk, 
back  to  the  woods  ;  we  may  have  an  affair  on  hand  with 
his  Injins." 

"  I  think  not,  sir.  It  does  not  appear  to  me  that  there 
is  valor  enough  in  that  tribe,  to  face  this.  In  general,  the 
white  man  is  fully  a  match  for  the  redskin  ;  but  it  may  be 
doubted  whether  chiefs  like  these  would  not  prove  too 
much  for  twice  their  number  of  varlets,  of  the  breed  of 
yonder  skulking  scoundrels." 

"  Why  do  the  chiefs  manifest  so  much  interest  in  us  ?" 
asked  my  uncle,  of  the  interpreter.  "  Is  it  possible  that 
they  pay  so  much  respect  to  us,  on  account  of  our  connec- 
tion with  this  estate  ?  " 

"  Not  at  all — not  at  all.  They  know  the  difference  be- 
tween a  chief  and  a  common  man  well  enough,  it  is  true," 
was  the  answer;  "and  twenty  times,  as  we  have  come 
down  through  the  country,  have  they  expressed  their  sur- 
prise to  me,  that  so  many  common  men  should  be  chiefs, 
among  the  pale-faces  ;  but  they  care  nothing  for  riches. 
He  is  the  greatest  man  among  them,  who  is  best  on  a  war- 
path, and  at  a  council-fire  ;  though  they  do  honor  them 
that  has  had  great  and  useful  ancestors." 

"  But,  they  seem  to  betray  some  unusual  and  extraor- 
dinary interest  in  us,  too  ;  perhaps  they  are  surprised  at 
seeing  gentlemen  in  such  dresses  ? " 

"  Lord,  sir,  what  do  men  care  for  dresses,  that  are  used 
to  see  the  heads  of  factories  and  forts  half  the  time  dressed 
in  skins.  •  They  know  that  there  be  holidays  and  workin'- 
days  ;  times  for  every-day  wear,  and  times  for  feathers  and 
paint.  No — no — they  look  at  you  both,  with  so  much  in- 
terest, on  account  of  their  traditions." 

"  Their  traditions  !  What  can  these  have  to  do  with  us  ? 
We  have  never  had  anything  to  do  with  Indians." 

"  That's  true  of  you,  and  may  be  true  of  your  fathers  ; 
but  it's  not  true  of  some  of  your  ancestors.  Yesterday,  after 
we  had  got  to  our  night's  stopping-place,  two  of  the  chiefs, 
this  smallish  man  with  the  double  plate  on  his  breast,  and 
that  elderly  warrior,  who  has  been  once  scalped,  as  you 
can  see  by  his  crown,  began  to  tell  of  some  of  the  treach- 
eries of  their  own  tribe,  which  was  once  a  Canada  people. 
The  elderly  chief  related  the  adventures  of  a  war-path, 
that  led  out  of  Canada,  across  the  large  waters,  down  to  9 


THE  REDSKINS.  263 

settlement  where  they  expected  to  get  a  great  many  scalps, 
but  where  in  the  end  they  lost  more  scalps  than  they 
found  ;  and  where  they  met  Susquesus,  the  upright  Onon- 
dago,  as  they  call  him  in  that  tongue,  as  well  as  the  Yen- 
geese  owner  of  the  land,  at  this  very  spot,  whom  they 
called  by  a  name  something  like  your  own,  who  was  a 
warrior  of  great  courage  and  skill  by  their  traditions.  They 
suppose  you  to  be  the  descendants  of  the  last,  and  honor 
you  accordingly  ;  that's  all." 

"And,  is  it  possible -that  these  untutored  beings  ha\e 
traditions  as  reliable  as  this  ? " 

"  Lord,  if  you  could  hear  what  they  say  among  them- 
selves, about  the  lies  that  are  read  to  them  out  of  the 
pale-face  prints,  you  would  Tarn  how  much  store  they  set 
by  truth !  In  my  day,  I  have  travelled  through  a  hundred 
miles  of  wilderness,  by  a  path  that  was  no  better,  nor 
any  worse,  than  an  Ind'ian  tradition  of  its  manner  of  run- 
ning ;  and  a  tradition  that  must  have  been  at  least  a  hun- 
dred summers  old.  They  know  all  about  your  forefathers, 
and  they  know  something  about  you,  too,  if  you  be  the 
gentleman  that  finds  the  upright  Onondago,  or  the  With- 
ered Hemlock,  in  his  old  age,  with  a  wigwam,  and  keeps 
it  filled  with  food  and  fuel." 

"  Is  this  possible  !  And  all  this  is  spoken  of,  and  known 
among  the  savages  of  the  Far  West  ? " 

"  If  you  call  these  chiefs  savages,"  returned  the  inter- 
preter, a  little  offended  at  hearing  such  a  term  applied  to 
his  best  friends  and  constant  associates.  "  To  be  sure 
they  have  their  ways,  and  so  have  the  pale-faces  ;  but  Injin 
ways  be  not  so  very  savage,  when  a  body  gets  a  little  used 
to  them.  Now,  I  remember  it  was  a  long  time  before  I 
could  get  reconciled  to  seeing  a  warrior  scalp  his  enemy '; 
but  as  I  reasoned  on  it,  and  entered  into  the  spirit  of  the 
practice,  I  began  to  feel  it  was  all  right." 

I  was  walking  just  in  front  of  my  uncle,  for  we  were  in 
motion  again  on  our  way  to  the  wood,  but  could  not  help 
turning  and  saying  to  him  with  a  smile — 

"  So  it  would  seem  that  this  matter  of  the  '  spirit '  is  to 
be  found  in  other  places  beside  the  legislature.  There  is 
the  '  spirit  of  scalping/  as  well  as  the  '  spirit  of  the  institu- 
tions ! '  ' 

"Ay,  Hugh  ;  and  the  'spirit  of  fleecing,'  as  a  conse- 
quence of  what  is  profanely  termed  the  last.  But  it  may 
be  well  to  go  no  nearer  to  the  wood  than  this  spot.  The 
Irvjins  I  have  told  you  of  are  in  these  bushes  in  front,  and 


£64  THE   REDSKINS. 

they  are  armed  ;  I  leave  you  to  communicate  with  them  in 
any  manner  you  please.  They  are  about  twenty  in  num- 
ber/' 

The  interpreter  informed  his  chiefs  of  what  had  been 
said,  who  spoke  together  in  earnest  consultation  for  a 
moment.  Then  Prairiefire  himself  plucked  a  branch  off 
the  nearest  bush,  and  holding  it  up  he  advanced  close  to 
the  cover,  and  called  out  aloud  in  some  one,  or  in  many  of 
the  different  dialects  with  which  he  was  acquainted.  1 
saw,  by  the  moving  of  the  branches,  that  men  were  in 
the  bushes  ;  but  no  answer  of  any  sort  was  made.  There 
was  one  savage  in  our  band,  who  betrayed  manifest  im- 
patience at  these  proceedings.  He  was  a  large,  athletic 
Iowa  chief,  called  in  English  Flintyheart,  and,  as  we  sub- 
sequently learned,  of  great  reno\vn  for  martial  exploits. 
It  was  always  difficult  to  hold  him  in  when  there  was  a 
prospect  of  scalps,  and  he  was  now  less  restrained  than 
commo'n,  from  the  circumstance  of  his  having  no  superior 
of  his  own  particular  tribe  present.  After  Prairiefire  had 
called  two  or  three  times  in  vain  to  the  party  in  the  cover, 
Flintyheart  stepped  out,  spoke  a  few  words  with  energy 
and  spirit,  terminating  his  appeal  by  a  most  effective,  not 
to  say  appalling,  whoop.  That  sound  was  echoed  back  by 
most  of  the  band,  when  they  all  broke  off,  right  and  left, 
stealing  more  like  snakes  than  bipeds  to  the  fences,  under 
cover  of  which  they  glanced  forward  to  the  wood,  in  which 
every  man  of  them  buried  himself  in  the  twinkling  of  an 
eye.  In  vain  had  the  interpreter  called  to  them,  to  remind 
them  where  they  were,  and  to  tell  them  that  they  might 
displease  their  great  father,  at  Washington,  and  Prairiefire 
stood  his  ground,  exposed  to  any  shot  the  supposed  foe 
might  send  at  him  ;  on  they  went,  like  so  many  hounds 
that  have  struck  a  scent  too  strong  to  be  held  in  restraint 
by  any  whipper-in. 

"They  expect  to  find  Injins,"  said  the  interpreter,  in  a 
sort  of  despair  ;  "  and  there's  no  holdin'  'em  back.  There 
can  be  no  enemies  of  their'n  down  here-a-way,  and  the  agent 
will  be  awfully  angry  if  blood  is  drawn  ;  though  I  shouldn't 
mind  it  a  bit  if  the  party  was  some  of  them  scoundrels, 
the  Sacs  and  Foxes,  whom  it's  often  a  marcy  to  kill.  It's 
different  dow7n  here,  however,  and  I  must  say  I  wish  this 
hadn't  happened." 

My  uncle  and  myself  just  waited  long  enough  to  heai 
this  when  we  rushed  forward,  along  the  highway,  and  en- 
tered the  wood,  joined  by  Prairiefire,  who,  fancying  by  oui 


THE  REDSKINS.  265 

movement  that  all  was  right,  now  raised  such  a  whoop 
himself  as  to  demonstrate  it  was  not  for  want  of  "know- 
ing how"  that  he  had  hitherto  been  silent.  The  road  made 
a  curve  at  the  very  point  where  it  penetrated  the  forest, 
and  being  fringed  with  the  bushes  already  mentioned,  the 
two  circumstances  shut  out  the  view  of  what  was  passing 
behind  the  scenes,  until  we  reached  the  turn,  where  a  com- 
mon halt  of  the  wagons  had  been  made,  when  the  whole 
view  burst  upon  us  at  once  in  all  its  magnificence. 

A  rout  of  a  " grand  army"  could  scarcely  have  been 
more  picturesque  !  The  road  was  lined  with  vehicles  in 
full  retreat,  to  use  a  military  term,  or,  to  speak  in  the 
more  common  parlance,  scampering  off.  Every  whip  was 
in  active  use,  every  horse  was  on  the  run,  while  half  the 
faces  were  turned  behind  their  owners,  the  women  send- 
ing back  screams  to  the  whoops  of  the  savages.  As  for 
the  Injins,  they  had  instinctively  abandoned  the  woods, 
and  poured  down  into  the  highway — speed  like  theirs  de- 
manding open  ground  for  its  finest  display.  Some  had 
leaped  into  wagons,  piling  themselves  up  among  those  virt- 
uous wives  and  daughters  of  that  portion  of  the  honest  yeo- 
manry who  had  collected  to  devise  the  means  of  cheating 
me  out  of  my  property.  But,  why  dwell  on  this  scene, 
since  the  exploits  of  these  Indians,  for  the  last  six  years, 
have  amply  proved  that  the  only  thing  in  which  they  ex- 
cel, is  in  running  away  ?  They  are  heroes  when  a  dozen 
can  get  round  a  single  man  to  tar  and  feather  him  ;  val- 
iant, as  a  hundred  against  five  or  six,  and  occasionally 
murderers,  when  each  victim  can  be  destroyed  by  five  or 
six  bullets,  to  make  sure  of  him.  The  very  cowardice  of 
the  scoundrels  should  render  them  loathsome  to  the  whole 
community  ;  the  dog  that  has  spirit  only  to  hunt  in  packs 
being  cur  at  the  bottom. 

I  must  add  one  other  object  to  the  view,  however. 
Holmes  and  Shabbakuk  brought  up  the  rear,  and  both 
were  flogging  their  devoted  beast  as  if  his  employers — I 
dare  not  call  them  "masters,"  as  I  might  be  accused  of 
aristocracy  for  using  so  offensive  a  term  in  this  age  of 
"common-sense  liberty,  while  "employers  "  is  a  very  signifi- 
cant expression  for  the  particular  occasion — as  if  his  "em- 
ployers," then,  had  left  something  behind  them,  at  "  Little 
Neest,"  and  were  hurrying  back  to  obtain  it  before  it  fell 
into  other  hands.  Old  Holmes  kept  looking  behind,  as  if 
chased  by  the  covenants  of  forty  leases,  while  the  "spirit 
of  the  institutions,"  headed  by  two  governors,  and  "the 


*66  THE  REDSKINS. 

honorable  gentleman  from  Albany,"  was  in  full  pursuit. 
If  the  "  spirit  of  the  institutions  "  was  really  there,  it  was 
quite  alone  ;  for  I  looked  in  vain  for  the  exhibition  of  any 
other  spirit.  In  much  less  time  than  it  has  taken  me  to 
write  this  account,  the  road  was  cleared,  leaving  my  uncle, 
myself,  and  Prairiefire,  in  quiet  possession  ;  the  latter  ut- 
tering a  very  significant  "  hugh  !  "  as  the  last  wagon  went 
out  of  sight  in  a  cloud  of  dust. 

It  was  but  a  moment,  however,  before  our  own  tribe,  or 
tribes  would  be  more  accurate,  came  down  upon  us,  col- 
lecting in  the  road  at  the  very  spot  where  we  stood.  The 
victory  had  been  bloodless,  but  it  was  complete.  Not  only 
had  the  savage  Indians  completely  routed  the  virtuous  and 
much-oppressed-by-aristocracy  Injins,  but  they  had  capt- 
ured two  specimens  of  virtue  and  depression  in  the  per- 
sons of  as  many  of  the  band.  So  very  significant  and  ex- 
pressive was  the  manner  of  the  captives,that  Flin  ty heart,  into 
whose  hands  they  had  fallen,  not  only  seemed  to  hold  their 
scalps  in  contempt,  but  actually  had  disdained  to  disarm 
them.  There  they  stood,  bundles  of  calico,  resembling 
children  in  swaddling-clothes,  with  nothing  partaking  of 
that  natural  freedom  of  which  their  party  love  to  boast, 
but  their  legs,  which  were  left  at  perfect  liberty,  by  way  of 
a  dernier  resort.  My  uncle  now  assumed  a  little  authority, 
and  commanded  these  fellows  to  take  off  their  disguises. 
He  might  as  well  have  ordered  one  of  the  oaks,  or  maples, 
to  lay  down  its  leaves  before  the  season  came  round  ;  for 
neither  would  obey. 

The  interpreter,  however,  whose  name  was  Many- 
tongues,  rendered  into  English  from  the  Indian  dialects, 
was  a  man  of  surprisingly  few  words,  considering  his  call- 
ing, on  an  occasion  like  this.  Walking  up  to  one  of  the 
prisoners,  he  first  disarmed  him,  and  then  removed  his 
calico  hood,  exposing  the  discomfited  countenance  of 
Brigham,  Tom  Miller's  envious  laborer.  The  "hughs!" 
that  escaped  the  Indians  were  very  expressive,  on  finding 
that  not  only  did  a  pale-face  countenance  appear  from  be- 
neath the  covering,  but  one  that  might  be  said  to  be  some- 
what paler  than  common.  Many  tongues  had  a  good  deal' 
of  frontier  waggery  about  him,  and,  by  this  time  he  began 
to  comprehend  how  the  land  lay.  Passing  his  hand  over 
Josh's  head,  he  coolly  remarked — 

"  That  scalp  would  be  thought  more  of,  in  Iowa,  than  it's 
ra-ally  worth,  I'm  thinking,  if  truth  was  said.  But  let  us 
see  who  we  have  here," 


THE   REDSKINS.  26? 

Suiting  the  action  to  the  words,  as  it  is  termed,  the  inter- 
preter laid  hold  of  the  hood  of  the  other  captive,  but  did 
not  succeed  in  removing  it  without  a  sharp  struggle.  He 
effected  his  purpose,  assisted  by  two  of  the  younger  chiefs, 
who  stepped  forward  to  aid  him.  I  anticipated  the  result, 
for  I  had  early  recognized  the  gore  ;  but  great  was  the 
surprise,  of  my  uncle  when  he  saw  Seneca  Newcome's 
well-known  face  developed  by  the  change  ! 

Seneca— or,  it  might  be  better  now  to  use  his  own  favor- 
ite orthoepy,  and  call  him  Sene/ry,  at  once,  for  he  had  a 
particularly  sneaking  look  as  he  emerged  from  under  the 
calico,  and  this  would  be  suiting  the  sound  to  appearances 
— Seneky,  then,  was  in  a  "mingled  tumult,"  as  it  is  called, 
of  rage  and  shame.  The  first  predominated,  however,  and, 
as  is  only  too  common  in  cases  of  military  disasters,  in- 
stead of  attributing  his  capture  to  circumstances,  the 
prowess  of  his  enemies,  or  any  fault  of  his  own,  he  sought 
to  mitigate  his  own  disgrace  by  heaping  disgrace  on  his 
comrade.  Indeed,  the  manner  in  which  these  men  went 
at  each  other,  as  soon  as  unsacked,  reminded  me  of  two 
game-cocks  that  are  let  out  of  their  bags  within  three  feet 
of  each  other,  with  this  exception — neither  crowed. 

"  This  is  all  your  fault,  you  cowardly  dog,"  said  Seneky, 
almost  fiercely,  for  shame  had  filled  his  face  with  blood. 
"Had  you  kept  on  your  feet,  and  not  run  me  down,  in 
your  haste  to  get  off,  I  might  have  retreated,  and  got  clear 
with  the  rest  of  them." 

This  assault  \vas  too  much  for  Joshua,  who  gained 
spirit  to  answer  by  its  rudeness  and  violence,  not  to  say  in- 
justice ;  for,  as  we  afterward  ascertained,  Newcome  had 
actually  fallen  in  his  eagerness  to  retreat ;  and  Brigham, 
so  far  from  being  the  cause  of  his  coming  down,  had 
only  prevented  his  getting  up,  by  falling  on  top  of  him. 
In  this  prostrate  condition  they  had  further  fallen  into 
the  hands  of  their  enemies. 

"  I  want  nothin'  from  you,  'Squire  Newcome,"  answered 
Joshua  quite  decidedly  as  to  tone  and  manner ;  "your 
character  is  well  known,  all  up  and  down  the  country." 

"  What  of  my  character  ?  What  have  you  got  to  say 
ag'in'  me  or  my  character  ? "  demanded  the  attorney-at- 
law,  in  a  tone  of  high  defiance.  "  I  want  to  see  the  man 
who  can  say  anything  ag'in'  my  character." 

This  was  pretty  well,  considering  that  the  fellow  had 
actually  been  detected  in  the  commission  of  a  felony  ; 
though  I  suppose  that  difficulty  would  have  been  gotten 


-f-jg  THE  REDSKINS. 

over,  in  a  moral  sense,  by  the  claim  of  being  taken  while 
struggling  in  defence  of  human  rights,  and  the  '•  spirit  of 
the  institutions."  The  defiance  was  too  much  for  Brig- 
ham's  patience,  and  being  fully  assured,  by  this  time,  that 
he  was  not  in  much  danger  of  being  scalped,  he  turned 
upon  Seneca,  and  cried,  with  something  more  than  spirit, 
with  downright  rancor : 

"  You're  a  pretty  fri'nd  of  the  poor  man,  and  of  the 
people,  if  truth  must  be  said,  an't  you  ?  Everybody  in  the 
county  that's  in  want  of  money  knows  what  you  be,  you 
d d  shaver." 

As  the  last  words  came  out,  Seneky's  fist  went  in  upon 
Brigham's  nose,  causing  the  blood  to  flow  freely.  My 
uncle  Ro  now  thought  it  time  to.  interfere,  and  he  rebuked 
the  irritated  lawyer  with  dignity. 

"  Why  did  he  call  me  a  d d  shaver,  then  ?"  retorted 

Seneky,  still  angry  and  red.  "  I'll  stand  that  from  no  man." 

"  Why,  what  harm  can  there  be  in  such  a  charge,  Mr. 
Newcome  ?  You  are  a  member  of  the  bar,  and  ougiit  to 
understand  the  laws  of  your  country,  and  cannot  stand  in 
need  of  being  told  that  it  has  been  decided  by  the  highest 
tribunal  of  your  State  that  it  is  no  reproach  to  be  called  a 
shaver  !  Some  of  the  honorable  members  of  that  learned 
body,  indeed,  seem  to  think,  on  the  contrary,  that  it  is 
matter  of  commendation  and  congratulation.  I  am  ashamed 
of  you,  Mr.  Newcome — I'm  quite  ashamed  of  you." 

Seneky  muttered  something,  in  which  I  fancied  I  under- 
stood the  words  "the  Court  of  Errors  be  d d,"  or  "  the 

Court  of  Errors  "  might  go  to  some  very  bad  place,  which 
I  will  not  name ;  but  I  will  not  take  on  myself  that  any 
man  of  decency  could  really  use  such  irreverent  language 
about  a  body  so  truly  eminent,  though  a  person  in  a 
passion  is  sometimes  disposed  to  forget  propriety.  My 
uncle  now  thought  it  time  to  put  an  end  to  this  scene  ; 
and,  without  deigning  to  enter  into  any  explanation,  he 
signified  to  Manytongues  his  readiness  to  lead  his  chiefs 
to  the  point  where  they  desired  to  go. 

"As  to  these  two  Injins,"  he  added,  "their  capture  will 
do  us  no  honor  ;  and  now  we  know  who  they  are,  they  can 
be  taken  at  any  time  by  the  deputy  sheriffs  or  constables. 
It  is  hardly  worth  while  to  encumber  your  march  with  such 
fellows." 

The  chiefs  assented  to  this  proposal,  too,  and  we  quitted 
the  woods  in  a  body,  leaving  Seneky  and  Joshua  on  the 
ground.  As  we  subsequently  learned,  our  backs  were  no 


THE   REDSKINS.  269 

sooner  turned,  than  the  last  pitched  into  the  first,  and 
pounded  him  not  only  until  he  owned  he  was  "  a  shaver," 

but  that  he  was  "a  d d  shaver"  in  the  bargain.  Such 

was  the  man,  and  such  the  class,  that  the  deluded  anti- 
renters  of  New  York  wish  to  substitute,  in  a  social  sense, 
for  the  ancient  landlords  of  the  country  ?  A  pretty  top- 
sheaf  they  would  make  to  the  stack  of  the  community,  and 
admirably  would  the  grain  be  kept  that  was  protected  by 
their  covering !  One  would  like  to  see  fellows  of  this 
moral  calibre  interpreting  their  covenants  ;  and  it  would 
be  a  useful,  though  a  painful  lesson,  to  see  the  change  ef- 
fected for  a  twelvemonth,  in  order  to  ascertain,  after  things 
had  got  back  into  the  old  natural  channel,  how  many  would 
then  wish  to  "  return,  like  the  dog  to  his  vomit,  or  the  sow 
to  her  wallowing  in  the  mire." 

After  giving  some  directions  to  Manytongues,  my  uncle 
and  I  got  into  our  wagon  and  drove  up  the  road,  leaving 
the  Indians  to  follow.  The  rendezvous  was  at  the  Nest, 
whither  we  had  now  determined  to  proceed  at  once  and 
assume  our  proper  characters.  In  passing  the  rectory,  we 
found  time  to  stop  and  run  in,  to  inquire  after  the  welfare 
of  Mr.  and  Miss  Warren.  Great  was  my  joy  at  learning 
they  had  gone  on  to  the  Nest,  where  they  were  all  to  dine. 
This  intelligence  did  not  tend  to  lessen  the  speed  of  Mil- 
ler's horse,  or  my  horse,  it  would  be  better  to  say,  for  I  am 
the  real  owner  of  everything  on  the  Nest  farm,  and  shall 
probably  so  remain,  unless  the  "spirit  of  the  institutions" 
gets  at  my  property  there,  as  well  as  in  other  places.  In 
the  course  of  half  an  hour  we  drove  on  the  lawn,  and 
stopped  at  the  door.  It  will  be  recollected  that  the  Ind- 
ians had  our  wigs,  which  had  been  left  by  my  uncle  and 
myself  in  their  hands,  as  things  of  no  further  use  to  us. 
Notwithstanding  our  dresses,  the  instant  we  presented  our- 
selves without  these  instruments  of  disguise  we  were  rec- 
ognized, and  the  cry  went  through  the  house  and  grounds 
that  "  Mr.  Hugh  had  come  home  !  "  I  confess  I  was  touched 
with  some  signs  of  interest  and  feeling  that  escaped  the 
domestics,  as  well  as  those  who  belonged  out  of  doors, 
when  they  saw  me  again  standing  before  them  in  health, 
if  not  in  good  looks.  My  uncle,  too,  was  welcome  ;  and 
there  were  a  few  minutes  during  which  I  forgot  all  my 
grounds  for  vexation,  and  was  truly  happy. 

Although  my  grandmother,  and  sister,  and  Mary  Warren 
all  knew  what  the  cry  of  "  Mr.  Hugh  has  got  home  "  meant, 
it  brought  everybody  out  upon  the  piazza.  Mr.  Warren 


270  THE   REDSKINS. 

had  related  the  events  of  the  day,  as  far  as  he  was  ac 
quainted  with  them  ;  but  even  those  who  were  in  the  se- 
cret, were  surprised  at  our  thus  returning  unwigged,  and 
in  our  proper  characters.  As  for  myself  I  could  not  but 
note  the  manner  in  which  the  four  girls  came  out  to  meet 
me.  Martha  flew  into  my  embrace,  cast  her  arms  around 
my  neck,  kissing  me  six  or  eight  times  without  stopping. 
Then  Miss  Colebrooke  came  next,  with  Ann  Marston  lean- 
ing on  her  arm,  both  smiling,  though  greatly  surprised, 
and  both  bright,  and  pretty,  and  ladylike.  They  were  glad 
to  see  me,  and  met  my  salutations  frankly  and  like  old 
friends  ;  though  I  could  see  they  did  not  fancy  my  dress 
in  the  least.  Mary  Warren  was  behind  them  all,  smiling, 
blushing,  and  shy  ;  but  it  did  not  require  two  looks  from 
me  to  make  certain  that  her  welcome  was  as  sincere  as 
that  of  my  older  friends.  Mr.  Warren  was  glad  to  have  it 
in  his  power  to  greet  us  openly,  and  to  form  an  acquaint- 
ance with  those  to  whose  return  he  had  now  been  looking, 
with  anxiety  and  hope,  for  three  or  four  years. 

A  few  minutes  sufficed  for  the  necessary  explanations,  a 
part  of  which,  indeed,  had  already  been  made  by  those 
who  were  previously  in  the  secret ;  when  my  dear  grand- 
mother and  Patt  insisted  on  our  going  up  to  our  old  room, 
and  of  dressing  ourselves  in  attire  more  suitable  to  our 
stations.  A  plenty  of  summer  clothes  had  been  left  behind 
us,  and  our  wardrobes  had  been  examined  that  morning  in 
anticipation  of  our  soon  having  need  of  them,  so  that  no 
great  time  was  necessary  to  make  the  change.  I  was  a 
little  fuller  than  when  I  left  home,  but  the  clothes  being 
loose,  there  was  no  difficulty  in  equipping  myself.  I  found 
a  handsome  blue  dress-coat  that  did  very  well,  and  vests 
and  pantaloons  ad  libitum.  Clothing  is  so  much  cheaper 
in  Europe  than  at  home,  that  Americans  who  are  well 
supplied  do  not  often  carry  much  with  them  when  they  go 
abroad  ;  and  this  had  been  a  rule  with  my  uncle  all  his  life. 
Each  of  us,  moreover,  habitually  kept  a  supply  of  country 
attire  at  the  Nest,  which  we  did  not  think  of  removing.  In 
consequence  of  these  little  domestic  circumstances,  as  has 
been  said,  there  was  no  want  of  the  means  of  putting  my 
uncle  and  myself  on  a  level  with  others  of  our  class,  as  re- 
spects outward  appearance,  in  that  retired  part  of  the 
country,  at  least. 

The  apartments  of  my  uncle  and  myself  were  quite  near 
each  other,  in  the  north  wing  of  the  house,  or  that  which 
looked  in  the  direction  of  a  part  of  the  meadows  under 


THE   REDSKINS.  271 

the  cliff,  the  wooded  ravine,  and  the  wigwam,  or  cabin 
of  the  "  Upright  Onondago."  The  last  was  very  plainly 
in  view  from  the  window  of  my  dressing-room  ;  and  I 
was  standing  at  the  latter,  contemplating  the  figures  of 
the  two  old  fellows,  as  they  sat  basking  in  the  sun,  as  was 
their  practice  of  an  afternoon,  when  a  tap  at  the  door 
proved  to  be  the  announcement  of  the  entrance  of  John. 

"Well,  John,  my  good  fellow,"  I  said,  laughingly  ;  "  I 
find  a  wig  makes  a  great  difference  with  your  means  of 
recognizing  an  old  friend.  I  must  thank  you,  neverthe- 
less, for  the  good  treatment  you  gave  me  in  my  character 
of  a  music-grinder." 

"  I  am  sure,  Mr.  Hugh,  you  are  heartily  welcome  to  my 
services,  come  as  you  may  to  ask  them.  It  was  a  most 
surprisingest  deception,  sir,  as  I  shall  ever  hadmit  ;  but  I 
thought  the  whole  time  you  wasn't  exactly  what  you 
seemed  to  be,  as  I  told  Kitty  as  soon  as  I  went  down  stairs : 
' Kitty,'  says  I,  'them  two  pedlers  is  just  the  two  genteel- 
est  pedlers  as  hever  I  see  in  this  country,  and  I  shouldn't 
wonder  if  they  had  known  better  days.'  But,  now  you  have 
been  to  see  the  hanti-renters  with  your  own  eyes,  Mr. 
Hugh,  what  do  you  think  of  them,  if  I  may  be  so  bold  as 
to  ask  the  question  ? " 

"Very  much  as  I  thought,  before  I  had  been  to  see 
them.  They  are  a  set  of  fellows  who  are  canting  about 
liberty,  at  the  very  moment  when  they  are  doing  all  they 
can  to  discredit  its  laws,  and  who  mistake  selfishness  for 
patriotism  ;  just  as  their  backers  in  the  State  government 
are  doing,  by  using  the  same  cant,  when  their  object  is 
nothing  but  votes.  If  no  tenant  had  a  vote,  this  question 
would  never  have  been  raised,  or  dreamt  of — but  I  see 
those  two  old  fellows,  Jaaf  and  Sus,  seem  to  enjoy  them- 
selves still." 

"Indeed  they  do,  sir,  in  the  most  surprisingest  manner! 
They  was  both  antiquities,  as  we  says  in  Hengland,  when 
I  came  to  this  country,  sir — and  that  was  before  you  was 
born,  Mr.  Hugh — an  age  agone.  But  there  they  sits,  sir, 
day  in  and  day  out,  looking  like  monu mentals  of  past  times. 
The  nigger  " — John  had  been  long  enough  in  the  country 
to  catch  the  vernacular — "  The  nigger  grows  uglier  and 
uglier  every  year,  and  that  is  most  of  a  change  I  can  see 
in  him  ;  while  I  do  think,  sir,  that  the  Indian  grows"  'and- 
somer  and  'andsomer.  He's  the  'andsomest  old  gentleman, 
sir,  as  I  know  of,  far  and  near ! " 

"  Old  gentleman  /  "     What  an  expressive  term  that  was, 


272  THE   REDSKINS. 

in  this  case  !  No  human  being  would  ever  think  of  calling 
Jaaf  an  "  old  gentleman,"  even  in  these  "  aristrocratic " 
days,  when  ''gentlemen"  are  plentier  than  blackberries; 
while  any  one  might  feel  disposed  thus  to  describe  Sus- 
quesus.  The  Onondago  was  a  gentleman,  in  the  best  mean- 
ing of  the  word  ;  though  he  may,  and  certainly  did,  want 
a  great  deal  in  the  way  of  mere  conventional  usages.  As 
for  John,  he  never  would  have  used  the  word  to  me,  ex- 
cept in  a  case  in  which  he  felt  the  party  had  a  claim  to 
the  appellation. 

"  Susquesus  is  a  magnificent  sight,  with  his  gray  or  white 
head,  fiery  eyes,  composed  features,  and  impressive  air,"  I 
answered  ;  "  and  Jaaf  is  no  beauty.  How  do  the  old  men 
get  on  together  ?  " 

"  Why,  sir,  they  quarrel  a  good  deal — that  is,  the  nigger 
quarrels  ;  though  the  Indian  is  too  much  above  him  to 
mind  what  he  says.  Nor  will  I  say  that  Yop  actually 
quarrels,  sir,  for  he  has  the  greatest  possible  regard  for  his 
friend  ;  but  he  aggravates  in  the  most  surprisingest  manner 
— just  like  a  nigger,  howsever,  I  do  suppose." 

"  They  have  wanted  for  nothing,  I  trust,  during  my  ab- 
sence. Their  table  and  other  comforts  have  been  seen  to 
carefully,  I  hope  ? " 

"  No  fear  of  that,  sir,  so  long  as  Mrs.  Littlepage  lives ! 
She  has  the  aifection  of  a  child  for  the  old  men,  and  has 
everything  provided  for  them  that  they  can  possibly  want. 
Betty  Smith,  sir — you  remember  Betty,  the  widow  of  the 
old  coachman,  that  died  when  you  was  at  college,  sir — 
well,  Betty  has  done  nothing,  these  four  years,  but  look 
after  them  two  old  men.  She  keeps  everything  tidy  in 
their  hut,  and  washes  it  out  twice  a  week,  and  washes  their 
clothes  for  them,  and  darns,  and  sews,  and  cooks,  and 
looks  after  all  their  comforts.  She  lives  hard  by,  in  the 
other  cottage,  sir,  and  has  everything  handy." 

"  I  am  glad  of  that.  Does  either  of  the  old  men  ever 
stray  over  as  far  as  the  Nest  House  now,  John  ?  Before  I 
went  abroad,  we  had  a  visit  from  each,  daily." 

"  That  custom  has  fallen  away  a  little,  sir  ;  though  the 
nigger  comes  much  the  oftenest.  He  is  sure  to  be  here 
once  or  twice  a  week,  in  good  weather.  Then  he  walks 
into  the  kitchen,  where  he  will  sit  sometimes  for  a  whole 
morning  telling  the  hardest  stories,  sir — ha,  ha,  ha  ! — yes, 
sir,  just  the  hardest  stories  one  ever  heard!  " 

"  Why,  what  can  he  have  to  say  of  that  nature,  that  it 
seenib  to  amuse  you  so  ? " 


THE   REDSKINS.  273 

"  According  to  his  notion,  sir,  everything  in  the  country 
is  falling  away,  and  is  inferior  like  to  what  it  may  have 
been  in  his  young  days.  The  turkeys  arn't  so  large,  sir  ; 
and  the  fowls  is  poorer,  sir  ;  and  the  mutton  isn't  so  fat, 
sir  ;  and  sich  sort  of  enormities." 

Here  John  laughed  very  heartily,  though  it  was  plain 
enough  he  did  not  much  fancy  the  comparisons. 

''And  Susquesus,"  I  said,  "  he  does  not  share  in  his 
friend's  criticism  ? " 

"  Sus  never  enters  the  kitchen,  sir,  at  all.  He  knows 
that  all  the  quality  and  upper  class  come  to  the  great  door 
of  the  house,  and  is  too  much  of  a  gentleman  to  come  in 
at  any  other  entrance.  No,  sir,  I  never  saw  Sus  in  the 
kitchen  or  hoffices,  at  all ;  nor  does  Mrs.  Littlepage  'ave 
his  table  set  anywhere  but  in  the  hupper  rooms,  or  on  the 
piazza,  when  she  wishes  to  treat  him  to  anything  nice. 
The  old  gentleman  has  what  he  calls  his  traditions,  sir,  and 
can  tell  a  great  many  stories  of  old  times  ;  but  they  ar'n't 
about  turkeys,  and  'orses,  and  garden-stuff,  and  such 
things  as  Yop  dwells  on  so  much,  and  so  uncomfortably." 

I  now  dismissed  John,  after  again  thanking  him  for  his 
civilities  to  one  of  my  late  appearance,  and  joined  my 
uncle.  When  we  entered  the  little  drawing-room,  where 
the  whole  party  was  waiting  to  meet  us,  previously  to  go- 
ing to  the  table,  a  common  exclamation  of  pleasure  es- 
caped them  all.  Martha  again  kissed  me,  declaring  I  was 
now  Hugh  ;  that  I  looked  as  she  had  expected  to  see  Hugh  ; 
that  she  would  now  know  me  for  Hugh,  and  many  other 
similar  things  ;  while  my  dear  grandmother  stood  and 
parted  my  hair,  and  gazed  into  my  face  with  tears  in  her 
eyes,  for  I  reminded  her  of  her  first-born,  who  had  died  so 
young  !  As  for  the  other  ladies,  the  two  heiress-wards  of 
Uncle  Ro  seemed  smiling  and  friendly,  and  willing  to  re- 
new our  ancient  amicable  relations  ;  but  Mary  Warren 
still  kept  herself  in  the  background,  though  Tthought  by  her 
modest  and  half-averted  eye,  and  flushed  cheeks,  that  she 
sympathized  as  deeply  in  her  friend  Patt's  present  happi- 
ness as  any  of  the  others  ;  possibly  more  deeply. 

Before  we  went  to  the  table  I  sent  a  servant  to  the  top 
of  the  house,  with  orders  to  look  down  the  road,  in  order 
to  ascertain  when  my  red  friends  might  be  expected. 
This  man  reported  that  they  were  advancing  along  the 
highway,  and  would  probably  reach  the  door  in  the  course 
of  half  an  hour.  They  had  stopped  ;  and  he  thought  that 
he  could  perceive,  by  means  of  his  glass,  that  they  were 
18 


274  THE  REDSKINS. 

painting  their  faces,  and  otherwise  arranging  their  toilets, 
in  preparation  for  the  anticipated  interview.  On  receiv- 
ing this  information  we  took  our  seats  at  table,  expecting 
to  be  ready  to  receive  the  chiefs,  as  soon  as  they  should 
arrive. 

Ours  was  a  happy  dinner.  For  the  moment,  the  condi- 
tion of  the  country  and  the  schemes  of  my  tenants  were 
forgotten,  and  we  chatted  of  those  nearer  interests  and 
feelings  that  naturally  presented  themselves  to  our  minds 
at  such  a  time.  At  length  dear  grandmother  pleasantly 
remarked — 

"  You  must  have  an  instinct  for  the  discovery  of  discre- 
tion, Hugh,  for  no  one  could  have  made  a  better  choice 
of  a  confidant  than  you  did,  while  going  to  the  village  this 
morning." 

Mary  blushed  like  an  Italian  sky  at  eventide,  and  looked 
down,  to  conceal  her  confusion. 

"  I  do  not  know  whether  it  was  discretion  or  vanity, 
grandmother,"  was  my  answer,  "  for  I  am  conscious  of 
feeling  an  un-conquerable  reluctance  to  passing  for  a  com- 
mon music-grinder  in  Miss  Warren's  eyes." 

"  Nay,  Hugh,"  put  in  the  saucy  Patt,  "I  had  told  you 
before  that  you  passed  for  a  very  ^common  music-grinder 
in  her  eyes.  As  for  the  grinding,  she  said  but  little  ;  for 
it  was  of  the  flute,  and  of  the  manner  in  which  it  was 
played,  that  Miss  .Warren  spoke  the  most  eloquently." 

The  "  Martha ! ''  of  Mary  Warren,  lowly,  but  half  re- 
proachfully uttered,  showed  that  the  charming  girl  was 
beginning  to  be  really  distressed,  and  my  observant  parent 
changed  the  discourse  by  a  gentle  and  adroit  expedient 
such  as  a  woman  alone  knows  thoroughly  how  to  put  in 
practice.  It  was  simply  handing  Mr.  Warren  a  plate  of 
greengages  ;  but  the  act  was  so  performed  as  to  change 
the  discourse. 

During  the  whole  of  that  meal  I  felt  certain  there  was 
a  secret,  mysterious  communication  between  me  and  Mary 
Warren,  which,  while  it  probably  did  escape  the  notice  of 
otihers,  was  perfectly  evident  to  ourselves.  This  fact  I  felt 
to  be  true ;  while  there  was  a  consciousness  betrayed  in 
Mary's  blushes,  and  even  in  her  averted  eyes,  that  I  found 
extremely  eloquent  on  the  same  subject. 


THE   REDSKINS.  275 


CHAPTER   XIX. 

*'  With  look,  like  patient  Job's,   eschewing  evil  j 

With  motions  graceful  as  a  bird's  in  air  ; 
Thou  art,  in  sober  truth,  the  veriest  devil 

That  e'er  clinched  fingers  in  a  captive's  hair." 

— Red  Jacket. 

ALTHOUGH  an  immense  progress  has  been  made  in  liber- 
ating this  country  from  the  domination  of  England,  in  the 
way  of  opinion  and  usages,  a  good  deal  remains  to  be 
done  yet.  Still,  he  who  can  look  back  forty  years  must 
see  the  great  changes  that  have  occurred  in  very  many 
things  ;  and  it  is  to  be  hoped  that  he  who  lives  forty  years 
hence  will  find  very  few  remaining  that  have  no  better 
reasons  for  their  existence  among  ourselves  than  the 
example  of  a  people  so  remote,  with  a  different  climate, 
different  social  organization,  and  different  wants.  I  am 
for  no  more  condemning  a  usage,  however,  simply  because 
it  is  English,  than  I  am  for  approving  it  simply  because  it 
is  English.  I  wish  everything  to  stand  on  its  own  merits, 
and  feel  certain  that  no  nation  ever  can  become  great,  in 
the  higher  signification  of  the  term,  until  it  ceases  to  imi- 
tate, because  it  is  imitation  of  a  certain  fixed  model.  One 
of  the  very  greatest  evils  of  this  imitative  spirit  is  even 
now  developing  itself  in  what  is  called  the  "progress  "  of 
the  country,  which  is  assailing  principles  that  are  as  old 
as  the  existence  of  man,  and  which  may  almost  be  said  to 
be  eternal  as  social  truths,  at  the  very  moment  that  notions 
derived  from  our  ancestors  are  submitted  to  in  the  highest 
places,  the  Senate  of  the  United  States  for  example,  that 
are  founded  in  facts  which  not  only  have  no  existence 
among  ourselves,  but  which  are  positively  antagonistic  to 
such  as  have.  So  much  easier  is  it  to  join  in  the  hurrah  ! 
of  a  "  progress,"  than  to  ascertain  whether  it  is  making 
in  the  right  direction,  or  whether  it  be  progress  at  all. 
But,  to  return  from  things  of  moment  to  those  of  less 
concern. 

Among  other  customs  to  be  condemned  that  we  have 
derived  from  England,  is  the  practice  of  the  men  sitting 
at  table  after  the  women  have  left  it.  Much  as  I  may  wish 
to  see  this  every-way  offensive  custom  done  away  with,  and 
the  more  polished  and  humanizing  usage  of  all  the  rest  of 
Christendom  adopted  in  its  stead,  I  should  feel  asharp«d 


276  THE   REDSKINS. 

at  finding,  as  I  make  no  doubt  I  should  find  it,  that  ou* 
custom  would  be  abandoned  within  a  twelvemonth  after 
it  might  be  understood  it  was  abandoned  in  England. 
My  uncle  had  long  endeavored  to  introduce  into  our 
own  immediate  circle  the  practice  of  retaining  the  ladies 
at  table  for  a  reasonable  time,  and  of  then  quitting  it 
with  them  at  the  expiration  of  that  time ;  but  it  is  hard 
to  "  kick  against  the  pricks."  Men  who  fancy  it  "  society  " 
to  meet  at  each  other's  houses  to  drink  wine,  and  taste 
wine,  and  talk  about  wine,  and  to  outdo  each  other  in  giv- 
ing their  guests  the  most  costly  wines,  are  not  to  be 
diverted  easily  from  their  objects.  The  hard-drinking  clays 
are  past,  but  the  hard  " talking  days"  are  in  their  vigor. 
If  it  could  be  understood,  generally,  that  even  in  England 
it  is  deemed  vulgar  to  descant  on  the  liquor  that  is  put 
upon  the  table,  perhaps  we  might  get  rid  of  the  practice 
too.  Vulgar  in  England  !  It  is  even  deemed  vulgar  here, 
by  the  right  sort,  as  I  am  ready  to  maintain,  and  indeed 
know  of  my  own  observation.  That  one  or  two  friends 
who  are  participating  in  the  benefits  of  some  particularly 
benevolent  bottle,  should  say  a  word  in  commendation  of 
its  merits,  is  natural  enough,  and  well  enough  ;  no  one  can 
reasonably  find  any  fault  with  such  a  sign  of  grateful  feel- 
ing ;  but  I  know  of  nothing  more  revolting  than  to  see 
twenty  grave  faces  arrayed  around  a  table,  employed  as  so 
many  tasters  at  a  Rhenish  wine  sale,  while  the  cheeks  of 
their  host  look  like  those  of  Boreas,  owing  to  the  process 
of  sucking  syphons. 

When  my  dear  grandmother  rose,  imitated  by  the  four 
bright-faced  girls,  who  did  as  she  set  the  example,  and  said, 
as  was  customary  with  the  old  school,  "  Well,  gentlemen, 
I  leave  you  to  your  wine  ;  but  you  will  recollect  that  you 
will  be  most  welcome  guests  in  the  drawing-room,"  my 
uncle  caught  her  hand,  and  insisted  she  should  not  quit 
us.  There  was  something  exceedingly  touching,  to  my 
eyes,  in  the  sort  of  intercourse,  and  in  the  affection,  which 
existed  between  my  uncle  Ro  and  his  mother.  A  bachelor 
himself,  while  she  was  a  widow,  they  were  particularly 
fond  of  each  other  ;  and  many  is  the  time  that  I  have  seen 
him  go  up  to  her,  when  we  were  alone,  and  pat  her  cheeks, 
and  then  kiss  them,  as  one  might  do  to  a  much-beloved 
sister.  My  grandmother  always  received  these  little  liber- 
ties with  perfect  good  humor,  and  with  evident  affection. 
In  her  turn,  I  have  frequently  known  her  to  approach 
"  Roger,"  as  she  always  called  him,  and  kiss  his  bald  head 


THE   REDSKINS.  277 

In  a  way  that  denoted  she  vividly  remembered  the  time 
when  he  was  an  infant  in  her  arms.  On  this  occasion  she 
yielded  to  his  request,  and  resumed  her  seat,  the  girls  imi- 
tating her,  nothing  loath,  as  they  had  done  in  rising.  The 
conversation  then,  naturally  enough,  reverted  to  the  state 
of  the  country. 

"  It  has  much  surprised  me,  that  the  men  in  authority 
among  us  have  confined  all  their  remarks  and  statements 
to  the  facts  of  the  Rensselaer  and  Livingston  estates,"  ob- 
served my  grandmother,  "  when  there  are  difficulties  exist- 
ing in  so  many  others." 

"  The  explanation  is  very  simple,  my  good  mother,"  an- 
swered Uncle  Ro.  "  The  Rensselaer  estates  have  the 
quarter-sales,  and  chickens,  and  days'  works ;  and  there  is 
much  of  the  ad  captandum  argument  about  such  things,  that 
does  very  well  to  work  up  for  political  effect  ;  whereas,  on 
the  other  estates,  these  great  auxiliaries  must  be  laid  aside. 
It  is  just  as  certain,  as  it  is  that  the  sun  has  risen  this  day, 
that  an  extensive  and  concerted  plan  exists  to  transfer  the 
freehold  rights  of  the  landlords,  on  nearly  every  property 
in  the  State,  to  the  tenants  ;  and  that,  too,  on  conditions 
unjustly  favorable  to  the  last ;  but  you  will  find  noth- 
ing of  the  sort  in  the  messages  of  governors,  or  speeches 
of  legislators,  who  seem  to  think  all  is  said,  when  they  have 
dwelt  on  the  expediency  of  appeasing  the  complaints  of 
the  tenants,  as  a  high  political  duty,  without  stopping  to 
inquire  whether  those  complaints  are  founded  in  right 
or  not.  The  injury  that  will  be  done  to  the  republic,  by 
showing  men  how  much  can  be  effected  by  clamor,  is  of 
itself  incalculable.  It  would  take  a  generation  to  do  away 
the  evil  consequences  of  the  example,  were  the  anti-rent 
combination  to  be  utterly  defeated  to-morrow." 

"  I  find  that  the  general  argument  against  the  landlords 
is  a  want  of  title,  in  those  cases  in  which  nothing  better 
can  be  found," observed  Mr.  Warren.  "The  lecturer,  to- 
day, seemed  to  condemn  any  title  that  was  derived  from 
the  king,  as  defeated  by  the  conquest  over  that  monarch, 
by  the  war  of  the  revolution." 

"A  most  charming  consummation  that  would  have  been 
for  the  heroic  deeds  of  the  Littlepages  !  There  were  my 
father,  grandfather,  and  great-grandfather,  all  in  arms,  in 
that  war  ;  the  two  first  as  general  officers,  and  the  last  as  a 
major  ;  and  the  result  of  all  their  hardships  and  dangers  is 
to  be  to  rob  themselves  of  their  own  property !  I  am  aware 
that  this  silly  pretence  has  been  urged,  even  in  a  court  of 


2jS  THE  REDSKINS. 

justice  ;  but  folly,  and  wrong,  and  madness,  are  not  yet 
quite  ripe  enough  among  us,  to  carry  such  a  doctrine  down. 
As  'coming  events  cast  their  shadows  before,'  it  is  possible 
we  are  to  take  this  very  movement,  however,  as  the  dawn 
of  the  approaching  day  of  American  reason,  and  not  as  a 
twilight  left  by  the  departed  rays  of  a  sun  of  a  period  of 
mental  darkness." 

"  You  surely  do  not  apprehend,  Uncle  Ro,  that  these 
people  can  really  get  Hugh's  lands  away  from  him  !  "  ex- 
claimed Patt,  reddening  with  anxiety  and  anger. 

"  No  one  can  say,  my  dear  ;  for,  certainly,  no  one  is  safe 
when  opinions  and  acts,  like  those  which  have  been  circu- 
lated and  attempted  among  us  of  late  years,  can  be  acted 
on  without  awakening  very  general  indignation.  Look  to 
the  moneyed  classes  at  this  very  moment,  agonized  and 
excited  on  the  subject  of  a  war  about  Oregon — a  thing 
very  little  likely  to  occur,  though  certainly  possible  ;  while 
they  manifest  the  utmost  indifference  to  this  anti-rentism, 
though  the  positive  existence  of  everything  connected  with 
just  social  organization  is  directly  involved  in  its  fate.  One 
is  a  bare  possibility,  but  it  convulses  the  class  I  have 
named  ;  while  the  other  is  connected  with  the  existence  of 
civilized  society  itself  ;  yet  it  has  ceased  to  attract  atten- 
tion, and  is  nearly  forgotten  !  Every  man  in  the  commu- 
nity, whose  means  raise  him  at  all  above  the  common  level, 
has  a  direct  interest  in  facing  this  danger,  and  in  endeav- 
oring to  put  it  down  ;  but  scarcely  any  one  appears  to  be 
conscious  of  the  importance  of  the  crisis.  We  have  only 
one  or  two  more  steps  to  make,  in  order  to  become  like 
Turkey  ;  a  country  in  which  the  wealthy  are  obliged  to 
conceal  their  means,  in  order  to  protect  it  from  the  grasp 
of  the  government  ;  but  no  one  seems  to  care  at  all  about 
it!" 

"  Some  recent  travellers  among  us  have  said  that  we 
have  nearly  reached  that  pass  already,  as  our  rich  affect 
great  simplicity  and  plainness  in  public,  while  they  fill 
their  houses  in  private  with  all  the  usual  evidences  of 
wealth  and  luxury.  I  think  De  Tocqueville,  among  others, 
makes  that  remark." 

*'Ay,  that  is  merely  one  of  the  ordinarily  sagacious  re- 
marks of  the  Europeans,  who,  by  not  understanding  the 
American  history,  confound  causes  and  make  mistakes. 
The  plainness  of  things  in  public  is  no  more  than  an  an- 
cient habit  of  the  country,  while  the  elegance  and  luxury  in 
private  are  a  very  simple  and  natural  consequence  of  the 


THE  REDSKINS.  279 

tastes  of  women  who  live  in  a  state  of  society  in  which 
they  are  limited  to  the  very  minimum  of  refined  habits  and 
intellectual  pleasures.  The  writer  who  made  this  mistake 
is  a  very  clever  man,  and  has  exceeding  merit,  consider- 
ing his  means  of  ascertaining  truth  ;  but  he  has  made  very 
many  similar  blunders." 

"Nevertheless,  Mr.  Littlepage,"  resumed  the  rector,  who 
was  a  gentleman,  in  all  the  senses  of  the  word,  and  knew 
the  world,  and  the  best  part  of  it,  too,  even  while  he  had 
preserved  an  admirable  simplicity  of  character,  "  changes 
have  certainly  taken  place  among  us,  of  the  nature  alluded 
to  by  M.  de  Tocqueville." 

"  That  is  quite  true,  sir ;  but  they  have  also  taken  place 
elsewhere.  When  I  was  a  boy,  I  can  well  remember  to  have 
seen  coaches-and-six  in  this  country,  and  almost  every  man 
of  fortune  drove  his  coach-and-four  ;  whereas,  now  such  a 
thing  is  of  the  rarest  occurrence  possible.  But  the  same 
is  true  all  over  Christendom  ;  for  when  I  first  went  to  Eu- 
rope, coaches-and-six,  with  outriders,  and  all  that  sort  of 
state,  was  an  every-day  thing  ;  whereas,  it  is  now  never,  or 
at  least  very  seldom,  seen.  Improved  roads,  steamboats, 
and  railroads,  can  produce  such  changes,  without  having 
recourse  to  the  oppression  of  the  masses." 

"  I  am  sure,"  put  in  Patt,  laughing,  "  if  publicity  be  what 
Mons.  De  Tocqueville  requires,  there  is  publicity  enough 
in  New  York  !  All  the  new-fashioned  houses  are  so  con- 
structed, with  their  low  balconies  and  lower  windows,  that 
anybody  can  see  in  at  their  windows.  If  what  I  have  read 
and  heard  of  a  Paris  house  be  true,  standing  between  cour 
etjardin,  there  is  infinitely  more  of  privacy  there  than  here  ; 
and  one  might  just  as  well  say  that  the  Parisians  bury 
themselves  behind porte  cochcres,  and  among  trees,  to  escape 
the  attacks  of  the  Faubourg  St.  Antoine,  as  to  say  we  re- 
treat into  our  houses  to  be  fine,  lest  the  mobocracy  would 
not  tolerate  us." 

"  The  girl  has  profited  by  your  letters,  I  see,  Hugh," 
said  my  uncle,  nodding  his  head  in  approbation  ;  "  and 
what  is  more,  she  makes  a  suitable  application  of  her  tui- 
tion, or  rather  of  yours.  No,  no,  all  that  is  a  mistake  ;  and, 
as  Martha  says,  no  houses  are  so  much  in  the  street  as 
those  of  the  new  style  in  our  own  towns.  It  would  be  far 
more  just  to  say  that,  instead  of  retiring  within  doors  to  be 
fine,  as  Patt  calls  it,  unseen  by  envious  neighbors,  the 
Manhattanese,  in  particular,  turn  their  dwellings  wrong 
side  out,  lest  their  neighbors  should  take  offence  at  not  be^ 


28o  THE   REDSKINS. 

ing  permitted  to  see  all  that  is  going  on  within.  But 
neither  is  true.  The  house  is  the  more  showy  because 
it  is  most  under  woman's  control ;  and  it  would  be  just 
as  near  the  truth  to  say  that  the  reason  why  the  American 
men  appear  abroad  in  plain  blue,  and  black,  and  brown 
clothes,  while  their  wives  and  daughters  are  at  home  in 
silks  and  satins — ay,  even  in  modern  brocades — is  an  ap- 
prehension of  the  masses,  as  to  ascribe  the  plainness  of 
street  life,  compared  to  that  within  doors,  to  the  same  cause. 
There  is  a  good  deal  of  difference  between  a  salon  in  the 
Faubourg,  or  the  Chaussee  d'Antin,  and  even  on  the 
Boulevard  des  Italiens.  But,  John  is  craning  with  his 
neck,  out  there  on  the  piazza,  as  if  our  red  brethren  were 
at  hand." 

So  it  was,  in  point  of  fact,  and  everybody  now  rose  from 
table,  without  ceremony,  and  went  forth  to  meet  our 
guests.  We  had  barely  time  to  reach  the  lawn,  the  ladies 
having  run  for  their  hats  in  the  meantime,  before  Prairie- 
fire,  Flintyheart,  Many  tongues,  and  all  the  rest  of  them, 
came  up,  on  the  sort  of  half-trot  that  distinguishes  an  In- 
dian's march. 

Notwithstanding  the  change  in  our  dresses,  my  uncle 
and  myself  were  instantly  recognized,  and  courteously  sa- 
luted by  the  principal  chiefs.  Then  our  wigs  were  gravely 
offered  to  us  by  two  of  the  younger  men  ;  but  we  declined 
receiving  them,  begging  the  gentlemen  who  had  them  in 
keeping  to  do  us  the  honor  to  accept  them  as  tokens  of 
our  particular  regard.  This  was  done  with  great  good- 
will, and  with  a  pleasure  that  was  much  too  obvious  to  be 
concealed.  Half  an  hour  later,  I  observed  that  each  of  the 
young  forest  dandies  had  a  wig  on  his  otherwise  naked 
head,  with  a  peacock's  feather  stuck  quite  knowingly  in 
the  lank  hair.  The  effect  was  somewhat  ludicrous  ;  par- 
ticularly on  the  young  ladies  ;  but  I  saw  that  each  of  the 
warriors  himself  looked  round,  as  if  to  ask  for  the  admira- 
tion that  he  felt  his  appearance  ought  to  awaken  ! 

No  sooner  were  the  salutations  exchanged  than  the  red- 
men  began  to  examine  the  house — the  cliff  on  which  it 
stood — the  meadows  beneath,  and  the  surrounding  ground. 
At  first  we  supposed  that  they  were  struck  with  the  ex- 
tent and  solidity  of  the  buildings,  together  with  a  certain 
air  of  finish  and  neatness  that  is  not  everywhere  seen  in 
America,  even  in  the  vicinity  of  its  better-class  houses ; 
but  Manytongues  soon  undeceived  us.  My  uncle  asked  him 
why  all  the  red-men  had  broken  off,  and  scattered  them- 


THE  REDSKINS.  281 

selves  around  the  buildings,  some  looking  here,  others 
pointing  there,  and  all  manifestly  earnest  and  much  en- 
gaged with  something  ;  though  it  was  not  easy  to  under- 
stand what  that  something  was  ;  intimating  his  supposition 
that  they  might  be  struck  with  the  buildings. 

"  Lord  bless  ye,  no,  sir,"  answered  the  interpreter ; 
"  they  don't  care  a  straw  about  the  house,  or  any  house. 
There's  Flintyheart,  in  particular  ;  he's  a  chief  that  you 
can  no  more  move  with  riches  and  large  housen,  and  sich- 
like  matters,  than  you  can  make  the  Mississippi  run  up 
stream.  When  we  went  to  Uncle  Sam's  house,  at  Wash- 
ington, he  scarce  condescended  to  look  at  it  ;  and  the 
Capitol  had  no  more  effect  on  any  on  'em,  than  if  it  had 
been  a  better  sort  of  wigwam  ;  not  so  much,  for  that 
matter,  as  Injins  be  curious  in  wigwams.  What's  put  'em 
up  on  a  trail  like,  just  now,  is  the  knowledge  that  this  is 
the  spot  where  a  battle  was  fit,  something  like  ninety 
seasons  ago,  in  which  the  Upright  Onondago  was  con- 
sarned,  as  well  as  some  of  their  own  people  on  t'other  side 
— that's  what's  put  'em  in  commotion." 

"  And  why  does  Flintyheart  talk  to  those  around  him 
with  so  much  energy  ;  and  point  to  the  flats,  and  the  cliff, 
and  the  ravine  yonder,  that  lies  beyond  the  wigwam  of 
Susquesus  ?" 

"  Ah  !  is  that,  then,  the  wigwam  of  the  Upright  Onon- 
dago ? "  exclaimed  the  interpreter,  betraying  some  such 
interest  as  one  might  manifest  on  unexpectedly  being  told 
that  he  saw  Mount  Vernon  or  Monticello  for  the  first  time 
in  his  life.  "Well,  it's  something  to  have  seen  that; 
though  it  will  be  more  to  see  the  man  himself  ;  for  all  the 
tribes  on  the  upper  prairies,  are  full  of  his  story  and  his 
behavior.  No  Injin,  since  the  time  of  Tamenund  himself, 
has  made  as  much  talk,  of  late  years,  as  Susquesus,  the  Up- 
right Onondago,  unless  it  'might  be  Tecumthe,  perhaps. 
But  what  occupies  Flintyheart,  just  at  this  moment,  is  an 
account  of  the  battle,  in  which  his  father's  grandfather  lost 
his  life,  though  he  did  not  lose  his  scalp.  That  disgrace, 
he  is  now  telling  on  'em,  he  escaped,  and  glad  enough  is 
his  descendant  that  it  was  so.  It's  no  great  matter  to  an 
Injin  to  be  killed  ;  but  he'd  rather  escape  losing  his  scalp, 
or  being  struck  at  all  by  the  inimy,  if  it  can  possibly  be 
be  made  to  turn  out  so.  Now  he's  talking  of  some  young 
pale-face  that  was  killed,  whom  he  calls  Lover  of  Fun— 
and  now  he's  got  on  some  nigger,  who  he  says  fit  like  a 
devil." 


282  THE  REDSKINS. 

"All  these  persons  are  known  to  us,  by  our  traditions, 
also  !  "  exclaimed  my  uncle,  with  more  interest  than  I  had 
known  him  to  manifest  for  many  a  day.  "  But  I'm  amazed 
to  find  that  the  Indians  retain  so  accurate  an  account  of 
such  small  matters  for  so  long  a  time." 

"  It  isn't  a  small  matter  to  them.  Their  battles  is  sel- 
dom on  a  very  great  scale,  and  they  make  great  account  of 
any  skrimmage  in  which  noted  warriors  have  fallen." 
Here  Manytongues  paused  for  a  minute,  and  listened  at- 
tentively to  the  discourse  of  the  chiefs,  after  which  he  re- 
sumed his  explanations.  "  They  have  met  with  a  great 
difficulty  in  the  house,"  he  continued,  "  while  everything 
else  is  right.  They  understand  the  cliff  of  rocks,  the  po- 
sition of  the  buildings  themselves,  that  ravine  thereaway, 
and  all  the  rest  of  the  things  hereabouts,  except  the 
house." 

"  What  may  be  the  difficulty  with  the  house  ?  Does  it 
not  stand  in  the  place  it  ought  to  occupy  ? " 

"  That's  just  their  difficulty.  It  does  stand  where  it 
ought  to  stand,  but  it  isn't  the  right  sort  of  house,  though 
they  say  the  shape  agrees  well  enough — one  side  out  to  the 
fields,  like  ;  two  sides  running  back  to  the  cliff,  and  the 
cliff  itself  for  the  other.  But  their  traditions  say  that  their 
warriors  indivor'd  to  burn  out  your  forefathers,  and  that 
they  built  a  fire  ag'in  the  side  of  the  buildin',  which  they 
never  would  have  done  had  it  been  built  of  stone,  as  this 
house  is  built.  Thafs  what  partic'larly  puzzles  them." 

"  Then  their  traditions  are  surprisingly  minute  and  ac- 
curate !  The  house  which  then  stood  on,  or  near  this  spot, 
and  which  did  resemble  the  present  building  in  the  ground 
plan,  was  of  squared  logs,  and  might  have  been  set  on  fire, 
and  an  attempt  was  actually  made  to  do  so,  but  was  suc- 
cessfully resisted.  Your  chiefs  have  had  a  true  account  ; 
but  changes  have  been  made-  here.  The  house  of  logs 
stood  near  fifty  years,  when  it  was  replaced  by  this  dwell- 
ing, which  was  originally  erected  about  sixty  years  ago, 
and  has  been  added  to  since,  on  the  old  design.  No,  no — 
the  traditions  are  surprisingly  accurate." 

This  gave  the  Indians  great  satisfaction,  as  soon  as  the 
fact  was  communicated  to  them  ;  and  from  that  instant  all 
their  doubts  and  uncertainty  were  ended.  Their  own 
knowledge  of  the  progress  of  things  in  a  settlement  gave 
them  the  means  of  comprehending  any  other  changes  ; 
though  the  shape  of  this  building  having  so  nearly  corre- 
sponded with  that  of  which  their  traditions  spoke,  they 


THE   REDSKINS.  283 

had  become  embarrassed  by  the  difference  in  the  material. 
While  they  were  still  continuing  their  examinations,  and 
ascertaining  localities  to  their  own  satisfaction,  my  uncle 
and  myself  continued  the  discourse  with  Manytongues. 

"  I  am  curious  to  know,"  said  my  uncle,  ''what  may  be 
the  history  of  Susquesus,  that  a  party  of  chiefs  like  these 
should  travel  so  far  out  of  their  way  to  pay  him  the  hom- 
age of  a' visit.  Is  his  great  age  the  cause  ?" 

"That  is  one  reason,  sartainly  ;  though  there  is  another, 
that  is  of  more  account,  but  which  is  known  only  to  them- 
selves. I  have  often  tried  to  get  the  history  out  of  them, 
but  never  could  succeed.  As  long  as  I  can  remember,  the 
Onondagoes,  and  Tuscaroras,  and  the  Injins  of  the  old  New 
York  tribes,  that  have  found  their  way  up  to  the  prairies, 
have  talked  of  the  Upright  Onondago,  who  must  have 
been  an  old  man  when  I  was  born.  Of  late  years  they 
have  talked  more  and  more  of  him  ;  and  so  good  an  op- 
portunity offering  to  come  and  see  him,  there  would  have 
been  great  disappointment  out  West  had  it  been  neglected. 
His  age  is,  no  doubt,  one  principal  cause  ;  but  there  is 
another,  though  I  have  never  been  able  to  discover  what 
it  is." 

"  This  Indian  has  been  in  communication,  and  connected 
with  my  immediate  family,  now  near,  if  not  quite  ninety 
years.  He  was  with  my  grandfather,  Cornelius  Littlepage, 
in  the  attack  on  Ty,  that  was  made  by  Abercrombie,  in 
1758  ;  and  here  we  are  within  twelve  or  thirteen  years  of 
a  century  from  that  event.  I  believe  my  great-grandfather, 
Herman  Mordaunt,  had  even  some  previous  knowledge  of 
him.  As  long  as  I  can  remember,  he  has  been  a  gray- 
headed  old  man  ;  and  we  suppose  both  he  and  the  negro 
who  lives  with  him  to  have  seen  fully  a  hundred  and  twenty 
years,  if  not  more." 

"  Something  of  importance  happened  to  Susquesus,  or 
the  Trackless,  as  he  was  then  called,  about  ninety-three 
winters  ago  ;  that  much  I've  gathered  from  what  has  fallen 
from  the  chiefs  at  different  times  ;  but  what  that  some- 
thing was,  it  has  exceeded  my  means  to  discover.  At  any 
rate,  it  has  quite  as  much  to  do  with  this  visit,  as  the 
Withered  Hemlock's  great  age.  Injins  respect  years  ;  and 
they  respect  wisdom  highly  ;  but  they  respect  courage  and 
justice  most  of  all.  The  tarm  *  Upright '  has  its  meaning, 
depend  on't." 

We  were  greatly  interested  by  all  this,  as  indeed  were 
my  grandmother  and  her  sweet  companions.  Mary  War- 


284  THE   REDSKINS. 

ren,  in  particular,  manifested  a  lively  interest  in  Susquesus'a 
history,  as  was  betrayed  in  a  brief  dialogue  I  now  had  with 
her,  walking  to  and  fro  in  front  of  the  piazza,  while  the 
rest  of  the  party  were  curiously  watching  the  movements 
of  the  still  excited  savages. 

"  My  father  and  I  have  often  visited  the  two  old  men, 
and  have  been  deeply  interested  in  them,"  observed  this 
intelligent,  yet  simple-minded  girl — "  with  the  Indian,  in 
particular,  we  have  felt  a  strong  sympathy,  for  nothing  is 
plainer  than  the  keenness  with  which  he  still  feels  on  the 
subject  of  his  own  people.  We  have  been  told  that  he  is 
often  visited  by  red-men — or,  at  least,  as  often  as  any  come 
near  him  ;  and  they  are  said  ever  to  exhibit  a  great  rever- 
ence for  his  years,  and  respect  for  his  character." 

"  This  I  know  to  be  true,  for  I  have  frequently  seen  those 
who  have  come  to  pay  him  visits.  But  they  have  usually 
been  merely  your  basket-making,  half-and-half  sort  of  sav- 
ages, who  have  possessed  the  characteristics  of  neither 
race,  entirely.  This  is  the  first  instance  in  which  I  have 
heard  of  so  marked  a  demonstration  of  respect — how  is 
that,  dear  grandmother  ?  can  you  recall  any  other  instance 
of  Susquesus's  receiving  such  a  decided  mark  of  homage 
from  his  own  people  as  this  ? " 

"This  is  the  third  within  my  recollection,  Hugh.  Shortly 
after  my  marriage,  which  was  not  long  after  the  Revolution, 
as  you  may  know,  there  was  a  party  here  on  a  visit  to  Sus- 
quesus.  It  remained  ten  days.  The  chiefs  it  contained 
were  said  to  be  Onondagoes  altogether,  or  warriors  of  his 
own  particular  people  ;  and  something  like  a  misunder- 
standing was  reported  to  have  been  made  up  ;  though 
what  it  was,  I  confess  I  was  too  thoughtless  then  to  in- 
quire. Both  my  father-in-law,  and  my  uncle  Chainbearer, 
it  was  always  believed,  knew  the  whole  of  the  Trackless's 
story,  though  neither  ever  related  it  to  me.  I  do  not  be- 
lieve your  grandfather  knew  it,"  added  the  venerable 
speaker,  with  a  sort  of  tender  regret,  "  or  I  think  I  should 
have  heard  it.  But  that  first  visit  was  soon  after  Susque- 
sus  and  Jaaf  took  possession  of  their  house,  and  it  was  re- 
ported, at  the  time,  that  the  strangers  remained  so  long,  in 
the  hope  of  inducing  Sus  to  rejoin  his  tribe.  If  such  was 
their  wish,  however,  it  failed  ;  for  there  he  is  now,  and 
there  he  has  ever  been  since  he  first  went  to  the  hut." 

"And  the  second  visit,  grandmother — you  mentioned 
that  there  were  three." 

"  Oh  !  tell  us  of  them  all,  Mrs.  Littlepage,"  added  Mary 


THE   REDSKINS.  .  285 

earnestly,  blushing  up  to  the  eyes  the  moment  after  at  her 
own  eagerness.  My  dear  grandmother  smiled  benevolently 
on  both,  and  I  thought  she  looked  a  little  archly  at  us,  as 
old  ladies  sometimes  will,  when  the  images  of  their  own 
youth  recur  to  their  minds. 

"You  appear  to  have  a  common  sympathy  in  these  red- 
men,  my  children,"  she  answered,  Mary  fairly  blushing 
scarlet  at  hearing  herself  thus  coupled  with  me  in  the  term 
"children," — "and  I  have  great  pleasure  in  gratifying 
your  curiosity.  The  second  great  visit  that  Susquesus  re- 
ceived from  Indians  occurred  the  very  year  you  were  born, 
Hugh,  and  then  we  really  felt  afraid  we  might  lose  the  old 
man  ;  so  earnest  were  his  own  people  in  their  entreaties 
that  he  would  go  away  with  them.  But  he  would  not. 
Here  he  has  remained  ever  since,  and  a  few  weeks  ago  he 
told  me  that  here  he  should  die.  If  these  Indians  hope  to 
prevail  any  better,  I  am  sure^ they  will  be  disappointed." 

"  So  he  told  my  father,  also,"  added  Mary  Warren,  "who 
has  often  spoken  to  him  of  death,  and  has  hoped  to  open 
his  eyes  to  the  truths  of  the  gospel." 

"With  what  success,  Miss  Warren?  That  is  a  consunv 
mation  which  would  terminate  the  old  man's  career  most 
worthily." 

"  With  little,  I  fear,"  answered  the  charming  girl,  in  a 
low,  melancholy  tone.  "  At  least,  I  know  that  my  father 
has  been  disappointed.  Sus  listens  to  him  attentively,  but 
he  manifests  no  feeling  beyond  respect  for  the  speaker. 
Attempts  have  been  made  to  induce  him  to  enter  the 
church  before,  but"- 

"  You  were  about  to  add  something,  Miss  Warren,  which 
still  remains  to  be  said." 

"  I  can  add  it  for  her,"  resumed  my  grandmother,  "  for 
certain  I  am  that  Mary  Warren  will  never  add  it  herself. 
The  fact  is,  as  you  must  know,  Hugh,  from  your  own  ob- 
servation, that  Mr.  Warren's  predecessor  was  an  unfaith- 
ful and  selfish  servant  of  the  Church — one  who  did  little 
good  to  any,  not  even  himself.  In  this  country  it  takes  a 
good  deal  in  a  clergyman  to  wear  out  the  patience  of  a 
people ;  but  it  can  be  done  ;  and  when  they  once  get  to 
look  at  him  through  the  same  medium  as  that  with  which 
other  men  are  viewed,  a  reaction  follows,  under  which  he 
is  certain  to  suffer.  We  could  all  wish  to  throw  a  veil 
over  the  conduct  of  the  late  incumbent  of  St.  Andrew's, 
but  it  requires  one  so  much  thicker  and  larger  than  com- 
mon, that  the  task  is  not  easy.  Mary  has  merely  meant 


286  THE  REDSKINS. 

that  better  instruction,  and  a  closer  attention  to  duty,  might 
have  done  more  for  Trackless  twenty  years  ago,  than  they 
can  do  to-day." 

"  How  much  injury,  after  all,  faithless  ministers  can  do 
to  the  Church  of  God  !  One  such  bad  example  unsettles 
more  minds  than  twenty  good  examples  keep  steady." 

"  I  do  not  know  that,  Hugh  ;  but  of  one  thing  I  am  cer- 
tain— that  more  evil  is  done  by  pretending  to  struggle  foi 
the  honor  of  the  Church,  by  attempting  to  sustain  its  un- 
worthy ministers,  than  could  be  done  by  at  once  admitting 
their  offences,  in  cases  that  are  clear.  We  all  know  that 
the  ministers  of  the  altar  are  but  men,  and  as  such  are  to 
be  expected  to  fall — certain  to  do  so  without  Divine  aid — 
but  if  we  cannot  make  its  ministers  pure,  we  ought  to  do 
all  we  can  to  keep  the  altar  itself  from  contamination." 

"  Yes,  yes,  grandmother — but  the  day  has  gone  by  for 
ex  officio  religion  in  the  American  branch  of  the  Church  " 
— here  Mary  Warren  joined  the  other  girls — "  at  least. 
And  it  is  so  best.  Suspicions  may  be  base  and  unworthy, 
but  a  blind  credulity  is  contemptible.  If  I  see  a  chestnut 
forming  on  yonder  branch,  it  would  be  an  act  of  exceeding 
folly  in  me  to  suppose  that  the  tree  was  a  walnut,  though 
all  the  nursery-men  in  the  country  were  ready  to  swear 
to  it." 

My  grandmother  smiled,  but  she  also  walked  away,  when 
I  joined  my  uncle  again. 

"The  interpreter  tells  me,  Hugh,"  said  the  last,  "that 
the  chiefs  wish  to  pay  their  first  visit  to  the  hut  this  even- 
ing. Luckily,  the  old  farm-house  is  empty  just  now,  since 
Miller  has  taken  possession  of  the  new  one;  and  I  have 
directed  Mr.  Manytongues  to  establish  himself  there,  while 
he  and  his  party  remain  here.  There  is  a  kitchen,  all  ready 
for  their  use,  and  it  is  only  to  send  over  a  few  cooking 
utensils,  that  is  to  say,  a  pot  or  two,  and  fifty  bundles  of 
straw,  to  set  them  up  in  housekeeping.  For  all  this  I  have 
just  given  orders,  not  wishing  to  disturb  you,  or  possibly 
unwilling  to  lay  down  a  guardian's  authority  ;  and  there  is 
the  straw  already  loading  up  in  yonder  barn-yard.  In  half 
an  hour  they  may  rank  themselves  among  the  pot- wallop- 
ers of  Ravensnest." 

"Shall  we  go  with  them  to  the  house  before  or  after 
they  have  paid  their  visit  to  Susquesus?" 

"  Before,  certainly.  John  has  volunteered  to  go  over  and 
let  the  Onondago  know  the  honor  that  is  intended  him, 
and  to  assist  him  in  making  his  toilet;  for  the  red-man 


THE   REDSKINS.  287 

would  not  like  to  be  taken  in  undress  any  more  than  an- 
other. While  this  is  doing,  we  can  install  our-  guests  in 
their  new  abode,  and  see  the  preparations  commenced  for 
their  supper.  As  for  the  "  Injins"  there  is  little  to  appre-, 
hend  from  them,  I  fancy,  so  long  as  we  have  a  strong  party 
of  the  real  Simon  Pures  within  call." 

After  this,  we  invited  the  interpreter  to  lead  his  chiefs  to- 
ward the  dwelling  they  were  to  occupy,  preceding  the  party 
ourselves,  and  leaving  the  ladies  on  the  lawn.  At  that  sea- 
son, the  days  were  at  the  longest,  and  it  would  be  pleasant- 
er  to  pay  the  visit  to  the  hut  in  the  cool  of  the  evening 
than  to  go  at  an  earlier  hour.  My  grandmother  ordered  her 
covered  wagon  before  we  left  her,  intending  to  be  present 
at  an  interview  which  everybody  felt  must  be  most  inter- 
esting. 

The  empty  building  which  was  thus  appropriated  to  the 
use  of  the  Indians  was  quite  a  century  old,  having  been 
erected  by  my  ancestor,  Herman  Mordaunt,  as  the  original 
farm-house  on  his  own  particular  farm.  For  a  long  time 
it  had  been  used  in  its  original  character ;  and  when  it  was 
found  convenient  to  erect  another,  in  a  more  eligible  spot, 
and  of  more  convenient  form,  this  old  structure  had  been 
preserved  as  a  relic,  and  from  year  to  year  its  removal  had 
been  talked  of,  but  not  effected.  It  remained,  therefore,  for 
me  to  decide  on  its  fate,  unless,  indeed,  the  "  spirit  of  the 
institutions"  should  happen  to  get  hold  of  it,  and  take  its 
control  out  of  my  hands,  along  with  that  of  the  rest  of  my 
property,  by  way  of  demonstrating  to  mankind  how 
thoroughly  the  great  State  of  New  York  is  imbued  with  a 
love  of  rational  liberty ! 

As  we  walked  toward  the  "old  farm-house,"  Miller  came 
from  the  other  building  to  meet  us.  He  had  learned  that 
his  friends,  the  pedlers,  were  his — what  I  shall  call  myself? 
"  Master"  would  be  the  legal  term,  and  it  would  be  good 
English  ;  but  it  would  give  the  "  honorable  gentleman  " 
and  his  friends  mortal  offence,  and  I  am  not  now  to  learn 
that  there  are  those  among  us  who  deny  facts  that  are  as 
plain  as  the  noses  on  their  faces,  and  who  fly  right  into  the 
face  of  the  law  whenever  it  is  convenient.  I  shall  not,  how- 
ever, call  myself  a  "  boss  "  to  please  even  these  eminent 
statesmen,  and  therefore  must  be  content  with  using  a  term 
that,  if  the  moving  spirits  of  the  day  can  prevail,  will  soon 
be  sufficiently  close  in  its  signification,  and  call  myself  Tom 
Miller's — nothing. 

It  was  enough  to  see  that  Miller  was  a  good  deal  embar- 


288  THE  REDSKINS. 

rassed  with  the  dilemma  in  which  he  was  placed.  For  9 
great  many  years  he  and  his  family  had  been  in  the  employ- 
ment of  me  and  mine,  receiving  ample  pay,  as  all  such  men 
ever  do — when  they  are  so  unfortunate  as  to  serve  a  malig- 
nant aristocrat — much  higher  pay  than  they  would  get  in 
the  service  of  your  Newcomes,  your  Holmeses  and  Tubbs- 
es,  besides  far  better  treatment  in  all  essentials  ;  and  now 
he  had  only  to  carry  out  the  principles  of  the  anti-renters  to 
claim  the  farm  he  and  they  had  so  long  worked,  as  of  right. 
Yes,  the  same  principles  would  just  as  soon  give  this  hire- 
ling my  home  and  farm  as  it  would  give  any  tenant  on  my 
estate  that  which  he  worked.  It  is  true,  one  party  received 
wages,  while  the  other  paid  rent ;  but  these  facts  do  not 
affect  the  principle  at  all ;  since  he  who  received  the  wages 
got  no  other  benefit  from  his  toil,  while  he  who  paid  the 
rent  was  master  of  all  the  crops — I  beg  pardon,  the  boss  of 
all  the  crops.  The  common  title  of  both — if  any  title  at 
all  exist — is  the  circumstance  that  each  had  expended  his 
labor  on  a  particular  farm,  and  consequently  had  a  right 
to  own  it  for  all  future  time. 

Miller  made  some  awkward  apologies  for  not  recogniz- 
ing me,  and  endeavored  to  explain  away  one  or  two  little 
things  that  he  must  have  felt  put  him  in  rather  an  awkward 
position,  but  to  which  neither  my  uncle  nor  myself  at- 
tached any  moment.  We  knew  that  poor  Tom  was  human, 
and  that  the  easiest  of  all  transgressions  for  a  man  to  fall 
into  were  those  connected  with  his  self-love  ;  and  that  the 
temptation  to  a  man  who  has  the  consciousness  of  not 
being  anywhere  near  the  summit  of  the  social  ladder,  is  a 
strong  inducement  to  err  when  he  thinks  there  is  a  chance 
of  getting  up  a  round  or  two  ;  failing  of  success  in  which 
it  requires  higher  feelings,  and  perhaps  a  higher  station, 
than  that  of  Tom  Miller's,  not  to  leave  him  open  to  a  cer- 
tain demoniacal  gratification  which  so  many  experience  at 
the  prospect  of  beholding  others  dragged  down  to  their 
own  level.  We  heard  Tom's  excuses  kindly,  but  did  not 
commit  ourselves  by  promises  or  declarations  of  any  sort 


THE   REDSKINS.  2*0 


CHAPTER    XX. 

"  Two  hundred  years  !  two  hundred  years  ! 

How  much  of  human  power  and  pride, 

What  glorious  hopes,  what  gloomy  fears, 

Have  sunk  beneath  their  noiseless  tide  !  " — PIERPONT. 

IT  wanted  about  an  hour  to  sunset — or  sun-down,  to  use 
our  common  Americanism — when  we  all  left  the  new 
quarters  of  our  red  brethren,  in  order  to  visit  the  huts.  As 
the  moment  approached,  it  was  easy  to  trace  in  the  In- 
dians the  evidence  of  strong  interest ;  mingled,  as  we  fan- 
cied, with  a  little  awe.  Several  of  the  chiefs  had  improved 
the  intervening  time,  to  retouch  the  wild  conceits  that 
they  had  previously  painted  on  their  visages,  rendering 
their  countenances  still  more  appalling.  Flintyheart,  in 
particular,  was  conspicuous  in  his  grim  embellishments  ; 
though  Prairiefire  had  not  laid  any  veil  between  the  eye 
and  his  natural  hue. 

As  the  course  of  my  narrative  will  now  render  it  neces- 
sary to  relate  conversations  that  occurred  in  languages 
and  dialects  of  which  I  know  literally  nothing,  it  may  be 
well  to  say  here,  once  for  all,  that  I  got  as  close  a  transla- 
tion of  everything  that  passed,  as  it  was  possible  to  obtain, 
from  Manytongues  ;  and  wrote  it  all  down,  either  on  the 
spot,  or  immediately  after  returning  to  the  Nest.  This 
explanation  may  be  necessary  in  order  to  prevent  some  of 
those  who  may  read  this  manuscript,  from  fancying  that  I 
am  inventing. 

The  carriage  of  my  grandmother  had  left  the  door,  filled 
with  its  smiling  freight,  several  minutes  before  we  took  up 
our  line  of  march.  This  last,  however,  was  not  done 
without  a  little  ceremony,  and  some  attention  to  order. 
As  Indians  rarely  march  except  in  what  is  called  "  Indian 
file,"  or  singly,  each  man  following  in  the  footsteps  of  his 
leader,  such  was  the  mode  of  advancing  adopted  on  the 
present  occasion.  The  Prairiefire  led  the  line,  as  the 
oldest  chief,  and  the  one  most  distinguished  in  council. 
Flintyheart  was  second,  while  the  others  were  arranged  by 
some  rule  of  precedency  that  was  known  to  themselves. 
As  soon  as  the  line  had  formed,  it  commenced  its  march  ; 
my  uncle,  the  interpreter,  and  myself  walking  at  the  side 
of  Prairiefire,  while  Miller,  followed  by  half-a-dozen  of 


*90  THE  REDSKINS. 

the  curious  from  the  Nest  House  and  the  farm,  followed 
in  the  rear. 

It  will  be  remembered  that  John  had  been  sent  to  the 
hut  to  announce  the  intended  visit.  His  stay  had  been 
much  longer  than  was  anticipated  ;  but  when  the  proces- 
sion had  gone  about  half  the  distance  it  was  to  march,  it 
was  met  by  this  faithful  domestic,  on  his  return.  The 
worthy  fellow  wheeled  into  line,  on  my  flank,  and  commu- 
nicated what  he  had  to  say  while  keeping  up  with  the  col- 
umn. 

"To  own  the  truth,  Mr.  Hugh,"  he  said,  "the  old  man 
was  more  moved  by  hearing  that  about  fifty  Indians  had 
come  a  long  distance  to  see  him  " 

"  Seventeen — you  should  have  said  seventeen,  John  ; 
that  being  the  exact  number." 

"  Is  it,  sir  ?  Well,  I  declared  that  I  thought  there  might 
be  fifty — I  once  thought  of  calling  'em  forty,  sir,  but  it 
then  occurred  to  me  that  it  might  not  be  enough."  All 
this  time  John  was  looking  over  his  shoulder  to  count  the 
grave-looking  warriors  who  followed  in  a  line  ;  and  satis- 
fied of  his  mistake,  one  of  the  commonest  in  the  world  for 
men  of  his  class,  that  of  exaggeration,  he  resumed  his  re- 
port. "  Well,  sir,  I  do  believe  you  are  right,  and  I  have 
been  a  little  hout.  But  old  Sus  was  quite  moved,  sir, 
when  I  told  him  of  the  intended  visit,  and  so  I  stayed  to 
help  the  old  gentleman  to  dress  and  paint ;  for  that  nigger, 
Yop,  is  of  no  more  use  now,  you  know,  sir,  than  if  he  had 
never  lived  in  a  gentleman's  family  at  all.  It  must  have 
been  hawful  times,  sir,  when  the  gentry  of  York  had  noth- 
ing but  niggers  to  serve  'em,  sir." 

"  We  did  pretty  well,  John,  notwithstanding,"  answered 
my  uncle,  who  had  a  strong  attachment  to  the  old  black 
race,  that  once  so  generally  filled  all  the  menial  stations 
of  the  country,  as  is  apt  to  be  the  case  with  all  gentle- 
men of  fifty  ;  "we  did  pretty  well,  notwithstanding  ;  Jaaf, 
however,  never  acted  strictly  as  a  body-servant,  though 
he  was  my  grandfather's  own  man." 

"Well,  sir,  if  there  had  been  nobody  but  Yop  at  the  hut, 
Sus  would  never  have  been  decently  dressed  and  painted 
for  this  occasion.  As  it  is,  I  hope  that  you  will  be  sat- 
isfied, sir,  for  the  old  gentleman  looks  remarkably  well  ; 
— Indian  fashion,  you  know,  sir." 

"  Did  the  Onondago  ask  any  questions  ?  " 

"  Why,  you  know  how  it  is  with  him  in  that  particular, 
Mr.  Hugh.  He's  a  very  silent  person,  is  Susquesus  ;  most 


THE   REDSKINS.  291 

remarkable  so  when  he  'as  any  one  has  can  entertain 
him  with  conversation.  /  talked  most  of  the  time  myself, 
sir,  has  I  commonly  does  when  I  pays  him  a  visit.  Indians 
is  remarkably  silent,  in  general,  I  believe,  sir." 

"  And  whose  idea  was  it  to  paint  and  dress — yours,  or 
the  Onondago's  ? " 

"  Why,  sir,  I  supposes  the  hidear  to  be  Indian,  by  origin, 
though  in  this  case  it  was  my  suggestion.  Yes,  sir,  I  sug- 
gested the  thought ;  though  I  will  not  take  it  on  myself  to 
say  Sus  had  not  some  hinclination  that  way,  even  before  I 
'inted  my  hopinion." 

"  Did  you  think  of  the  paint ! "  put  in  uncle  Ro.  "  I  do 
not  remember  to  have  seen  the  Trackless  in  his  paint  these 
thirty  years.  I  once  asked  him  to  paint  and  dress  on  a 
Fourth  of  July  ;  it  was  about  the  time  you  were  born,  Hugh 
— and  I  remember  the  old  fellow's  answer  as  well  as  if  it 
were  givei  yesterday.  *  When  the  tree  ceases  to  bear 
fruit,'  was  the  substance  of  his  reply,  '  blossoms  only  re- 
mind the  observer  of  its  uselessness.' " 

"  I  have  heard  that  Susquesus  was  once  considered  very 
eloquent,  even  for  an  Indian." 

"  I  remember  him  to  have  had  some  such  reputation, 
though  I  will  not  answer  for  its  justice.  Occasionally,  I 
have  heard  strong  expressions  in  his  brief,  clipping  man- 
ner of  speaking  English — but  in  common,  he  has  been  con- 
ient  to  be  simple  and  taciturn.  I  remember  to  have  heard 
my  father  say  that  when  he  first  made  the  acquaintance  of 
Susquesus,  and  that  must  have  been  quite  sixty  years 
since,  the  old  man  had  great  apprehension  of  being  re- 
duced to  mortifying  necessity  of  making  baskets  and 
brooms  ;  but,  his  dread  on  that  subject  once  removed,  he 
had  ever  after  seemed  satisfied  and  without  care." 

"  Without  care  is  the  condition  of  those  who  have  least, 
I  believe,  sir.  It  would  not  be  an  easy  matter  for  the 
government  of  New  York  to  devise  ways  and  means  to 
deprive  Sus  of  his  farms,  either  by  instituting  suits  for 
title,  destroying  quarter-sales,  laying  taxes,  or  resorting  to 
any  other  of  the  ingenious  expedients  known  to  the  Al- 
bany politics." 

My  uncle  did  not  answer  for  quite  a  minute  ;  when  he 
did,  it  was  thoughtfully  and  with  great  deliberation  of 
manner. 

"  Your  term  of  *  Albany  politics  '  has  recalled  to  my 
mind,"  he  said,  "  a  consideration  that  has  often  forced  it- 
self upon  my  reflections.  There  is  doubtless  an  advantage 


29*  THE  REDSKINS. 

— nay,  there  may  be  a  necessity  for  cutting  up  the  local 
affairs  of  this  country  ;  by  intrusting  their  management 
to  so  many  local  governments  ;  but  there  is,  out  of  all 
question,  one  great  evil  consequent  on  it.  When  legis- 
lators have  the  great  affairs  of  state  on  their  hands,  the 
making  of  war  and  peace,  the  maintaining  of  armies,  and 
the  control  of  all  those  interests  which  connect  one  country 
with  another,  the  mind  gets  to  be  enlarged,  and  with  it 
the  character  and  disposition  of  the  man.  But,  bring  men 
together,  who  must  act,  or  appear  incapable  of  acting,  and 
set  them  at  work  upon  the  smaller  concerns  of  legislation, 
and  it's  ten  to  one  but  they  betray  the  narrowness  of  their 
education  by  the  narrowness  of  their  views.  This  is  the 
reason  of  the  vast  difference  that  every  intelligent  man 
knows  to  exist  between  Albany  and  Washington." 

"  Do  you  then  think  our  legislators  so  much  inferior  to 
those  of  Europe  ? " 

"  Only  as  they  are  provincial ;  which  nine  in  ten  neces- 
sarily are,  since  nine  Americans  in  ten,  even  among  the 
educated  classes,  are  decidedly  provincial.  This  term 
'provincial'  covers  quite  one-half  of  the  distinctive  sins  of 
the  country,  though  many  laugh  at  a  deficiency,  of  which, 
in  the  nature  of  things,  they  can  have  no  notion,  as  purely 
a  matter  of  the  imagination.  The  active  communications 
of  the  Americans  certainly  render  them  surprisingly  little 
obnoxious  to  such  a  charge,  for  their  age  and  geographi- 
cal position.  These  last  disadvantages  produce  effects, 
nevertheless,  that  are  perhaps  unavoidable.  When  you 
have  had  an  opportunity  of  seeing  something  of  the  so- 
ciety of  the  towns,  for  instance,  after  your  intercourse  with 
the  world  of  Europe,  you  will  understand  what  I  mean, 
for  it  is  a  difference  much  more  readily  felt  than  described. 
Provincialism,  however,  may  be  defined  as  a  general 
tendency  to  the  narrow  views  which  mark  a  contracted 
association,  and  an  ignorance  of  the  great  world — not  in 
the  sense  of  station  solely,  but  in  the  sense  of  liberality, 
intelligence,  and  a  knowledge  of  all  the  varied  interests  of 
life.  But,  here  we  are,  at  the  hut." 

There  we  were  sure  enough.  The  evening  was  delight- 
ful. Susquesus  had  seated  himself  on  a  stool,  on  the 
green  sward  that  extended  for  some  distance  around  the 
door  of  his  habitation,  and  where  he  was  a  little  in  shade, 
protected  from  the  strong  rays  of  a  setting,  but  June,  sun. 
A  tree  cast  its  shadow  over  his  person.  Jaaf  was  posted 
on  one  side,  as  no  doubt,  he  himself  thought  best  became 


THE  REDSKINS.  293 

his  color  and  character.  It  is  another  trait  of  human 
nature,  that  while  the  negro  affects  a  great  contempt  and 
aversion  for  the  red-man,  the  Indian  feels  his  own  mental 
superiority  to  the  domestic  slave.  I  had  never  seen  Sus- 
quesus  in  so  grand  costume,  as  that  in  which  he  appeared 
this  evening.  Habitually  he  wore  his  Indian  vestments  ; 
the  leggings,  moccason,  breech-piece,  blanket  or  calico 
shirt,  according  to  the  season  ;  but  I  had  never  before 
seen  him  in  his  ornaments  and  paint.  The  first  consisted 
of  two  medals  which  bore  the  images,  the  one  of  George 
III.,  the  other  of  his  grandfather — of  two  more,  bestowed 
by  the  agents  of  the  republic  ;  of  large  rings  in  his  ears, 
that  dropped  nearly  to  his  shoulders,  and  of  bracelets 
formed  of  the  teeth  of  some  animal,  that,  at  first,  I  was 
afraid  was  a  man.  A  tomahawk  that  was  kept  as  bright 
as  friction  could  make  it,  and  a  sheathed  knife,  were  in 
his  girdle,  while  his  well-tried  rifle  stood  leaning  against  a 
tree  ;  weapons  that  were  now  exhibited  as  emblems  of  the 
past,  since  their  owner  could  scarcely  render  either  very 
effective.  The  old  man  had  used  the  paint  with  unusual 
judgment  for  an  Indian,  merely  tingeing  his  cheeks  with 
a  color  that  served  to  give  brightness  to  eyes  that  had 
once  been  keen  as  intense  expression  could  render  them, 
but  which  were  now  somewhat  dimmed  by  age.  In  other 
respects,  nothing  was  changed  in  the  customary  neat  sim- 
plicity that  reigned  in  and  around  the  cabin,  though  Jaaf 
had  brought  out,  as  if  to  sun,  an  old  livery  coat  of  his 
own,  that  he  had  formerly  worn,  and  a  cocked  hat,  in 
which  I  have  been  told  he  was  wont  actually  to  exhibit 
himself  of  Sundays,  and  holidays  ;  reminders  of  the  supe- 
riority of  a  "  nigger  "  over  an  "  Injin." 

Three  or  four  rude  benches,  which  belonged  to  the  es- 
tablishment of  the  hut,  were  placed  at  a  short  distance  in 
front  of  Susquesus,  in  a  sort  of  semicircle,  for  the  recep- 
tion of  his  guests.  Toward  these  benches,  then,  Prairiefire 
led  the  way,  followed  by  all  the  chiefs.  Although  they 
soon  ranged  themselves  in  the  circle,  not  one  took  his  seat 
for  fully  a  minute.  That  time  they  all  stood  gazing  in- 
tently, but  reverently,  toward  the  aged  man  before  them, 
who  returned  their  look  as  steadily  and  intently  as  it  was 
given.  Then,  at  a  signal  from  their  leader,  who  on  this 
occasion  was  Prairiefire,  every  man  seated  himself.  This 
change  of  position,  however,  did  not  cause  the  silence  to 
be  broken  ;  but  there  they  all  sat,  for  quite  ten  minutes, 
gazing  at  the  Upright  Onondago,  who,  in  his  turn,  kept 


294  THE  REDSKINS. 

his  look  steadily  fastened  on  his  visitors.  It  was  during 
this  interval  of  silence  that  the  carriage  of  my  grand- 
mother drove  up,  and  stopped  just  without  the  circle  of 
grave,  attentive  Indians,  not  one  of  whom  even  turned  his 
head  to  ascertain  who  or  what  caused  the  interruption. 
No  one  spoke  ;  my  dear  grandmother  being  a  profoundly 
attentive  observer  of  the  scene,  while  all  the  bright  faces 
around  her  were  so  many  eloquent  pictures  of  curiosity, 
blended  with  some  gentler  and  better  feelings,  exhibited 
in  the  most  pleasing  form  of  which  humanity  is  suscepti- 
ble. 

At  length  Susquesus  himself  arose,  which  he  did  with 
great  dignity  of  manner,  and  without  any  visible  bodily 
effort,  and  spoke.  His  voice  was  a  little  tremulous,  I 
thought,  though  more  through  feeling  than  age  ;  but,  on 
the  whole,  he  was.  calm,  and  surprisingly  connected  and 
clear,  considering  his  great  age.  Of  course,  I  was  indebted 
to  Manytongues  for  the  interpretation  of  all  that  passed. 

"  Brethren,"  commenced  Susquesus,  "  you  are  welcome 
You  have  travelled  on  a  long,  and  crooked,  and  thorn) 
path,  to  find  an  old  chief,  whose  tribe  ought  ninety  sum- 
mers ago  to  have  looked  upon  him  as  among  the  departed. 
I  am  sorry  no  better  sight  will  meet  your  eyes  at  the  end 
of  so  long  a  journey.  I  would  make  the  path  back  toward 
the  setting  sun  broader  and  straighter  if  I  knew  how.  But 
I  do  not  know  how.  I  am  old.  The  pine  in  the  woods  is 
scarce  older  ;  the  villages  of  the  pale-faces,  through  so 
many  of  which  you  have  journeyed,  are  not  half  so  old  ;  I 
was  born  when  the  white  race  were  like  the  moose  on  the 
hills  ;  here  and  there  one  ;  now  they  are  like  the  pigeons 
after  they  have  hatched  their  young.  When  I  was  a  boy 
my  young  legs  could  never  run  out  of  the  woods  into  a 
clearing  ;  now,  my  old  legs  cannot  carry  me  into  the  woods, 
they  are  so  far  off.  Everything  is  changed  in  the  land,  but 
the  red-man's  heart.  That  is  like  the  rock  which  never 
alters.  My  children,  you  are  welcome." 

That  speech,  pronounced  in  the  deep  husky  tones  of  ex- 
treme old  age,  yet  relieved  by  the  fire  of  a  spirit  that  was 
smothered  rather  than  extinct,  produced  a  profound  im- 
pression. A  low  murmur  of  admiration  passed  among  the 
guests,  though  neither  rose  to  answer,  until  a  sufficient 
time  had  seemed  to  pass,  in  which  the  wisdom  that  they 
had  just  been  listeners  to  might  make  its  proper  impres- 
sion. When  this  pause  was  thought  to  be  sufficiently  long 
tc»  have  produced  its  effect,  Prariefire,  a  chief  more  cele- 


THE   REDSKINS.  295 

brated  in  council  even  than  in  the  field,  arose  to  answer. 
His  speech,  freely  translated,  was  in  the  following  words. 

"  Father  :  your  words  are  always  wise — they  are  always 
true.  The  path  between  your  wigwam  and  our  village  is 
a  long  one — it  is  a  crooked  path,  and  many  thorns  and 
stones  have  been  found  on  it.  But  all  difficulties  may  be 
overcome.  Two  moons  ago  we  were  at  one  end  of  it ;  now 
we  are  at  the  other  end.  We  have  come  with  two  notches 
on  our  sticks.  One  notch  told  us  to  go  to  the  great 
Council  House  of  the  pale-face,  to  see  our  great  pale-face 
father — the  other  notch  told  us  to  come  here,  to  see  our 
great  red  father.  We  have  been  to  the  great  Council 
House  of  the  pale-faces  ;  we  have  seen  Uncle  Sam.  His 
arm  is  very  long  ;  it  reaches  from  the  salt  lake,  the 
water  of  which  we  tried  to  drink,  but  it  is  too  salt,  to  our 
own  lakes,  near  the  setting  sun,  of  which  the  water  is 
sweet.  We  never  tasted  water  that  was  salt  before,  and 
we  do  not  find  it  pleasant.  We  shall  never  taste  it  again  ;  it 
is  not  worth  while  to  come  so  far  to  drink  water  that  is  salt. 

"  Uncle  Sam  is  a  wise  chief.  He  has  many  counsellors. 
The  council  at  his  council-fire  must  be  a  great  council — it 
has  much  to  say.  Its  words  ought  to  have  some  good  in 
them,  they  are  so  many.  We  thought  of  our  red  father 
while  listening  to  them,  and  wanted  to  come  here.  We 
have  come  here.  We  are  glad  to  find  our  red  father  still 
alive  and  well.  The  Great  Spirit  loves  a  just  Indian,  and 
takes  care  of  him.  A  hundred  winters,  in  his  eyes,  are  like 
a  single  winter.  We  are  thankful  to  him  for  having  led  us 
by  the  crooked  and  long  path,  at  the  end  of  which  we  have 
found  the  Trackless — the  Upright  of  the  Onondagoes.  I 
have  spoken." 

A  gleam  of  happiness  shot  into  the  swarthy  lineaments 
of  Susquesus,  as  he  heard,  in  his  own  language,  a  well- 
merited  appellation  that  had  not  greeted  his  ears  for  a 
period  as  long  as  the  ordinary  life  of  man.  It  was  a  title, 
a  cognomen  that  told  the  story  of  his  connection  with  his 
tribe  ;  and  neither  years,  nor  distance,  nor  new  scenes, 
nor  new  ties,  nor  wars,  nor  strifes  had  caused  him  to  forget 
the  smallest  incident  connected  with  that  tale.  I  gazed 
at  the  old  man  with  awe,  as  his  countenance  became  illu- 
minated by  the  flood  of  recollections  that  was  rushing  into 
it,  through  the  channel  of  his  memory,  and  the  expressive 
glance  my  uncle  threw  at  me,  said  how  much  he  was  im- 
pressed also.  One  of  the  faculties  of  Manytongues  was  to 
be  able  to  interpret  pari  passu  with  the  speaker ;  and, 


296  THE  REDSKINS. 

standing  between  us  and  the  carriage,  he  kept  up,  sen' 
tence  by  sentence,  a  low  accompaniment  of  each  speech, 
so  that  none  of  us  lost  a  syllable  of  what  was  said. 

As  soon  as  Prairiefire  resumed  his  seat,  another  silence 
succeeded.  It  lasted  several  minutes,  during  which  the 
only  audible  sounds  were  various  discontented  grunts, 
accompanied  by  suppressed  mutterings  on  the  part  of  old 
Jaaf,  who  never  could  tolerate  any  Indian  but  his  com- 
panion. That  the  negro  was  dissatisfied  with  this  extra- 
ordinary visit  was  sufficiently  apparent  to  us,  but  not  one 
of  all  the  red-men  took  heed  of  his  deportment.  Sus,  who 
was  nearest  to  him,  must  have  heard  his  low  grumbling, 
but  it  did  not  induce  him  to  change  his  look  from  the 
countenances  of  those  in  his  front  for  a  single  moment.  On 
the  other  hand,  the  visitors  themselves  seemed  totally  un- 
conscious of  the  negro's  presence,  though  in  fact  they 
were  not,  as  subsequently  appeared.  In  a  word,  the  Up- 
right Onondago  was  the  centre  of  attraction  for  them,  all 
other  things  being  apparently  forgotten  for  the  time. 

At  length  there  was  a  slight  movement  among  the  red- 
skins, and  another  arose.  This  man  was  positively  the 
least  well-looking  of  the  whole  party.  His  stature  was 
lower  than  that  of  the  rest  of  the  Indians  ;  his  form  was 
meagre  and  ungraceful — the  last  at  least,  while  his  mind 
was  in  a  state  of  rest ;  and  his  appearance,  generally,  was 
wanting  in  that  nobleness  of  exterior  which  so  singularly 
marked  that  of  every  one  of  his  companions.  As  I  after- 
ward learned,  the  name  of  this  Indian  was  Eaglesflight, 
being  so  called  from  the  soaring  character  of  the  eloquence 
in  which  he  had  been  known  to  indulge.  On  the  present 
occasion,  though  his  manner  was  serious  and  his  counte- 
nance interested,  the  spirit  within  was  not  heaving  with  any 
of  its  extraordinary  throes.  Still,  such  a  man  could  not 
rise  to  speak  and  avoid  creating  some  slight  sensation 
among  his  expectant  auditors.  Guarded  as  are  the  red- 
men  in  general  on  the  subject  of  betraying  their  emotions, 
we  could  detect  something  like  a  suppressed  movement 
among  his  friends  when  Eaglesflight  stood  erect.  The 
orator  commenced  in  a  low,  but  solemn  manner,  his  tones 
changing  from  the  deep,  impressive  guttural  to  the  gentle 
and  pathetic,  in  a  way  to  constitute  eloquence  of  itself. 
As  I  listened,  I  fancied  that  never  before  did  the  human 
voice  seem  to  possess  so  much  winning  power.  The  ut- 
terance was  slow  and  impressive,  as  is  usually  the  case 
with  true  orators. 


THE   REDSKINS.  297 

"The  Great  Spirit  makes  men  differently,"  commenced 
Eaglesflight.  "  Some  are  like  willows,  that  bend  with  the 
breeze,  and  are  broken  in  the  storm.  Some  are  pines,  with 
slender  trunks,  few  branches,  and  a  soft  wood.  Now  and 
then  there  is  an  oak  among  them,  which  grows  on  the 
prairie,  stretching  its  branches  a  great  way,  and  making  a 
pleasant  shade.  This  wood  is  hard  ;  it  lasts  a  long  time. 
Why  has  the  Great  Spirit  made  this  difference  in  trees  ? 
— why  does  the  Great  Spirit  make  this  difference  in  men  ? 
There  is  a  reason  for  it.  He  knows  it,  though  we  may  not. 
What  he  does  is  always  right  ! 

"  I  have  heard  orators  at  our  council-fires  complain  that 
things  should  be  as  they  are.  They  say  that  the  land,  and 
the  lakes,  and  the  rivers,  and  the  hunting-grounds,  belong 
to  the  red-man  only,  and  that  no  other  color  ought  ever  to 
be  seen  there.  The  Great  Spirit  has  thought  otherwise, 
and  what  he  thinks  happens.  Men  are  of  many  colors. 
Some  are  red,  which  is  the  color  of  my  father.  Some  are 
pale,  which  is  the  color  of  my  friends.  Some  are  black, 
which  is  the  color  of  my  father's  friend.  He  is  black, 
though  old  age  is  changing  his  skin.  All  this  is  right  ;  it 
comes  from  the  Great  Spirit,  and  we  must  not  complain. 

"  My  father  says  he  is  very  old — that  the  pine  in  the 
woods  is  scarce  older.  We  know  it.  That  is  one  reason 
why  we  have  come  so  far  to  see  him,  though  there  is  an- 
other reason.  My  father  knows  what  that  other  reason  is ; 
so  do  we.  For  a  hundred  winters  and  summers,  that  reason 
has  not  gone  out  of  our  minds.  The  old  men  have  told  it 
to  the  young  men  ;  and  the  young  men,  when  they  have 
grown  older,  have  told  it  to  their  sons.  In  this  way  it  has 
reached  our  ears.  How  may  bad  Indians  have  lived  in 
that  time,  have  died,  and  are  forgotten  !  It  is  the  good 
Indian  that  lives  longest  in  our  memories.  We  wish  to 
forget  that  the  wicked  ever  were  in  our  tribes.  We  never 
forget  the  good. 

"  I  have  seen  many  changes.  I  am  but  a  child,  compared 
with  my  father  ;  but  I  feel  the  cold  of  sixty  winters  in  my 
bones.  During  all  that  time,  the  red-men  have  been  trav- 
elling toward  the  setting  sun.  I  sometimes  think  I  shall 
live  to  reach  it !  It  must  be  a  great  way  off,  but  the  man 
who  never  stops  goes  far.  Let  us  go  there,  pale-faces  will 
follow.  Why  all  this  is,  I  do  not  know.  My  father  is 
wiser  than  his  son,  and  he  may  be  able  to  tell  us.  I  sit 
down  to  hear  his  answer." 

Although  Eaglesflight  had  spoken  so  quietly,  and  con 


298  THE   REDSKINS. 

eluded  in  a  manner  so  different  from  what  I  had  expected^ 
there  was  a  deep  interest  in  what  was  now  going  on.  The 
particular  reason  why  these  red-men  had  come  so  far  out 
of  their  way  to  visit  Susquesus  had  not  yet  been  revealed, 
as  we  all  hoped  would  be  the  case  ;  but  the  profound  rev- 
erence that  these  strangers,  from  the  wilds  of  the  far  west, 
manifested  for  our  aged  friend,  gave  every  assurance  that 
when  we  did  learn  it,  there  would  be  no  reason  for  disap- 
pointment. As  usual,  a  pause  succeeded  the  brief  address 
of  the  last  speaker  ;  after  which,  Susquesus  once  more 
arose  and  spoke. 

"  My  children,"  he  said,  "  I  am  very  old.  Fifty  autumns 
ago,  when  the  leaves  fell,  I  thought  it  was  time  for  me  to 
pass  on  to  the  happy  hunting-grounds  of  my  people,  and 
be  a  red-skin  again.  But  my  name  was  not  called.  I  have 
been  left  alone  here,  in  the  midst  of  the  pale-face  fields, 
and  houses,  and  villages,  without  a  single  being  of  my  own 
color  and  race  to  speak  to.  My  head  was  almost  grown 
white.  Still,  as  years  came  on  my  head,  the  spirit 
turned  more  toward  my  youth.  I  began  to  forget  the  bat- 
tles, and  hunts,  and  journeys  of  middle  life,  and  to  think 
of  the  things  seen  when  a  young  chief  among  the  Ononda- 
goes.  My  day  is  now  a  dream,  in  which  I  dream  of  the 
past.  Why  is  the  eye  of  Susquesus  so  far-seeing,  after  a 
hundred  winters  and  more  ?  Can  any  one  tell  ?  I  think 
not  We  do  not  understand  the  Great  Spirit,  and  we  do 
not  understand  his  doings.  Here  I  am,  where  I  have  been 
for -half  my  days.  That  big  wigwam  is  the  wigwam  of  my 
best  friends.  Though  their  faces  are  pale,  and  mine  is  red, 
our  hearts  have  the  same  color.  I  never  forget  them — 
no,  not  one  of  them.  I  see  them  all,  from  the  oldest  to 
the  youngest.  They  seem  to  be  of  my  blood.  This  comes 
from  friendship,  and  many  kindnesses.  These  are  all  the 
pale-faces  I  now  see.  Red-men  stand  before  my  eyes  in 
all  other  places.  My  mind  is  with  them. 

"  My  children,  you  are  young.  Seventy  winters  are  a 
great  many  for  one  of  you.  It  is  not  so  with  me.  Why  I 
have  been  left  standing  alone  here  near  the  hunting- 
grounds  of  our  fathers,  is  more  than  I  can  say.  So  it  is, 
and  it  is  right.  A  withered  hemlock  is  sometimes  seen 
standing  by  itself  in  the  fields  of  the  pale-faces.  I  am 
such  a  tree.  It  is  not  cut  down,  because  the  wood  is  of  no 
use,  and  even  the  squaws  do  not  like  it  to  cook  by.  When 
the  winds  blow,  they  seem  to  blow  around  it.  It  is  tired  of 
standing  there  alone,  but  it  cannot  fall.  That  tree  wishes 


THE  REDSKINS.  299 

for  the  axe,  but  no  man  puts  the  axe  to  its  root.     Its  time 
has  not  come.     So  it  is  with  me — my  time  has  not  come. 

"  Children,  my  days  now  are  dreams  of  my  tribe.  I  see 
the  wigwam  of  my  father.  It  was  the  best  in  the  village. 
He  was  a  chief,  and  venison  was  never  scarce  in  his  lodge. 
I  see  him  come  off  the  war-path  with  many  scalps  on  his 
pole.  He  had  plenty  of  wampum,  and  wore  many  medals. 
The  scalps  on  his  pole  were  sometimes  from  red-men, 
sometimes  from  pale-faces.  He  took  them  all  himself.  I 
see  my  mother,  too.  She  loved  me  as  the  she-bear  loves 
her  cubs.  I  had  brothers  and  sisters,  and  I  see  them,  too. 
They  laugh  and  play,  and  seem  happy.  There  is  the  spring 
where  we  dipped  up  water  in  our  gourds,  and  here  is  the 
hill  where  we  lay  waiting  for  the  warriors  to  come  in  from 
the  war-paths  and  the  hunt.  Everything  looks  pleasant  to 
me.  That  was  a  village  of  the  Onondagoes,  my  own  peo- 
ple, and  I  loved  them  a  hundred  and  twenty  winters  ago. 
I  love  them  now,  as  if  the  time  were  but  one  winter  and 
one  summer.  The  mind  does  not  feel  time.  For  fifty  sea- 
sons I  thought  but  little  of  my  own  people.  My  thoughts 
were  on  the  hunt  and  the  war-path,  and  on  the  quarrels  of 
the  pale-faces,  with  whom  I  lived  Now,  I  say  again,  I 
think  most  of  the  past,  and  of  my  young  days.  It  is  a 
great  mystery  why  we  can  see  things  that  are  so  far  off  so 
plainly,  and  cannot  see  things  that  are  so  near  by.  Still, 
it  is  so. 

•  "Children,  you  ask  why  the  red-men  keep  moving  to- 
ward the  setting  sun,  and  why  the  pale-faces  follow  ?  You 
ask  if  the  place  where  the  sun  sets  will  ever  be  reached, 
and  if  pale-men  will  go  there  to  plough  and  to  build,  and 
to  cut  down  the  trees.  He  that  has  seen  what  has  hap- 
pened, ought  to  know  what  will  happen  again.  I  am  very 
old,  but  I  see  nothing  new.  One  day  is  like  another.  The 
same  fruits  come  each  summer,  and  the  winters  are  alike. 
The  bird  builds  in  the  same  tree  many  times. 

"  My  children,  I  have  lived  lone  among  the  pale-faces. 
Still,  my  heart  is  of  the  same  color  as  my  face.  I  have 
never  forgotten  that  I  am  a  red-man  ;  never  forgotten  the 
Onondagoes.  When  I  was  young,  beautiful  woods  covered 
these  fields.  Far  and  near  the  buck  and  the  moose  leaped 
among  the  trees.  Nothing  but  the  hunter  stopped  them. 
It  is  all  changed  !  The  plough  has  frightened  away  the 
deer.  The  moose  will  not  stay  near  the  sound  of  the 
church-bell.  He  does  not  know  what  it  means.  The  deer 
goes  first.  The  red-man  keeps  on  his  trail,  and  the  pale- 


300  THE   REDSKINS. 

face  is  never  far  behind.  So  it  has  been  since  the  big 
canoes  of  the  stranger  first  came  into  our  waters  ;  so  it 
will  be  until  another  salt  lake  is  reached  beneath  the 
setting  sun.  When  that  other  lake  is  seen,  the  red-man 
must  stop,  and  die  in  the  open  fields,  where  rum,  and  to- 
bacco, and  bread  are  plenty,  or  march  on  into  the  great 
salt  lake  of  the  west  and  be  drowned.  Why  this  is  so,  I 
cannot  tell.  That  it  has  been  so,  I  know  ;  that  it  will  be 
so,  I  believe.  There  is  a  reason  for  it ;  none  can  tell  what 
that  reason  is  but  the  Great  Spirit." 

Susquesus  had  spoken  calmly  and  clearly,  and  Many- 
tongues  translated  as  he  proceeded,  sentence  by  sentence. 
So  profound  was  the  attention  of  the  savage  listeners  that 
I  heard  their  suppressed  breathings.  We  white  men  are 
so  occupied  with  ourselves,  and  our  own  passing  concerns, 
look  on  all  other  races  of  human  beings  as  so  much  our 
inferiors,  that  it  is  seldom  we  have  time  or  inclination  to 
reflect  on  the  consequences  of  our  own  acts.  Like  the 
wheel  that  rolls  along  the  highway,  however,  many  is  the 
inferior  creature  that  we  heedlessly  crush  in  our  path. 
Thus  has  it  been  with  the  red-man,  and,  as  the  Trackless 
had  said,  thus  will  it  continue  to  be.  He  will  be  driven  to 
the  salt  lake  of  the  far  west,  where  he  must  plunge  in  and 
be  drowned,  or  turn  and  die  in  the  midst  of  abundance. 

My  uncle  Ro  knew  more  of  the  Indians,  and  of  their 
habits,  than  any  one  else  of  our  party,  unless  it  might  be 
my  grandmother.  She,  indeed,  had  seen  a  good  deal  "of 
them  in  early  life  ;  and  when  quite  a  young  girl,  dwelling 
with  that  uncle  of  her  own  who  went  by  the  sobriquet  of  the 
"  Chainbearer,"  she  had  even  dwelt  in  the  woods,  near  the 
tribe  of  Susquesus,  and  had  often  heard  him  named  there 
as  an  Indian  in  high  repute,  although  he  was  even  at  that 
distant  day  an  exile  from  his  people.  When  our  old  friend 
resumed  his  seat,  she  beckoned  her  son  and  myself  to  the 
side  of  the  carriage,  and  spoke  to  us  on  the  subject  of  what 
had  just  been  been  uttered,  the  translation  of  Manytongues 
having  been  loud  enough  to  let  the  whole  party  hear  what 
he  said. 

"  This  is  not  a  visit  of  business,  but  one  of  ceremony 
only,"  she  said.  "  To-morrow,  probably,  the  real  object  of 
the  strangers  will  be  made  known.  All  that  has  passed,  as 
yet,  has  been  complimentary,  mixed  with  a  little  desire  to 
hear  the  wisdom  of  the  sage.  The  red-man  is  never  in  a 
hurry,  impatience  being  a  failing  that  he  is  apt  to  impute 
tu  us  women.  Well,  though  we  are  females,  we  can  wait 


THE  REDSKINS.  30: 

I*  the  meantime,  some  of  us  can  weep,  as  you  see  is  par 
ticularly  the  case  with  Miss  Mary  Warren." 

This  was  true  enough  ;  the  fine  eyes  of  all  four  of  the 
girls  glistening  with  tears,  while  the  cheeks  of  the  person 
named  were  quite  wet  with  those  that  had  streamed  down 
them.  At  this  allusion  to  such  an  excess  of  sympathy,  the 
young  lady  dried  her  eyes,  and  the  color  heightened  so 
much  in  her  face,  that  I  thought  it  best  to  avert  my  looks. 
While  this  by-play  was  going  on,  Prairiefire  arose  again, 
and  concluded  the  proceedings  of  that  preliminary  visit, 
by  making  another  short  speech  : 

"  Father,"  he  said,  "  we  thank  you.  What  we  have  heard 
Will  not  be  forgotten.  All  red-men  are  afraid  of  that  great 
salt  lake,  under  the  setting  sun,  and  in  which  some  say  it 
dips  every  night.  What  you  have  told  us,  will  make  us 
think  more  of  it.  We  have  come  a  great  distance,  and  are 
tired.  We  will  now  go  to  our  wigwam,  and  eat,  and  sleep. 
To-morrow,  when  the  sun  is  up  here,"  pointing  to  a  part 
of  the  heavens  that  would  indicate  something  like  nine 
o'clock,  "we  will  come  again,  and  open  our  ears.  The 
Great  Spirit  who  has  spared  you  so  long,  will  spare  you 
until  then,  and  we  shall  not  forget  to  come.  It  is  too  pleas- 
ant to  us  to  be  near  you,  for  us  to  forget.  Farewell." 

The  Indians  now  rose  in  a  body,  and  stood  regarding 
Susquesus  fully  a  minute,  in  profound  silence,  when  they 
filed  off  at  a  quick  pace,  and  followed  their  leader  toward 
their  quarters  for  the  night.  As  the  train  noiselessly  wound 
its  way  from  before  him,  a  shade  passed  athwart  the  dark 
countenance  of  the  Trackless,  and  he  smiled  no  more  that 
day. 

All  this  time  the  negro,  the  contemporary  of  the  Indian, 
kept  muttering  his  discontent  at  seeing  so  many  redskins 
in  his  presence,  unheeded  and  indeed  unheard  by  his 
friend. 

"  What  you  do  wid  dem  Injin,"  he  growled,  as  the  party 
disappeared.  "  No  good  ebber  come  of  sich  as  dem.  How 
many  time  dey  work  debbletry  in  a  wood,  and  you  and  I 
not  werry  far  off,  Sus.  How  ole  you  got,  redskin  ;  and  for- 
getful !  Nobody  can  hold  out  wid  color'  man.  Gosh  !  I 
do  b'lieve  I  lib  for  ebber,  sometime  !  It  won'erful  to 
think  of,  how  long  I  stay  on  dis  werry  'arth  !  " 

Such  exclamations  were  not  uncommon  with  the  aged 
Jaaf,  and  no  one  noted  them.  He  did  not  seem  to  expect 
any  answer  himself,  nor  did  any  one  appear  to  deem  it  at 
\\\  necessary  to  make  one.  As  for  the  Trackless,  he  arose 


302  THE  REDSKINS. 

with  a  saddened  countenance,  and  moved  into  his  hut 
one  who  wished  to  be  left  alone  with  Ms  thoughts.  My 
grandmother  ordered  the  carriage  to  move  on,  and  the 
rest  of  us  returned  to  the  house  on  foot. 


CHAPTER   XXI. 

*'  With  all  thy  rural  echoes  come, 

Sweet  comrade  of  the  rosy  day, 
Wafting  the  wild  bee's  gentle  hum, 

Or  cuckoo's  plaintive  roundelay." — CAMPBELL. 

THAT  night  was  passed  under  my  own  roof,  in  the  family 
circle.  Although  my  presence  on  the  estate  was  now  gen- 
erally known,  to  all  who  were  interested  in  it,  I  cannot  say 
that  I  thought  much  of  the  anti-renters,  or  of  any  risks  in- 
curred by  the  discovery.  The  craven  spirit  manifested  by 
the  "Injins"  in  presence  of  the  Indians,  the  assumed  be- 
fore the  real,  had  not  a  tendency  to  awaken  much  respect 
for  the  disaffected,  and  quite  likely  disposed  me  to  be  more 
indifferent  to  their  proceedings  than  I  might  otherwise 
have  been.  At  all  events,  I  was  happy  with  Patt  and  Mary, 
and  my  uncle's  wards,  and  did  not  give  the  disorganizes  a 
thought,  until  quite  at  the  close  of  the  evening.  The  man- 
ner in  which  John  went  about  to  barricade  the  doors  and 
windows,  after  the  ladies  had  retired,  struck  me  unpleas- 
antly, howrever,  and  it  did  not  fail  to  produce  the  same 
effect  on  my  uncle.  This  seemingly  important  duty  was 
done,  when  my  faithful  maitre-d' hotel,  for  such,  in  a  meas- 
ure, was  the  Englishman's  station,  came  to  me  and  my 
uncle,  who  were  waiting  for  his  appearance  in  the  library, 
armed  like  Robinson  Crusoe.  He  brought  us  each  a  re- 
volving pistol,  and  a  rifle,  with  a  proper  allowance  of  am- 
munition. 

"  Missus,"  so  John  persevered  in  calling  my  grandmother, 
though  it  was  very  unlike  an  English  servant  to  do  so,  after 
he  had  been  in  the  country  three  months — "  Missus  'as  hor- 
dered  harms  to  be  laid  in,  in  quantities,  Mr.  Hugh,  and  hall 
of  us  has  our  rifles  and  pistols,  just  like  these.  She  keeps 
some  for  herself  and  Miss  Martha,  in  her  own  room  still, 
but  as  she  supposes  you  can  make  better  use  of  these  than 
the  maids,  I  had  her  orders  to  bring  them  down  out  of  the 
maids'  room,  and  hoffer  them  to  yourselves,  gentlemen. 
They  are  hall  loaded,  and  smart  weapons  be  tliey," 


THE  REDSKINS.  303 

•'  Surely  there  has  been  no  occasion  as  yet,  for  using 
such  things  as  these  !  "  exclaimed  my  uncle. 

"One  doesn't  know,  Mr.  Roger,  when  the  hinimy  may 
come.  We  have  had  only  three  alarms  since  the  ladies 
arrived,  and  most  luckily  no  blood  was  shed  ;  though  we 
fired  at  the  hinimy,  and  the  hinimy  fired  at  us.  When  I 
says  no  blood  was  spilt,  I  should  add,  on  our  side  ;  for 
there  was  no  way  to  know  how  much  the  anti's  suffered, 
and  they  hadn't  good  stone  walls  to  cover  them,  as  we  'ad 
on  our  side." 

"  Gracious  Providence  !  I  had  no  notion  of  this  !  Hugh, 
the  country  is  in  a  worse  state  than  I  had  supposed,  and 
we  ought  not  to  leave  the  ladies  here  an  hour  after  to- 
morrow ! " 

As  the  ladies  who  came  within  my  uncle's  category,  did 
not  include  Mary  Warren,  I  did  not  take  exactly  the  same 
view  of  the  subject  as  he  did  himself.  Nothing  further 
was  said  on  the  subject,  however  ;  and  shortly  after  each 
shouldered  his  rifle,  and  retired  to  his  own  room. 

It  was  past  midnight  when  I  reached  my  apartment, 
but  I  felt  no  inclination  for  sleep.  That  had  been  an  im- 
portant day  to  me,  one  full  of  excitement,  and  I  was  still 
too  much  under  the  influence  of  its  circumstances  to  think 
of  my  bed.  There  was  soon  a  profound  silence  in  the 
house,  the  closing  of  doors  and  the  sound  of  footsteps  hav- 
ing ceased,  and  I  went  to  a  window,  to  gaze  on  the  scene 
without.  There  was  a  three-quarters'  moon,  which  gave 
light  enough  to  render  all  the  nearer  objects  of  the  land- 
scape distinctly  visible.  The  view  had  nothing  remarkable 
in  it,  but  it  was  always  rural  and  pretty.  The  little  river, 
and  the  broad  meadows,  were  not  to  be  seen  from  my  side 
of  the  house,  which  commanded  the  carriage  road  that 
wound  through  the  lawn — the  farm-house — the  distant 
church — the  neat  and  pretty  rectory — the  dwelling  of 
Mary,  and  a  long  reach  of  farms,  that  lay  along  the  val- 
ley, and  on  the  broad  breast  of  the  rising  ground  to  the 
westward. 

Everything,  far  and  near,  seemed  buried  in  the  quiet  of 
deep  night.  Even  the  cattle  in  the  fields  had  lain  down  to 
sleep  ;  for,  like  men,  they  love  to  follow  the  law  of  nature, 
and  divide  the  hours  by  light  and  darkness.  John  had 
placed  the  candles  in  my  dressing-room,  and  closed  the  in- 
ner shutters  ;  but  I  had  taken  a  seat  by  a  window  of  the 
bedroom  and  sat  in  no  other  light  but  that  which  came 
from  the  moon,  which  was  now  near  setting.  I  might 


304  THE  REDSKINS. 

have  been  ruminating  on  the  events  of  the  day  half  an 
hour  or  more,  when  I  fancied  some  object  was  in  motion 
on  a  path  that  led  toward  the  village,  but  which  was  quite 
distinct  from  the  ordinary  highway.  This  path  was  pri- 
vate, indeed,  running  fully  a  mile  through _my  own  farm 
and  grounds,  bounded  for  a  considerable  distance  by  high 
fences  on  each  side  of  it,  and  running  among  the  copses 
and  thickets  of  the  lawn,  as  soon  as  it  emerged  from  the 
fields.  It  had  been  made  in  order  to  enable  my  grand- 
father to  ride  to  his  fields,  uninterrupted  by  gates  or  bars  ; 
and  issuing  into  the  bit  of  forest  already  described,  it 
passed  through  that  by  a  short  cut,  and  enabled  us  to 
reach  the  hamlet  by  a  road  that  saved  nearly  a  mile  in. the 
whole  distance.  This  path  was  often  used  by  those  who 
left  the  Nest,  or  who  came  to  it,  in  the  saddle,  but  rarely 
by  any  but  those  who  belonged  to  the  family.  Though 
old  as  the  place  itself,  it  was  little  known  by  others,  not 
suiting  the  general  taste  for  publicity,  there  not  being  a 
solitary  dwelling  on  it  between  the  Nest  House  itself  and 
the  point  where  it  emerged  into  the  highway,  beyond  the 
wood,  which  was  quite  near  to  the  village. 

I  could  see  the  whole  line  of  this  private  path,  with  the 
exception,  here  and  there,  of  intervals  that  were  hid  by 
trees  and  thickets,  from  the  point  where  it  terminated 
until  it  entered  the  wood.  There  could  be  no  mistake. 
Late  as  was  the  hour,  some  one  mounted  was  galloping 
along  that  path,  winding  his  or  her  way  among  the  rails  of 
the  fences  ;  now  plainly  visible,  then  lost  to  view.  I  had 
caught  a  glimpse  of  this  phantom  (for  at  that  unusual 
hour,  and  by  that  delusive  light,  it  required  no  great  effort 
of  the  imagination  thus  to  fancy  the  equestrian),  just  as  it 
emerged  from  the  wood,  and  could  not  well  be  mistaken 
as  to  the  accuracy  of  my  discovery.  The  path  led  through 
a  pretty  wooded  ravine  in  the  lawn,  and  no  sooner  did  I 
lose  sight  of  this  strange  object  than  I  turned  my  eyes 
eagerly  to  the  spot  where  it  ought  to  reappear,  on  emerg- 
ing from  its  cover. 

The  path  lay  in  shadow  for  twenty  rods  on  quitting  the 
ravine,  after  which  it  wound  across  the  lawn  to  the  door, 
for  about  twice  that  distance  in  full  moonlight.  At  the 
termination  of  the  shadow  there  was  a  noble  oak,  which 
stood  alone,  and  beneath  its  wide  branches  was  a  seat  much 
frequented  by  the  ladies  in  the  heats  of  summer.  My  eye 
kept  moving  from  this  point,  where  the  light  became 
strong,  to  that  where  the  path  issued  from  the  ravine.  At 


THE   REDSKINS.  50$ 

the  latter  it  was  just  possible  to^  distinguish  a  moving  ob- 
ject, and,  sure  enough,  there  I  got  my  next  view  of  the 
person  I  was  watching.  The  horse  came  up  the  ascent  on 
a  gallop — a  pace  that  was  continued  until  its  rider  drew 
the  rein  beneath  the  oak.  Here,  to  my  surprise,  a  female 
sprang  from  the  saddle  with  great  alacrity,  and  secured 
her  steed  within  the  shadow  of  the  tree.  This  was  no  sooner 
done  than  she  moved  on  toward  the  house,  in  much  ap- 
parent haste.  Fearful  of  disturbing  the  family,  I  now  left 
my  room  on  tiptoe,  and  without  a  candle,  the  light  of  the 
moon  penetrating  the  passages  in  sufficient  quantity  to 
serve  my  purpose,  descending  as  fast  as  possible  to  the 
lower  floor.  Swift  and  prompt  as  had  been  my  own  move- 
ment, it  had  been  anticipated  by  another.  To  my  great 
surprise,  on  reaching  the  little  side  door  to  which  the  path 
led,  and  where  the  ladies  had  long  been  accustomed  to  get 
into  the  saddle,  when  they  used  it,  I  found  a  female  figure, 
with  her  hand  on  the  massive, lock,  as  if  ready  to  turn  it? 
key  at  some  expected  summons.  To  my  great  astonish- 
ment, on  drawing  nearer,  I  recognized,  by  the  faint  light 
that  penetrated  through  a  little  window  over  the  door,  the 
person  of  Mary  Warren  ! 

I  certainly  started  at  this  unexpected  discovery,  but,  if 
she  who  caused  that  start  in  me  submitted  to  any  similar 
emotion,  I  did  not  discover  it.  She  may  have  heard  my 
step,  however,  descending  the  stairs,  and  have  been  pre- 
pared for  the  meeting. 

f "  You  have  seen  her,  too,  have  you,  Mr.  Littlepage  !  "  ex- 
claimed Mary,  though  she  used  the  precaution  to  speak  in 
a  suppressed  tone.  "  What  can  have  brought  her  here  at 
this  late  hour  ?  " 

"  You  know  who  it  is,  then,  Miss  Warren  ? "  I  answered, 
feeling  an  indescribable  pleasure  succeed  my  surprise,  as 
I  remembered  the  dear  girl,  who  was  fully  dressed,  just  as 
she  had  left  the  drawing-room  an  hour  before,  must  have 
been  gazing  out  upon  the  moonlight  view  as  well  as  my- 
self ;  a  species  of  romance  that  proved  something  like  a 
similiarity  of  tastes,  if  not  a  secret  sympathy  between  us. 

"Certainly,"  returned  Mary  steadily.  "I  cannot  well  be 
mistaken  in  the  person,  I  think.  It  is  Opportunity  New- 
come." 

My  hand  was  on  the  key,  and  I  turned  it  in  the  lock. 
A  bar  remained,  and  this  I  also  removed,  when  we  opened 
the  door.  Sure  enough,  there  came  the  person  just  named, 
within  ten  feet  of  the  steps,  which  she  doubtless  intended 


3o6  THE   REDSKINS. 

to  ascend.  She  manifested  surprise  on  ascertaining  who 
were  her  porters,  but  hastened  into  the  house,  looking 
anxiously  behind  her,  as  if  distrustful  of  pursuit  or  obser- 
vation. I  led  the  way  to  the  library,  lighted  its  lamp,  and 
then  returned  to  my  two  silent  companions,  looking  a  re- 
quest for  explanation. 

Opportunity  was  a  young  woman,  in  her  twenty-sixth 
year,  and  was  not  without  considerable  personal  charms. 
The  exercise  and  excitement  through  which  she  had  just 
gone  had  heightened  the  color  in  her  cheeks,  and  rendered 
her  appearance  unusually  pleasing.  Nevertheless,  Oppor- 
tunity was  not  a  woman  to  awaken  anything  like  "the  pas- 
sion of  love  in  me,  though  I  had  long  been  aware  such 
was  her  purpose.  I  suspected  that  her  present  business 
was  connected  with  this  scheme,  I  will  own,  and  was  pre- 
pared to  listen  to  her  communication  with  distrust.  As  for 
Opportunity  herself,  she  hesitated  about  making  her  dis- 
closures, and  the  very  first  words  she  uttered  were  any- 
thing but  delicate  or  feminine. 

"Well,  I  declare!"  exclaimed  Opportunity,  "I  did  not 
expect  to  find  you  two  alone  at  this  time  of  night  ! " 

I  could  have  given  her  tongue  a  twitch  to  cure  it  of  its 
propensity  to  speak  evil,  but  concern  for  Mary  Warren  in- 
duced me  to  turn  anxiously  toward  her.  Never  did  the 
steady  self-possession  of  perfect  innocence  better  assert 
itself  than  in  the  dear  girl  at  this  rude  assault ;  the  inno- 
cence which  can  leave  no  latent  intention,  or  wish,  to  alarm 
the  feelings. 

"  We  had  all  retired,"  answered  the  pure-minded  girl, 
"  and  everybody  on  my  side  of  the  house  is  in  bed  and 
asleep,  I  believe  ;  but  I  did  not  feel  any  drowsiness,  and 
was  sitting  at  a  window,  looking  out  upon  the  view  by  this 
lovely  moonlight,  when  I  saw  you  ride  out  of  the  woods, 
and  follow  the  lane.  As  you  came  up  to  the  oak  I  knew 
who  it  was,  Opportunity,  and  ran  down  to  admit  you  ;  for 
I  was  certain  something  extraordinary  must  bring  you  here 
at  this  late  hour." 

"  Oh  !  nothing  extraordinary,  at  all !  "  cried  Miss  Oppor- 
tunity, in  a  careless  way.  "  I  love  moonlight  as  well  as 
yourself,  Mary,  and  am  a  desperate  horsewoman,  as  you 
know.  I  thought  it  would  be  romantic  to  gallop  over  to 
the  Nest,  and  go  back  between  one  and  two  in  the  morn, 
ing.  Nothing  more,  I  can  assure  you." 

The  coolness  with  which  this  was  said  amazed  me  not  a 
little,  though  I  was  not  so  silly  as  to  believe  a  syllable  of 


THE   RRDSKIN7S.  307 

it.  Opportunity  had  a  great  deal  of  vulgar  sentimentalism 
about  her,  it  is  true — such  as  some  girls  are  apt  to  mistake 
for  refinement ;  but  she  was  not  quite  so  bad  as  to  travel 
that  lane,  at  midnight,  and  alone,  without  some  special 
object.  It  occurred  to  me  that  this  object  might  be  con- 
nected with  her  brother,  and  that  she  would  naturally  wish 
to  make  her  communications  privately.  We  had  all  taken 
seats  at  a  table  which  occupied  the  centre  of  the  room, 
Mary  and  myself  quite  near  each  other,  and  Opportunity 
at  a  distant  angle.  I  wrote  on  a  slip  of  paper  a  short 
request  for  Mary  to  leave  me  alone  with  our  visitor,  and 
laid  it  under  her  eyes,  without  exciting  Opportunity's  sus- 
picion ;  talking  to  her,  the  whole  time,  about  the  night, 
and  the  weather,  and  her  ride.  While  we  were  thus  en- 
gaged, Miss  Warren  rose,  and  quietly  glided  out  of  the 
room.  So  silently  wras  this  done,  that  I  do  not  believe  my 
remaining  companion  was  conscious  of  it  at  the  moment. 

"  You  have  driven  Mary  Warren  away,  Miss  Opportu- 
nity," I  remarked,  "  by  the  hint  about  our  being  alone 
together." 

"Lord!  there's  no  great  harm  in  that!  I  am  used  to 
being  alone  with  gentlemen,  and  think  nothing  of  it.  But, 
are  we  really  alone,  Mr.  Hugh,  and  quite  by  ourselves  ?"' 

"  Quite,  as  you  see.  Our  two  selves  and  Mary  Warren 
I  believe  to  be  the  only  persons  in  the  house  out  of  our 
beds.  She  has  left  us,  a  little  hurt,  perhaps,  and  we  are 
quite  alone." 

"  Oh  !  As  for  Mary  Warren's  feelings,  I  don't  mind 
them  much,  Mr.  Hugh.  She's  a  good  critter" — yes,  this 
elegant  young  lady  actually  used  that  extraordinary  word 
— "and  as  forgiving  as  religion.  Besides,  she's  only  the 
Episcopal  clergyman's  daughter  ;  and,  take  your  family 
away,  that's  a  denomination  that  would  not  stand  long  at 
Ravensnest,  I  can  tell  you." 

"  I  am  very  glad,  then,  my  family  is  not  away,  for  it  is  a 
denomination  I  both  honor  and  love.  So  long  as  the 
grasping  and  innovating  spirit  of  the  times  leaves  the 
Littlepages  anything,  a  fair  portion  of  their  means  shall  be 
given  to  support  that  congregation.  As  for  Miss  Warren, 
I  am  pleased  to  hear  that  her  temperament  is  so  forgiving." 

"  I  know  that  well,  and  did  not  speak  in  the  hope  of 
making  any  change  in  your  views,  Mr.  Hugh.  Mary 
Warren,  however,  will  not  think  much  of  my  remark  to- 
morrow ;  I  do  not  believe  she  thought  half  as  much  about 
it  to-night  as  I  should  have  done,  had  it  been  made  to  me." 


3o8  THE   REDSKINS. 

I  fancy  this  was  quite  true  ;  Mary  Warren  having  lis- 
tened to  the  insinuation  as  the  guileless  and  innocent  hear 
innuendos  that  bring  no  consciousness  with  them,  while 
Opportunity's  spirit  would  have  been  very  apt  to  buckle 
on  the  armor  which  practice  had  rendered  well-fitting. 

"  You  have  not  taken  this  long  ride  merely  to  admire 
the  moon,  Miss  Opportunity,"  I  now  carelessly  remarked, 
willing  to  bring  things  to  a  head.  "  If  you  would  favor 
me  with  its  real  object,  I  should  be  pleased  to  learn  it." 

"What  if  Mary  should  be  standing  at  the  keyhole,  lis- 
tening?" said  this  elegant  "critter,"  with  the  suspicion  of 
a  vulgar  rnind.  "  I  wouldn't  have  her  hear  what  I've  got 
to  tell  you,  for. a  mint  of  money." 

"I  do  not  think  there  is  much  danger  of  that,"  I  an- 
swered, rising  notwithstanding,  and  throwing  open  the 
door.  "  You  perceive  there  is  no  one  here,  and  we  can 
converse  in  safety." 

Opportunity  was  not  so  easily  satisfied.  Of  a  gossiping, 
craving  disposition  herself,  in  all  things  that  pertain  to 
curiosity,  it  was  not  easy  for  her  to  imagine  another  could 
be  less  guided  by  that  feeling  than  herself.  Rising,  there- 
fore, she  went  on  tiptoe  to  the  passage,  and  examined  it 
for  herself.  Satisfied,  at  length,  that  we  were  not  watched, 
she  returned  to  the  room,  closed  the  door  softly,  motioned 
for  me  to  be  seated,  placed  herself  quite  near  me,  and  then 
appeared  disposed  to  proceed  to  business. 

"This  has  been  a  dreadful  day,  Mr.  Hugh,"  the  young 
woman  now  commenced,  actually  looking  sorrowful,  as  I 
make  little  doubt  she  really  felt.  "  Who  could  have  thought 
that  the  street-musician  was  you,  and  that  old  German 
pedler  of  watches,  Mr.  Roger !  I  declare,  the  world 
seems  to  be  getting  upside-down,  and  folks  don't  know 
when  they're  in  their  right  places  ! " 

"It  was  a  foolish  adventure,  perhaps;  but  it  has  let  us 
into  some  most  important  secrets." 

"That's  just  the  difficulty.  I  defend  you  all  I  can,  and 
tell  my  brothers  that  you've  not  done  anything  they 
wouldn't  do  in  a  minute,  if  only  half  a  farm  depended  on 
it,  while,  in  your  case,  it  may  be  more  than  a  hundred." 

"Your  brothers,  then,  complain  of  my  having  appeared 
among  the  anti-renters  in  disguise  ?  " 

"  They  do,  desperately,  Mr.  Hugh,  and  seem  quite  put 
out  about  it.  They  say  it  was  ungenerous  to  come  in  that 
way  into  your  own  country,  and  steal  their  secrets  from 
them  !  I  say  all  I  can  in  your  favor,  but  words  won't  pass 


THE  REDSKINS.  309 

for  much  with  men  in  such  a  taking.  You  know,  Mr. 
Hugh,  I've  always  been  your  friend,  even  from  our  child- 
ish days,  having  got  myself  into  more  than  one  scrape  to 
get  you  out  of  them." 

As  Opportunity  made  this  declaration,  one  a  little  loose 
as  to  facts,  by  the  way,  she  sighed  gently,  dropped  her 
eyes,  and  looked  as  conscious  and  confused  as  I  believe 
it  was  at  all  in  her  nature  to  appear.  It  was  not  my  cue 
to  betray  undue  bashfulness  at  such  a  moment,  and  as  for 
any  scruples  on  the  subject  of  misleading  a  confiding 
heart,  I  should  as  soon  have  thought  of  feeding  an  ana- 
conda or  a  boa  constrictor  with  angle-worms.  I  took  the 
young  lady's  hand,  therefore,  squeezed  it  with  as  senti- 
mental a  pressure  as  I  knew  now  to  use,  and  looked  green 
enough  about  the  eyes,  I  dare  say. 

"You  are  only  too  good,  Opportunity,"  I  answered. 
"  Yes,  I  have  ever  relied  on  you  as  a  friend,  and  have  never 
doubted  you  would  defend  me,  when  I  was  not  present  to 
defend  myself." 

Here  I  released  the  hand,  a  little  apprehensive  I  might 
have  the  young  lady  sobbing  on  my  shoulder,  unless  some 
little  moderation  were  observed.  Opportunity  manifested 
a  reluctance  to  let  go  her  hold,  but  what  could  a  young 
woman  do,  when  the  gentleman  himself  exhibited  so  much 
discretion  ? 

"  Yes,  Seneky,  in  particular,  is  in  a  dreadful  taking," 
she  resumed,  "  and  to  pacify  him,  I  consented  to  ride  over 
myself,  at  this  time  of  night,  to  let  you  know  what  is 
threatened." 

"  That  is  most  kind  of  you,  Opportunity  ;  and,  as  it  is 
so  late,  had  you  not  better  tell  your  story  at  once,  and  then 
go  to  a  room  and  rest  yourself,  after  so  sharp  a  ride  ? " 

"Tell  my  tale  I  will,  for  it's  high  time  you  heard  it ;  but, 
as  for  rest,  I  must  jump  on  my  horse  and  gallop  back  the 
moment  the  moon  sets  ;  sleep  I  must  in  my  own  bed  this 
night.  Of  course  you  and  Mary  Warren  will  both  be  si- 
lent as  to  my  visit,  since  it  has  been  made  for  your  good." 

I  promised  for  myself  and  Mary,  and  then  pressed  my 
companion  to  delay  no  longer  in  imparting  the  information 
she  had  ridden  so  far  to  bring.  The  story  was  soon  told 
and  proved  to  be  sufficiently  alarming.  One  portion  of 
the  facts  I  got  directly  from  Opportunity  herself,  while 
another  has  been  subsequently  gleaned  from  various 
sources,  all  being  certain.  The  particular  circumstances 
were  these : 


jio  THE  REDSKINS. 

When  Seneca  followed  the  band  of  "  Injins  "  and  his  co- 
anti-renters,  in  their  precipitate  retreat  on  the  hamlet,  his 
revelations  produced  a  general  consternation.  It  then  be- 
came known  that  the  young  Paris  spendthrift  was  on  his 
own  estate,  that  he  had  actually  been  among  the  dis- 
affected that  day,  had  learned  many  of  their  secrets,  and 
had  probably  made  black  marks  against  certain  of  the 
tenants,  whose  leases  were  nearly  expired.  Bad  as  this 
was,  of  itself,  it  was  not  the  worst  of  the  matter.  Nothing 
was  more  certain  than  the  fact  that  this  young  landlord 
knew  a  few  of  those  who  had  committed  felony,  and  might 
have  sundry  highly  probable  suspicions  as  to  others.  The 
guilty  lay  at  his  mercy,  as  a  matter  of  course  ;  and  there 
was  a  sufficiency  of  common  sense  left  among  these  con- 
spirators, to  understand  that  a  man,  who  must  feel  that 
attempts  were  making  to  rob  him  of  his  estate,  would  be 
very  likely  to  turn  the  tables  on  his  assailants,  did  an  oc- 
casion offer.  When  men  embark  in  an  undertaking  as 
innately  nefarious  as  that  of  anti-rentism  certainly  is, 
when  it  is  stripped  of  its  pretentions  and  stands  in  its 
naked  deformity,  they  are  not  apt  to  stop  at  trifles.  To 
this  desperate  character  of  its  mischief,  the  country  owes 
the  general  depression  of  truth  that  has  accompanied 
its  career,  its  false  and  dangerous  principles,  its  confu- 
sion between  right  and  wrong,  and  finally  its  murders. 
It  has  been  the  miserable  prerogative  of  demagogues 
alone,  to  defend  its  career  and  its  demoralization.  Thus 
has  it  happened  that  the  country  has  seen  the  same  quasi 
legislators — legislators  by  the  vote  of  a  party  and  the 
courtesy  of  the  country,  if  by  no  other  tenure — supporting 
with  an  air  of  high  pretension,  the  very  doubtful  policy 
of  attempting  to  make  men  moral  by  statute  law,  on  the 
one  side,  while  they  go  the  full  length  of  these  property 
depredators,  on  the  other  !  In  such  a  state  of  society,  it  is 
not  surprising  that  any  expedient  should  be  adopted  to  in- 
timidate and  bully  me  into  silence.  It  was  consequently 
determined,  in  a  conclave  of  the  chiefs,  that  a  complaint 
should  be  made  against  my  uncle  and  myself,  before  an 
anti-rent  justice  of  the  peace,  for  felony  under  the  recent 
statute,  in  appearing  ''disguised  and  armed,"  as  a  means 
of  preventing  our  complaints  against  real  offenders.  It 
is  true,  we  were  not  in  masks,  but  our  disguises,  never- 
theless, were  so  effectual  as  possibly  to  meet  the  con- 
tingency contemplated  by  the  law,  had  we  been  armed. 
As  to  weapons,  however,  we  had  been  totally  and  inten* 


THE  REDSKINS.  311 

tionally  without  anything  of  the  sort  ;  but  oaths  cost  vil- 
lains, like  those  engaged  in  this  plot,  very  little.  Those 
oaths  had  been  taken,  and  warrants  were  actually  signed 
by  the  magistrate,  of  which  the  service  was  suspended  at 
Seneca's  solicitation,  merely  to  enable  the  last  to  effect  a 
compromise.  It  was  not  thought  sufficient,  however,  to 
menace  my  uncle  and  myself  with  a  prosecution  of  this 
nature  ;  intimidation  of  another  sort  was  to  be  put  in  req- 
uisition, to  enforce  the  dread  of  the  legal  proceedings; 
a  measure  which  should  let  us  see  that  our  assailants 
were  in  downright  earnest.  Opportunity  had  ascertained 
that  something  serious  was  to  be  attempted,  and  she  be- 
lieved that  very  night,  though  what  it  was  precisely  was  more 
than  she  knew  ;  or  knowing,  was  willing  to  communicate. 

The  object  of  this  late  visit,  then,  was  to  make  terms 
for  her  brother,  or  brothers  ;  to  apprise  me  of  some  un- 
known but  pressing  danger,  and  to  obtain  all  that  influ- 
ence in  my  breast  that  might  fairly  be  anticipated  from 
services  so  material.  Beyond  a  question,  I  was  fortu- 
nate in  having  such  a  friend  in  the  enemy's  camp,  though 
past  experience  had  taught  me  to  be  wary  how  I  trusted 
my  miserable  and  sensitive  heart  within  the  meshes*  of 
a  net  that  had  been  so  often  cast. 

"  I  am  very  sensible  of  the  importance  of  your  services, 
Miss  Opportunity,"  I  said,  when  the  voluble  young  lady  had 
told  her  tale,  "  and  shall  not  fail  to  bear  it  in  mind.  As 
for  making  any  direct  arrangement  with  your  brother 
Seneca,  that  is  out  of  the  question,  since  it  would  be  com- 
promising felony,  and  subject  me  to  punishment ;  but  I  can 
be  passive,  if  I  see  fit,  and  your  wishes  will  have  great 
weight  with  me.  The  attempt  to  arrest  my  uncle  and  my- 
self, should  it  ever  be  made,  will  only  subject  its  instiga- 
tors to  action  for  malicious  prosecutions,  and  gives  me  no 
concern.  It  is  very  doubtful  how  far  we  were  disguised, 
in  the  sense  of  the  statute,  and  it  is  certain  we  were  not 
armed,  in  any  sense.  Without  perjury  therefore,  such  a 
prosecution  must  fail  " 

"  Folks  take  desperate  oaths  in  anti-rent  times  !  "  inter- 
rupted Opportunity,  with  a  significant  look. 

"I  am  quite  aware  of  that.  Human  testimony,  at  the 
best,  is  very  frail,  and  often  to  be  distrusted  ;  but  in  sea- 
sons of  excitement,  and  passion,  and  cupidity,  it  is  common 
to  find  it  corrupt.  The  most  material  thing,  at  present,  is 
to  know  precisely  the  nature  of  the  evil  they  meditate 
against  us." 


3i2  THE  REDSKTNS. 

Opportunity's  eye  did  not  turn  away,  as  mine  was  fast- 
ened on  her  while  she  answered  this  question,  but  retained 
all  the  steadiness  of  sincerity. 

"  I  wish  I  could  tell  you,  Mr.  Hugh,"  she  said  ;  "but  I 
can  say  no  more  than  I  have.  Some  injury  will  be  at- 
tempted this  night,  I  feel  certain  ;  but  what  that  injury 
will  be,  is  more  than  I  know  myself.  I  must  now  go 
home  ;  for  the  moon  will  be  nearly  down,  and  it  will  never 
do  for  me  to  be  seen  by  any  of  the  antis.  The  little  I  have 
said  in  favor  of  the  Littlepages  has  made  me  enemies,  as 
it  is  ;  but  I  never  should  be  forgiven,  was  this  ride  to  be 
known." 

Opportunity  now  rose,  and  smiling  on  me,  as  any  other 
rover  might  be  supposed  to  fire  a  parting  broadside,  in 
order  to  render  the  recollection  of  her  presence  as  memora- 
ble as  possible,  she  hurried  away.  I  accompanied  her  to  the 
oak,  as  a  matter  of  course,  and  assisted  her  into  her  saddle. 
Sundry  little  passages  of  country  coquetry  occurred  during 
these  movements,  and  the  young  lady  manifested  a  reluc- 
tance to  depart,  even  when  all  was  ready,  though  she  was 
in  so  gre-at  a  hurry.  Her  game  was  certainly  as  desperate  as 
that  of  the  anti-renters  themselves,  but  it  was  a  game  she 
was  determined  to  play  out.  The  moon  was  not  yet  quite 
down,  and  that  circumstance  served  as  a  pretence  for  de- 
lay, while  I  fancied  that  she  might  still  have  something  in 
.reserve  to  communicate. 

"  This  has  been  so  kind  in  you,  dear  Opportunity,"  I 
said,  laying  my  hand  gently  on  the  one  of  hers  which  held 
the  bridle — "so  like  old  times — so  like  yourself,  indeed — 
that  I  scarce  know  how  to  thank  you.  But  we  shall  live 
to  have  old-fashioned  times  again,  when  the  former  com- 
munications can  be  opened  among  us.  Those  were  happy 
days,  when  we  all  went  galloping  over  the  hills  together  ; 
mere  boys  and  girls,  it  is  true,  but  delighted  boys  and  girls 
I  hope  you  will  allow." 

"That  they  was  " — Opportunity's  education  and  graces 
did  not  extend  to  good  grammar,  in  her  ordinary  discourse, 
which  many  persons  among  us  seem  to  fancy  is  ar.ti- 
republican — "  That  they  was  !  And  I  should  like  to  live  'em 
over  again.  Never  mind,  Hugh  ;  you'll  live  to  put  down 
these  people,  and  then  you'll  settle  and  marry.  You  mean 
to  marry,  of  course  ?  " 

This  was  a  pretty  plain  demonstration  ;  but  I  was  used 
to  it,  as  what  young  man  of  fortune  is  not  ? — and  a  danger 
known  is  a  danger  avoided.  I  pressed  the  hand  I  held 


THE   RED  SAFINS.  313 

gently,  relinquished  it,  and  then  observed,  in  a  somewhat 
disappointed  tone 

"  Well,  I  ought  not  to  ask  again,  what  is  the  particular 
injury  I  am  to  expect  to-night.  A  brother  is  nearer  than 
a  friend,  I  know  ;  and  I  can  appreciate  your  difficulties." 

Opportunity  had  actually  given  the  spirited  beast  she 
rode  the  rein,  and  was  on  the  point  of  galloping  off,  when 
these  last  words  touched  her  heart.  Leaning  forward,  and 
bending  her  head  down,  so  as  to  bring  our  faces  within  a 
foot  of  each  other,  she  said,  in  a  low  voice — 

"Fire  is  a  good  servant,  but  a  hard  master.  A  teakettle 
of  water  thrown  on  it,  at  first,  would  have  put  out  the  last 
great  conflagration  in  York." 

These  words  were  no  sooner  uttered  than  the  bold 
young  woman  struck  her  horse  a  smart  blow,  and  away  she 
went  galloping  over  the  turf  with  an  almost  noiseless 
hoof.  I  watched  her  for  a  moment,  and  saw  her  descend 
into  the  ravine  ;  when,  left  quite  alone,  there  was  abun- 
dant opportunity  for  reflection,  though  no  longer  any  Op- 
portunity to  look  at. 

"  Fire  !  " — That  was  an  ominous  word.  It  is  the  instru- 
ment of  the  low  villain,  and  is  an  injury  against  which  it  is 
difficult,  indeed,  to  guard.  It  had  been  used  in  these  anti- 
rent  troubles,  though  less,  perhaps,  than  would  have  been 
the  case  in  almost  any  other  country  ;  the  institutions  of 
this,  even  if  they  have  introduced  so  many  false  and  ex- 
aggerated notions  of  liberty,  having  had  a  most  beneficial 
effect  in  lessening  some  of  the  other  evils  of  humanity. 
Still,  fire  had  been  resorted  to,  and  the  term  of  "  barn- 
burner "  had  got  to  be  common  among  us  ;  far  more  com- 
mon, I  rejoice  to  say,  than  the  practice  which  gave  it 
birth.  Nevertheless,  it  was  clearly  of  the  last  importance 
to  certain  persons  at  Ravensnest  to  frighten  me  from  com- 
plaining, since  their  crimes  could  only  lead  them  to  the 
State's  prison,  were  justice  done.  I  determined,  therefore, 
not  to  lay  my  head  on  a  pillow  that  night,  until  assured 
that  the  danger  was  past. 

The  moon  had  now  set,  but  the  stars  shed  their  twink- 
ling rays  on  the  dusky  landscape.  I  was  not  sorry  for  the 
change,  as  it  enabled  me  to  move  about  with  less  risk  of 
being  seen.  The  first  thing  was  to  seek  some  auxiliaries 
to  aid  me  in  watching,  and  I  at  once  decided  to  look  for 
them  among  my  guests,  the  Indians.  If  "fire  will  fight 
fire,"  "Indian  "  ought  to  be  a  match  for  "  Injin"  any  day. 
There  is  just  the  difference  between  these  two  classes  of 


3 1 4  THE  REDSKINS. 

men,  that  their  names  would  imply.  The  one  is  natural, 
dignified,  polished  in  his  way — nay,  gentleman-like  ;  while 
the  other  is  a  sneaking  scoundrel,  and  as  vulgar  as  his  own 
appellation.  No  one  would  think  of  calling  these  last 
masquerading  rogues  "  Indians  ; "  by  common  consent, 
even  the  most  particular  purist  in  language  terms  them 
"  Injins."  "  //  y  a  chapeau  et  chapecm?'  and  there  are  "In- 
dian "  and  "  Injin." 

Without  returning  to  the  house,  I  took  my  way  at  once 
toward  the  quarters  of  my  red  guests.  Familiar  with 
every  object  around  me,  I  kept  so  much  within  the 
shadows,  and  moved  across  the  lawn  and  fields  by  a  route 
so  hidden,  that  there  was  not  much  risk  of  my  being  seen, 
even  had  there  been  enemies  on  the  lookout.  The  dis- 
tance was  not  great,  and  I  soon  stood  at  the  foot  of  the 
little  knoll  on  which  the  old  farm-house  stood,  sheltered  in 
a  manner  by  a  dark  row  of  aged  currants,  which  lined  the 
bottom  of  an  old  and  half-deserted  garden.  Here  I  paused 
to  look  about  me,  and  to  reflect  a  moment,  before  I  pro- 
ceeded any  further. 

There  stood  the  good  old  substantial  residence  of  my 
fathers,  in  shadowry  outline,  looming  large  and  massive  in 
its  form  and  aspect.  It  might  be  fired,  certainly,  but  not 
with  much  facility,  on  its  exterior.  With  the  exception  of 
its  roof,  its  piazza,  and  its  outside  doors,  little  wood  was 
exposed  to  an  incendiary  without ;  and  a  slight  degree  of 
watchfulness  might  suffice  against  such  a  danger.  Then 
the  law  punished  arson  of  an  inhabited  dwelling  with 
death,  as  it  should  do,  and  your  sneaking  scoundrels  sel- 
dom brave  such  a  penalty  in  this  country.  Much  is  said 
about  the  impotency  of  the  punishment  of  the  gallows, 
but  no  man  can  tell  how  many  thousand  times  it  has 
stayed  the  hand  and  caused  the  heart  to  quail.  Until 
some  one  can  appear  among  us,  who  is  able  to  reveal 
this  important  secret,  it  is  idle  to  talk  about  the  few  cases 
in  which  it  is  known  that  the  risk  of  death  has  been  in- 
sufficient to  prevent  crime.  One  thing  we  all  know  ;  other 
punishments  exist,  and  crime  is  perpetrated  directly  in 
their  face,  daily  and  hourly  ;  and  I  cannot  see  why  such  a 
circumstance  should  not  be  just  as  much  of  an  argument 
against  the  punishment  of  the  penitentiary,  as  against  pun- 
ishment by  the  gallows.  For  one,  I  am  clearly  for  keep- 
i-ng  in  existence  the  knowledge  that  there  is  a  power  in  the 
country,  potent  to  sweep  away  the  offender,  when  cases  of 
sufficient  gravity  occur  to  render  the  warning  wholesome. 


THE   REDSKINS.  313 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

"  O,  time  and  death  !  with  certain  pace 
Though  still  unequal,  hurrying  on, 
O'erturning,  in  your  awful  race, 
The  cot,  the  palace,  and  the  throne  ! 

"  Not  always  in  the  storm  of  war, 
Nor  by  the  pestilence  that  sweeps 
From  the  plague-smitten  realms  afar, 
Beyond  the  old  and  solemn  deeps." — SANDS. 

BESIDES  the  house  with  its  walls  of  stone,  however,  there 
were  numerous  out-buildings.  The  carriage-house,  stables, 
and  home-barn  were  all  of  stone  also  ;  but  a  brand  thrown 
into  a  hay-mow  would  easily  produce  a  conflagration.  The 
barns,  hay-ricks,  etc.,  on  the  flats,  and  near  the  dwelling  of 
Miller,  were  all  of  wood,  according  to  the  custom  of  the 
country,  and  it  was  not  death  to  set  fire  to  a  barn.  The 
"  disguised  and  armed  "  who  should  commit  this  last  offence 
would  incur  no  other  risk  than  that  which  had  already 
been  incurred  in  carrying  out  his  desperate  plans.  I 
thought  of  these  things  for  a  moment,  when  I  opened  a 
passage  through  the  currant  bushes,  intending  to  pass  by 
a  breach  in  the  decayed  fence  into  the  garden,  and  thus 
by  a  private  way  to  the  house.  To  my  astonishment,  and 
in  a  slight  degree  to  my  alarm,  a  man  stood  before  me  the 
instant  I  emerged  from  the  thicket. 

"Who  be — where  go — what  want?"  demanded  one  of 
the  real  redskins,  significantly  ;  this  being  a  sentinal  of 
the  party,  whose  vigilance  even  my  guarded  approach  had 
not  eluded. 

I  told  him  who  I  was,  and  that  I  came  to  seek  the  inter- 
preter, Manytongues.  No  sooner  was  I  recognized,  than 
my  red  friend  offered  me  his  hand  to  shake,  American 
fashion,  and  seemed  satisfied.  He  asked  no  question, 
manifested  no  curiosity  at  this  visit  at  an  hour  so  unusual, 
and  took  it  all  as  one  in  ordinary  life  would  receive  a  call 
in  a  morning  between  the  permitted  hours  of  twelve  and 
three.  Something  had  brought  me  there,  he  must  have 
known  ;  but  what  that  something  was,  appeared  to  give 
him  no  concern.  This  man  accompanied  me  to  the  house, 
and  pointed  to  £he  spot  where  I  should  find  the  person  I 
sought,  snoring  on  his  well-shaken  bundles  of  straw. 

At  the  first  touch  of  my  finger,  Manytongues  awoke, 


3i6  THE   REDSKIXS, 

and  stood  erect.  He  recognized  me  in  an  instant,  dark  as 
was  the  room,  and  touching  my  arm  as  a  signal  to  follow, 
led  the  way  into  the  open  air.  After  moving  out  of  ear- 
shot, he  stopped  and  proceeded  to  business  himself,  like 
one  accustomed  to  such  interruptions. 

"Anything  stirring  to-night  ?"  demanded  this  frontier- 
man,  with  the  coolness  of  one  who  was  ever  ready.  "  Am 
I  to  call  my  redskins,  or  is  it  only  a  notice  that  is  to  be 
given  ? " 

"  Of  that  you  shall  judge  for  yourself.  You  doubtless 
know  the  condition  of  this  part  of  the  country,  and  the 
troubles  that  exist  on  the  subject  of  the  rents  paid  for  the 
use  of  the  farms.  What  you  saw  to-day  is  a  specimen  of 
the  scenes  that  are  now  constantly  acted  among  us." 

"  Colonel,  I  can't  say  I  do  rightly  understand  the  state 
of  things  down  hereaway,"  drawled  out  the  interpreter, 
after  yawning  like  a  hound,  and  giving  me  the  most  favorite 
title  of  the  frontiers.  "  It  seems  to  be  neither  one  thing 
nor  t'other  ;  nuther  tomahawk  nor  law.  I  can  understand 
both  of  them,  but  this  half-and-half  sort  of  thing  bothers 
me,  and  puts  me  out.  You  ought  to  have  law,  or  you 
hadn't  ought;  but  what  you  have  should  be  stuck  to." 

"  You  mean  that  you  do  not  find  this  part  of  the  country 
either  civilized  or  savage.  Not  submitting  to  the  laws,  nor 
yet  permitting  the  natural  appeal  to  force  ?" 

"  Something  of  that  sort.  The  agent  told  me,  when  I 
came  on  with  this  party  of  redskins,  that  I  was  com  in' 
down  into  a  quarter  of  the  country  where  there  was  jus- 
tices of  the  peace,  and  that  no  man,  red  or  pale,  could  or 
should  right  himself.  So  we've  all  on  us  indivor'd  to  go 
by  that  rule  ;  and  I  can  qualify  that  not  a  critter  has  been 
shot  or  scalped  since  we  crossed  the  Mississippi.  Some 
sich  law  was  necessary  among  us,  as  we  came  from  differ- 
ent and  hostile  tribes,  and  nothing  would  be  easier  than 
to  breed  a  quarrel  among  ourselves,  if. a  body  was  so  dis- 
posed. But,  I  must  say,  that  I'm  not  only  disapp'inted 
myself,  but  most  of  my  chiefs  be  dreadfully  disapp'inted 
likewise." 

"In  what  particular  have  you  been  most  disappointed?" 

"  In  many  matters.  The  first  thing  that  set  me  a- 
thinkin'  was  to  hear  folks  read  them  newspapers.  The, 
way  men  talk  of  each  other,  in  them  things,  is  wonderful, 
and  to  me  it's  a  surprise  any's  left,  at  the  end  of  the  year, 
to  begin  the  same  game  the  next.  Why,  Colonel  Little- 
page  " 


THE  REDSKINS.  317 

"  I  am  no  colonel — not  even  an  ensign — you  must  be 
confounding  me  with  some  other  of  my  family." 

"You  ought  to  be,  sir,  and  I  shall  not  do  you  the  injus^ 
tice  to  call  you  by  any  lower  title.  I've  known  gentlemen 
of  not  one-quarter  your  pretensions  tarmed  gin'rals,  out 
west.  I've  hunted  on  the  prer-ies  these  twenty-five  years, 
and  have  now  crossed  the  upper  lakes  six  times,  and  know 
what  is  due  to  a  gentleman  as  well  as  any  man.  And  so, 
as  I  was  sayin',  Colonel  Littlepage,  was  men  to  talk  of  each 
other  out  on  the  prer-ies  as  \hey  print  of  each  other  down 
here  among  the  meetin'-'uses,  scalps  would  be  so  plenty  as 
to  fall  considerable  in  valie.  I'm  not  at  all  spiteful,  but  my 
feelin's  has  been  r'iled  at  only  just  hear  in  'em  things  read, 
for,  as  for  reading  myself,  that's  a  thing  I  never  conde- 
scended to.  This  somewhat  prepared  me  for  findin'  things 
different  as  I  got  deeper  into  the  settlement,  and  I've  not 
been  disapp'inted  so  far  as  them  expectations  went — it's 
the  old  idee  that's  been  crossed." 

"  I  am  not  astonished  to  hear  this,  and  agree  with  you 
entirely  in  thinking  that  the  nations  which  can  withstand 
a  press  of  which  the  general  character  is  as  degraded  as 
that  of  this  country,  must  be  composed  of  beings  of  a  higher 
order  than  man.  But,  to  come  to  business  ;  you  mu.st  have 
some  notions  of  these  mock  savages,  and  of  the  people 
called  anti-renters  ?  " 

"  Sort  o',  and  sort  o'  not.  I  can't  understand  when  a 
man  has  agreed  to  pay  rent,  why  he  should  not  pay  it.  A 
bargain  is  a  bargain,  and  the  word  of  a  gentleman  is  as 
good  as  his  bond." 

"  These  opinions  would  surprise  some  among  us,  a  few 
legislators  included.  They  appear  to  think  that  the  moral 
test  of  every  engagement  is  whether  the  parties  like  it  or 
not." 

"  One  word,  if  you  please,  colonel.  Do  they  give  in 
as  much  to  complaints  of  the  owners  of  the  sile  as  to 
the  complaints  of  them  that  hire  the  land  in  order  to 
work  it  ? " 

"  Not  at  all.  The  complaints  of  the  landlords  would  not 
find  a  single  sympathetic  chord  in  the  breast  of  the  softest- 
hearted  politician  in  America,  let  them  be  ever  so  well- 
founded.  Surely,  you,  who  are  a  rover  on  the  prairies,  can 
have  no  great  respect  for  land  titles  ? " 

"  The  prer-ie  is  the  prer-ie,  colonel,  and  men  live  and 
act  by  prer-ie  law  on  prer-ie  ground.  But  right  is  right, 
too,  colonel,  as  well  as  prer-ie  is  prer-ie  ;  and  I  like  to  see 


318  THE  REDSKINS. 

it  pervail.  T  do  not  think  you  will  find  a  redskin  among 
all  the  chiefs  who  are  asleep  under  that  roof  who  will 
not  give  his  voice  again  flying  from  the  tarms  of  a  sol- 
emn bargain.  A  man  must  be  well  steeped  in  the  ways 
of  the  law,  I  should  judge,  to  bring  his  mind  to  such  an 
act.*' 

"  Do  these  red-men,  then,  know  anything  of  the  nature 
of  the  difficulties  that  exist  here  ? " 

"  They  have  heard  on  'em,  and  have  talked  a  good 
deal  together  on  the  subject.  It's  opposite  to  the  very 
nat.ur'  of  an  Indian,  like,  to  agree  to  one  thing,  and  to 
do  another.  But,  here  is  a  Chippewa,  who  is  on  the 
lookout.  I  will  ask  him  a  question,  and  you  shall  hear 
his  answer." 

Manytongues  now  spoke  to  the  sentinel,  who  was  saun- 
tering near.  After  a  brief  exchange  of  questions  and 
answers  in  the  tongue  of  the  latter,  the  interpreter  com- 
municated what  had  passed. 

"This  Chippewa  has  heard  somewhere,"  he  said,  "  that 
there  are  folks  in  this  part  of  the  world  who  get  into  wig- 
wams, by  agreeing  to  pay  rent  for  them,  and,  when  once 
in  possession,  they  want  to  fly  from  their  agreements,  and 
make  the  man  they  got  it  from  prove  his  right  to  it.  Is 
that  true,  colonel  ? " 

"  It  is  true,  out  of  all  question,  and  not  only  do  the  ten- 
ants wish  to  enact  this  treachery,  but  they  have  found 
others,  that  call  themselves  legislators,  who  are  willing  to 
sustain  them  in  the  fraud.  It  is  much  as  if  you  should  bor- 
row, or  hire  a  rifle  for  a  day's  sporting,  and  when  the  man 
who  let  you  have  it,  came  to  claim  it  at  night,  you  should 
tell  him  to  prove  he  was  the  right  owner." 

"  What's  that  to  me  ?  I  got  the  rifle  of  him  ;  have  no 
right  but  such  as  he  had  ;  a"hd  am  bound  to  stand  by  my 
bargain.  No,  no,  colonel  ;  not  a  redskin  on  the  prer-ies 
but  would  revolutionize  at  that !  But  what  may  have 
brought  you  here,  at  this  time  o'  night  ?  Them  that  sleep 
in  beds,  don't  like  to  quit  them  till  mornin'  comes  to  tell 
'em  to  rise." 

I  then  gave  Manytongues  an  account  of  the  visit  I  had  re- 
ceived, without  mentioning  the  name  of  Opportunity,  how- 
ever, and  related  the  nature  of  the  warning  I  had  heard. 
The  interpreter  was  in  nowise  disturbed  at  this  prospect 
of  a  collision  with  the  Injins,  against*  whom  he  had  a 
grudge,  not  only  on  account  of  the  little  affair  of  the  pre- 
ceding day,  but  mainly  in  consequence  of  their  having 


THE  REDSKINS.  319 

brought  real  savages  into  discredit,  by  the  craven  and 
clumsy  manner  in  which  they  had  carried  out  their  imita- 
tion. 

"  Nothin'  better  is  to  be  expected  from  such  critturs," 
he  observed,  after  we  had  discussed  the  matter  together, 
at  some  little  length,  "  though  fire  is  held  to  be  lawful 
warfare,  even  on  the  prer-ies.  For  my  part,  I'm  not  at  all 
sorry  there  is  something  to  do  ;  nor  will  my  chiefs  be 
melancholy  on  this  account,  for  it  is  dull  work  to  be  doing 
nothing,  for  months  and  months  at  a  time,  but  smoking  at 
councils,  making  speeches  to  folks  who  live  by  talking, 
and  eating  and  drinking.  Activity  is  the  natur'  of  a  prer-ie 
man,  and  he's  always  glad  to  pick  his  flint,  after  a  spell  of 
considerable  quiet.  I'll  tell  the  Chippewa  to  step  in  and 
bring  out  the  redskins,  a'ter  which  you  can  give  your  or- 
ders." 

"I  could  wish  watchfulness  rather  than  violence.  The 
men  can  lie  in  watch,  near  the  principal  buildings,  and  it 
might  be  well  to  have  some  water  ready,  to  extinguish  any 
flames  that  may  be  lighted,  before  they  get  too  far  ahead." 

"Just  as  you  say,  colonel,  for  you  are  my  captain-gener- 
al. But  I  can  tell  you  how  I  did  once,  out  on  the  prer-ies, 
when  I  caught  a  rascal  of  a  Sioux  blowing  a  fire  he  had 
kindled  at  one  of  my  own  lodges.  I  just  laid  him  on  the 
flames,  and  let  him  put  them  out  himself  by  bleeding  on 
them." 

"We  must  have  no  violence,  unless  it  become  indispen- 
sable to  save  the  buildings.  The  law  wrill  not  justify  us  in 
using  our  arms,  except  in  the  least  extremity.  Prisoners 
I  wish  you  to  take  ;  for  they  may  serve  as  hostages,  be- 
sides furnishing  examples  to  intimidate  other  offenders. 
I  rely  on  you  to  give  due  warning  to  our  red  friends  on 
this  subject." 

The  interpreter  gave  a  sort  of  grunt,  but  he  said  noth- 
ing. The  conversation  went  no  farther,  however,  just 
then  ;  for,  by  this  time,  the  Indians  came  stealing  out  of 
.  the  house,  every  man  of  them  armed,  looking  dusky,  pre- 
pared and  full  of  wariness.  Manytongues  did  not  keep 
them  long,  but  soon  told  his*story.  After  this,  his  author- 
ity appeared,  in  a  great  measure,  to  cease.  Flintyheart  was 
now  the  most  prominent  of  the  party,  though  Prairiefire, 
and  another  wrarrior,  were  also  connected  with  the  orders 
given  to  the  rest.  I  observed  that  Eaglesflight  had  no 
part  in  these  arrangements,  which  were  peculiarly  mili- 
tary, though  he  appeared  armed  and  ready,  and  went  forth 


320  THE  REDSKINS. 

on  the  sudden  call,  like  the  rest.  In  five  minutes,  the  In- 
dians were  all  off,  principally  in  pairs,  leaving  the  interpre- 
ter and  myself  still  standing  together,  in  front  of  the  de- 
serted house. 

It  was,  by  this  time,  past  one  o'clock,  and  I  thought  it 
probable  my  enemies  would  soon  appear,  if  they  came 
that  night.  Accompanied  by  the  interpreter,  I  took  the 
way  toward  the  Nest  House,  it  occurring  to  me  that  arms 
might  be  wanted,  in  the  course  of  the  morning.  On  quit- 
ting my  room,  the  rifle  and  pistol  provided  by  John  had 
been  left  there,  and  I  thought  of  stealing  into  the  house 
again,  obtaining  those  weapons,  extinguish  my  light,  and 
rejoin  my  present  companion,  without  giving  alarm  to  any 
of  the  sleepers. 

This  plan  was  successfully  executed,  so  far  as  ascending 
to  my  room  and  descending  to  the  door  were  concerned, 
but  there  it  met  with  an  interruption.  While  in  the  very 
act  of  closing  the  little  postern,  as  we  used  to  call  it,  by 
way  of  pleasantry,  I  felt  a  small  soft  hand  laid  on  the  one 
of  my  own  which  was  drawing-to  the  door  after  me.  In 
an  instant  I  had  turned,  and  was  at  the  side  of  Mary  War- 
ren. I  expressed  my  surprise  at  finding  her  still  up,  and 
concern  lest  she  might  suffer  in  health,  in  consequence  of 
so  much  unusual  watchfulness. 

"  I  could  not  sleep  after  what  has  passed  to-night,"  she 
answered,  ''without  knowing  the  meaning  of  all  these 
movements.  I  have  been  looking  from  my  window,  and 
saw  you  assist  Opportunity  to  get  on  her  horse,  and  after- 
ward walk  toward  the  old  farm-house,  where  the  Indians 
are  lodged.  Tell  me,  frankly,  Mr.  Littlepage,  is  there  any 
danger  to  be  apprehended  ?  " 

"  I  shall  be  frank  with  you,  Mary" — how  easy  and  pleas- 
ant it  was  to  me  to  use  this  gentle  familiarity,  which  might 
now  be  assumed  without  appearing  to  be  presumptuous, 
under  all  the  circumstances  of  our  intercourse  ;  "  I  shall 
be  frank  with  you,  Mary  ;  for  I  know  that  your  prudence 
and  self-command  will  prevent  any  unnecessary  alarm, 
while  your  watchfulness  may  be  of  use.  There  is  some 
reason  to  fear  the  brand." 

''The  brand!" 

"  So  Opportunity  has  given  me  reason  to  suppose  ;  and 
I  do  not  think  she  would  have  ridden  the  distance  she  did 
at  such  an  hour,  unless  her  business  were  serious.  The 
brand  is  the  proper  instrument  of  the  anti-renter,  and  ren- 
ders his  disguise  convenient.  I  have  got  all  the  red-men 


THK   REDSKINS.  321 

on  the  lookout,  however;  and  I  do  not  think  that  mischief 
can  be  done  to-night,  without  its  being  detected.  To- 
morrow, we  can  appeal  to  the  authorities  for  protection." 

"  I  will  not  sleep  this  night !  "  exclaimed  Mary,  drawing 
the  light  shawl  she  wore,  as  a  protection  against  the  air  of 
that  summer-night,  more  closely  around  her  person,  as  a 
sterner  being  might  be  supposed  to  gird  on  his  armor  in  a 
moment  of  peril.  "  I  care  not  for  rest.  They  ought  not, 
they  shall  not,  Mr.  Littlepage,  do  you  this  wrong.  Have 
you  apprehensions  for  this  house  ?" 

"  One  never  knows.  This  house  is  not  easily  set  fire  to 
from  without,  and  I  scarcely  think  there  can  be  any  enemy 
within.  The  domestics  are  old  and  tried,  and  I  do  not  be- 
lieve that  either  of  them  could  be  bought.  I  feel  little 
apprehension,  therefore,  from  any  within,  while  I  confess 
to  a  good  deal  from  those  without.  Fire  is  such  a  dread- 
ful foe,  and  one  is  usually  so  helpless  against  its  rava^ 
ges  in  the  country  !  I  will  not  ask  you  to  retire,  for  I 
know  you  will  not — nay,  cannot  sleep  ;  but,  by  passing 
from  window  to  window,  for  the  next  hour,  or  until  I  re- 
join you,  your  mind  will  be  occupied,  and  possibly  some 
injury  might  be  prevented.  An  unseen  observer  from  a 
window  might  detect  an  attempt  that  would  escape  those 
on  the  watch  without." 

"  I  will  do 'so,"  said  Mary,  eagerly  ;  "  and  should  I  dis- 
cover anything,  I  will  open  a  leaf  of  the  shutter  of  my  own 
room.  You  can  then  see  the  light  of  the  candle  within, 
and  by  coming  at  once  to  this  door,  you  will  find  me  here, 
ready  to  let  you  know  my  discovery." 

With  this  understanding  they  parted,  but  not  until  I  had 
shaken  hands  affectionately  with  this  gentle-looking,  but 
really  resolute  and  clear-headed  girl.  I  rejoined  Many- 
tongues,  who  stood  in  the  shadows  of  the  piazza,  where 
there  was  no  possibility  of  his  being  seen,  except  by  one 
quite  near  his  person.  After  a  brief  explanation,  we  parted, 
one  taking  the  north  side  of  the  buildings,  and  the  other 
the  south,  in  order  to  make  certain  no  incendiary  was  at 
work  on  either  of  the  wings. 

The  Nest  House  was  much  less  exposed  to  attempts  like 
those  we  apprehended,  than  most  American  dwellings. 
The  structure  being  of  stone,  left  but  little  inflammable 
material  accessible  ;  and  the  doors,  on  the  exterior,  were 
only  two — those  already  mentioned.  There  was  a  great 
gate,  it  is  true  ;  one  large  enough  to  admit  a  cart  into  the 
inner  court,  on  the  southern  face  of  the  wing,  beneath  the 


322  THE  REDSKINS. 

arch  of  which  an  incendiary  might,  indeed,  make  his  at- 
tempt, though  a  practised  rogue  would  at  once  see  the 
difficulties.  Little  wood  was  even  there,  beyond  that  of 
the  massive  gate  itself,  which,  once  burnt,  would  leave  no 
further  fuel  for  flames.  I  examined  the  place,  notwith- 
standing ;  and  finding  all  safe  on  my  side  of  the  building, 
I  went  to  rejoin  the  interpreter,  who  was  to  meet  me  at 
the  foot  of  a  fine  beech,  which  spread  its  broad  arms  over 
the  lawn,  at  the  distance  of  about  a  hundred  yards  from 
the  house,  and  so  nearly  in  its  front,  as  to  afford  us,  in  all 
respects,  the  most  eligible  position  for  sentinels  on  duty 
like  ours,  far  or  near. 

At  the  foot  of  that  beech  I  found  Manytongues,  and  the 
deep  obscurity  in  which  his  form  was  embedded,  was,  of 
itself,  a  high  recommendation  of  the  position.  I  did  not 
see  him  until  almost  near  enough  to  touch  him.  He  was 
seated  on  a  bench,  and  seemed  entirely  at  his  ease,  like  one 
accustomed  to  ambushes,  vigilance,  and  midnight  assaults. 
We  exchanged  reports,  ascertained  all  was  well,  and  then 
I  took  my  seat  at  the  interpreter's  side,  willing  to  beguile 
the  time  by  such  discourse  as  occurred  to  my  mind. 

"  That  was  a  most  interesting  scene,  last  evening/'  I  re- 
marked ;  "  the  interview  between  Old  Trackless  and  youi 
red  companions !  I  own  a  lively  curiosity  to  know  what 
particular  claim  our  aged  friend  has  on  those  distant  tribes, 
that  chiefs  of  note  have  come  so  far  to  see  him  ? " 

"They  have  not  come  all  the  way  from  the  prer-ies,  tc 
this  spot,  on  any  such  ar'n'd,  though  I  do  not  question 
their  readiness  to  do  so.  In  the  first  place,  old  age,  when 
accompanied  by  wisdom,  and  sobriety,  and  a  good  charac- 
ter, goes  a  great  way  with  savages,  in  gin'ral.  But  there 
is  something  partic'lar  about  the  acts  of  Susquesus  that  I 
do  not  know,  which  raises  him  higher  than  common  in 
redskin  eyes.  I  intend  to  Tarn  what  it  is  before  we  quit 
this  country." 

A  pause  succeeded  ;  then  I  spoke  of  the  "prer-ies,"  as 
almost  all  western  men  pronounce  the  word.  I  drew  such 
an  outline  of  the  life  as  I  supposed  my  companion  passed 
there,  thinking  it  might  be  agreeable  to  hear  his  own  hab- 
its and  enjoyments  extolled. 

"  I'll  tell  you  how  it  is,  colonel,"  returned  the  interpreter, 
with  a  little  show  of  feeling  ;  much  more  than  he  had  pre- 
viously manifested  on  any  occasion  during  our  short  ac- 
quaintance;  "yes,  I'll  jist  tell  you  how  it  is.  Prer-ie  life 
is  delightsome  to  them  that  loves  freedom  and  justice." 


THE   REDSKINS.  323 

"Freedom  I  can  understand,"  said  I,  interrupting  him, 
in  my  surprise — "but  as  for  justice,  I  should  think  that 
laws  are  absolutely  necessary." 

"Ay,  that's  a  settlement  idee,  I  know,  but  it's  not  as  true 
as  some  supposes.  There  is  no  court  and  jury  like  this, 
colonel,"  slapping  the  breech  of  his  rifle  with  energy,  "  and 
eastern  powder  conspired  with  Galena  lead  makes  the  best 
of  attorneys.  I've  tried  both,  and  speak  on  sartainty.  Law 
druv'  me  out  on  the  prer-ies,  and  love  for  them  keeps  me 
there.  Down  this-a-way,  you're  neither  one  tiling  nor 
tuther — law  nor  rifle  ;  for,  if  you  had  law,  as  law  ought  to 
be,  you  and  I  wouldn't  be  sitting  here,  at  this  time  of  night, 
to  prevent  your  mock  Injins  from  setting  fire  to  your 
houses  and  barns." 

There  was  only  too  much  truth  in  this  last  position  of 
the  straightforward  interpreter  to  be  gainsaid.  After  mak- 
ing some  proper  allowances  for  the  difficulties  of  the  case, 
and  the  unexpected  circumstances,  no  impartial  man  could 
deny  that  the  laws  had  been  trifled  with,  or  things  never 
would  have  reached  the  pass  they  had  :  as  Manytongues 
affirmed,  we  had  neither  the  protection  of  the  law,  nor  the 
use  of  the  rifle.  It  ought  to  be  written  in  letters  of  brass 
in  all  the  highways  and  places  of  resort  in  the  country, 

that  A  STATE  OF  SOCIETY  WHICH  PRETENDS  TO  THE  PROTEC- 
TION THAT  BELONGS  TO  CIVILIZATION,  AND  FAILS  TO  GIVE  IT, 
ONLY  MAKES  THE  CONDITION  OF  THE  HONEST  PORTION  OF  THE 
COMMUNITY  SO  MUCH  THE  WORSE,  BY  DEPRIVING  IT  OF  THE 
PROTECTION  CONFERRED  BY  NATURE,  WITHOUT  SUPPLYING  THE 
SUBSTITUTE. 

I  dare  say  the  interpreter  and  I  sat  an  hour  under  that 
tree,  conversing  in  low  voices,  on  such  matters  and  things 
as  came  uppermost  in  our  minds.  There  was  a  good  deal 
of  true^prer-ie  philosophy  in  the  opinions  of  my  compan- 
ion, which  is  much  as  if  one  should  say  his  notions  were 
a  mixture  of  clear  natural  justice  and  strong  local  preju- 
dices. The  last  sentiment  he  uttered  was  so  very  charac- 
teristic as  to  merit  particular  notice. 

"  I'll  tell  you  how  it  is,  colonel,"  he  said,  "  right  is  right, 
and  nonsense  is  nonsense.  If  so  be,  we  should  happen  to 
catch  one  of  these  mocking  rascals  firing  your  house  or 
barn,  it  would  be  a  smart  chance  at  justice  to  settle  things 
on  the  spot.  If  I  had  my  way,  I  should  just  tie  the  fellow, 
hands  and  feet,  and  toss  him  into  the  flames  to  help  him 
along  with  his  own  work.  A  rascal  makes  the  best  of  kind- 
ling wood! " 


324  TJIK    KKDSA'INS. 

Just  at  that  instant  I  saw  an  upper  leaf  of  the  inside 
shutter  of  Mary  Warren's  room  open,  for  my  eye  was  rest- 
ing on  the  window  at  that  very  moment.  The  light  had 
been  brought  so  near  the  opening  as  plainly  to  show  the 
change,  leaving  no  doubt  that  my  fair  sentinel  within  had 
made  some  important  discovery.  At  such  a  summons  I 
could  not  hesitate  ;  but,  telling  Manytongues  to  continue 
his  watchfulness,  I  went  across  the  lawn  with  the  steps  of 
youth  and  haste.  In  two  minutes  my  hand  was  on  the 
latch  of  the  little  door  ;  and  in  two  seconds  more  it  was 
open,  and  I  found  myself  standing  in  front  of  Mary  War- 
ren. A  gesture  from  her  hand  induced  me  to  be  cau- 
tious, and  closing  the  door  silently,  I  asked  an  explana- 
tion. 

"  Speak  not  too  loud,"  whispered  the  anxious  girl,  pre- 
serving a  wonderful  self-command,  nevertheless,  for  the 
extraordinary  circumstances  in  which  she  was  placed.  "  I 
have  discovered  them  ;  they  are  here  ! " 

"Here  ! — not  in  the  house,  surely?" 

"  In  the  house  itself ! — in  the  kitchen,  where  they  are 
kindling  a  fire  on  the  floor  at  this  instant.  Come  quickly 
— there  is  not  a  moment  to  lose." 

It  may  be  well  to  explain  here  the  arrangement  of  the 
kitchen  and  offices,  in  order  to  render  what  is  to  follow  the 
more  intelligible.  The  gateway  mentioned  cut  the  south- 
ern wing  of  the  house  into  two  equal  parts,  the  chambers, 
however,  extending  the  whole  length,  and  of  course  pass- 
ing over  it.  On  the  western  side  of  this  gateway  were 
certain  offices  connected  with  the  eating-rooms,  and  those 
eating-rooms  themselves.  On  the  eastern  side  were  the 
kitchen,  servants'  hall,  scullery,  etc.,  and  a  flight  of  nar- 
row stairs  that  led  to  the  chambers  occupied  by  the  do- 
mestics. The  outside  door  to  this  latter  portion  of  the 
building  was  beneath  the  arch  of  the  gateway,  one  corres- 
ponding to  it  opening  on  its  opposite  side,  and  by  means 
of  which  the  service  was  ordinarily  made.  There  was  a 
court,  environed  on  three  of  its  sides  by  the  main  edifice, 
and  by  two  long,  low  wings  that  have  been  so  often  men- 
tioned, while  it  was  open  on  the  fourth  to  the  cliff.  This 
cliff  was  low  land,  while  it  was  nearly  perpendicular,  it 
was  possible  for  an  active  man  to  ascend,  or  even  to  de- 
scend it,  by  clinging  to  the  rocks,  which  were  sufficiently 
ragged  to  admit  of  such  an  adventure.  When  a  boy  I  had 
done  both  fifty  times,  and  it  was  a  somewhat  common  ex- 
periment among  the  male  domestics  and  hirelings  of  the 


THE   REDSKIATS.  32$ 

household.  It  occurred  to  me  at  once  that  the  incendiaries 
had  most  probably  entered  the  house  by  ascending  the 
cliff,  the  kitchen  of  itself  furnishing  all  the  materials  to 
light  a  conflagration. 

The  reader  will  be  assured  that,  after  receiving  the  start- 
ling communication  of  Mary  Warren,  I  did  not  stop  to 
discuss  all  these  matters  with  her.  My  first  impulse  was 
to  desire  her  to  run  to  the  beech,  and  bid  Manytongues 
join  me,  but  she  refused  to  quit  my  side. 

"  No — no — no.  You  must  not  go  to  the  kitchen  alone," 
she  said,  hurriedly.  "  There  are  two  of  them,  and  desper- 
ate looking  wretches  are  they,  with  their  faces  blackened, 
and  they  have  muskets.  No — no — no.  Come,  /  will  ac- 
company you." 

I  hesitated  no  longer,  but  moved  forward,  Mary  keep- 
ing close  at  my  side.  Fortunately,  I  had  brought  the  rifle 
with  me,  and  the  revolving  pistol  was  in  my  pocket.  We 
went  by  the  eating-rooms  and  offices,  the  course  taken  by 
Mary  herself  on  her  watch  ;  and  who,  in  looking  through 
a  small  window  of  one  of  the  last,  that  opened  beneath 
the  gateway,  had  discovered  what  was  going  on,  by  means 
of  a  similar  window  in  the  kitchen.  As  we  went,  the  no- 
ble girl  told  me  that  she  had  kept  moving  through  the 
lower  rooms  of  the  whole  house  during  the  time  1  had 
been  on  watch  out  of  doors,  and  attracted  by  the  light 
that  gleamed  through  these  windows,  she  had  distinctly 
seen  two  men,  with  blackened  faces,  kindling  a  fire  in  a 
corner  of  the  kitchen,  where  the  flames  must  soon  com- 
municate with  the  stairs,  by  means  of  which  they  would 
speedily  reach  the  attics  and  the  wood-work  of  the  roof. 
Fortunately,  the  floors  of  all  that  part  of  the  house  were 
made  of  bricks  ;  that  of  the  servants'  hall  excepted,  which 
was  a  room  beyond  the  narrow  passage  that  contained  the 
stairs.  As  soon  as  apprised  of  the  danger,  Mary  Warren 
had  flown  to  the  window  of  her  own  room  to  make  the 
signal  to  me,  and  then  to  the  door  to  meet  me.  But  three 
or  four  minutes  had  elapsed  between  the  time  when  she 
became  apprised  of  the  danger  and  that  when  we  were 
walking  hurriedly  to  the  window  beneath  the  gate- 
way. 

A  bright  light,  which  shone  through  the  opposite  win- 
dow, announced  the  progress  made  by  the  incendiaries. 
Requesting  Mary  to  remain  where  she  was,  I  passed 
through  the  door,  and  descended  to  the  pavement  of  the 
gateway.  The  little  window  beneath  the  arch  was  too 


326  77/7?   KKDSAr7ArS. 

high  for  my  purposes,  when  on  that  level,  but  there  was  a 
row  of  low  windows  that  opened  on  the  court.  To  one  of 
these  I  moved  swiftly,  and  got  a  clear  view  of  all  that  was 
passing  within. 

"  There  they  are  !  "  exclaimed  Mary,  who,  neglectful  of 
my  request,  still  kept  close  at  my  side.  "  Two  men  with 
blackened  faces,  and  the  wood  of  which  they  have  made 
their  fire  is  blazing  brightly." 

The  fire,  now  I  saw  it,  did  not  confirm  the  dread  I  felt 
when  I  had  it  before  me  only  in  imagination.  The  stair- 
way had  an  open  place  beneath  it,  and  on  the  brick  floor 
below  had  the  incendiaries  built  their  pile.  It  was  con- 
structed at  the  bottom  of  some  of  the  common  wood  that 
was  found  there,  in  readiness  for  the  wants  of  the  cook  in 
the  morning,  lighted  by  coals  taken  from  the  fireplace.  A 
considerable  pile  had  been  made  with  the  wood,  which 
was  now  burning  pretty  freely,  and  the  two  rascals  were 
busy  piling  on  the  chairs  when  I  first  saw  them.  They 
had  made  a  good  beginning,  and  in  ten  or  fifteen  minutes 
longer  there  is  no  doubt  that  all  that  portion  of  the  house 
would  have  been  in  flames. 

"You  said  they  had  muskets,"  I  whispered  to  Mary. 
"  Do  you  see  them  now  ? " 

"  No :  when  I  sawr  them,  each  held  his  musket  in  one 
hand,  and  worked  with  the  other." 

I  could  have  shot  the  villains  without  difficulty  or  risk 
to  myself,  but  felt  deeply  averse  to  taking  human  life. 
Still,  there  was  the  prospect  of  a  serious  struggle  before 
me,  and  I  saw  the  necessity  of  obtaining  assistance. 

"  Will  you  go  to  my  uncle's  room,  Mary,  and  tell  him 
to  rise  immediately.  Then  to  the  front  door  of  the  house, 
and  call  out  'Manytongues,  come  here  as  fast  as  possible.' 
It  will  take  but  two  minutes  to  do  both,  and  I  will  watch 
these  rascals  in  the  meantime." 

"  I  dread  leaving  you  here  alone  with  the  wretches,  Mr. 
Littlepage,"  whispered  Mary,  gently. 

An  earnest  entreaty  on  my  part,  however,  induced  her 
to  comply  ;  and,  no  sooner  did  the  dear  girl  set  about  the 
accomplishment  of  the  task,  then  she  flew  rather  than  ran. 
It  did  not  seem  to  me  a  minute  ere  I  heard  her  call  to  the 
interpreter.  The  night  was  so  still,  that,  sweet  as  were 
those  tones,  and  busy  as  were  the  incendiaries,  they  heard 
them  too  ;  or  fancied  they  heard  something  wrhich  alarmed 
them.  They  spoke  to  each  other,  looked  intently  at  their 
infernal  work  for  a  single  instant,  sought  their  arms,  which 


THE   REDSKINS.  327 

were  standing  in  the  corner  of  the  kitchen,  and  were  evi- 
dently preparing  to  depart. 

The  crisis  was  near.  There  was  not  time  to  receive  as- 
sistance before  the  two  fellows  would  be  out,  and  I  must 
either  meet  them  in  conflict,  or  suffer  them  to  escape. 
My  first  impression  was  to  shoot  down  the  leading  man, 
and  grapple  with  the  other  ere  he  had  time  to  prepare 
his  arms.  But  a  timely  thought  prevented  this  hazardous 
step.  The  incendiaries  were  retiring,  and  I  had  a  doubt 
of  the  legality  of  killing  a  retreating  felon.  I  believed 
that  my  chances  before  a  jury  would  be  far  less  than  those 
of  an  ordinary  pickpocket,  or  highway  robber,  and  had 
heard  and  read  enough  to  be  certain  there  were  thousands 
around  me  who  would  fancy  it  a  sufficient  moral  provo- 
cation for  'all  which  had  passed,  that  I  held  the  fee  of 
farms  that  other  men  desired  to  possess. 

A  majority  of  my  countrymen  will  scout  this  idea 
as  forced  and  improbable.  But,  majorities  are  far  from 
being  infallible  in  their  judgments.  Let  any  discreet  and 
observant  man  take  a  near  view  of  that  which  is  daily  go- 
ing on  around  him.  If  he  do  not  find  in  men  this  disposi- 
tion to  distort  principles,  to  pervert  justice,  and  to  attain 
their  ends  regardless  of  the  means,  then  will  I  admit  I  do 
not  understand  human  nature,  as  human  nature  exhibits 
its  deformity  in  this  blessed  republic  of  ours. 

There  was  no  time  to  lose,  however  ;  and  the  course  I 
actually  decided  to  take  will  be  soonest  told  by  relating 
things  as  they  occurred.  I  heard  the  door  open,  and  was 
ready  for  action.  Whether  the  incendiaries  intended  to  re- 
treat by  the  cliff,  or  to  open  the  gate,  which  was  barred 
within,  I  could  not  tell  ;  but  I  was  ready  for  either  alter- 
native. 

No  sooner  did  I  hear  a  step  on  the  pavement  of  the  gate- 
way than  I  discharged  my  rifle  in  the  air.  This  was  done 
as  an  alarm-signal.  Clubbing  the  piece,  I  sprang  forward, 
and  felled  the  foremost  of  the  two  with  a  sharp  blow  on  his 
hat.  The  fellow  came  down  on  the  pavement  like  an  ox  un- 
der the  axe  of  the  slaughter-house.  Dropping  the  rifle,  I 
bounded  over  his  body,  and  grappled  with  his  companion. 
All  this  was  done  so  rapidly  as  to  take  the  rascals  complete- 
ly by  surprise.  So  sudden,  indeed,  was  my  assault  on  the 
fellow  who  stood  erect,  that  he  wns  under  the  necessity  of 
dropping  his  rifle,  and  at  it  we  went,  clinched  like  bears  in 
the  death-hug.  I  was  young  and  active,  but  my  antago- 
nist was  the  stronger  man  of  the  two.  He  had  also  the 


328  THE  REDSKINS. 

advantage  of  being  practised  in  wrestling,  and  I  soon  went 
down,  my  enemy  falling  on  top  of  me.  Luckily,  I  fell  on 
the  body  of  the  other  incendiary,  who  was  just  beginning 
to  discover  signs  of  consciousness  after  the  crushing  blow 
he  had  received.  My  chance  would  now  have  been  small 
but  for  assistance.  The  incendiary  had  caught  my  neck 
handkerchief,  and  was  twisting  it  to  choke  me,  when  I  felt 
a  sudden  relief.  The  light  of  the  fire  shone  through  the 
kitchen  doors,  rendering  everything  distinct  beneath  the 
arch.  Mary  came  flying  back  just  in  time  to  rescue  me. 
With  a  resolution  that  did  her  honor,  she  caught  up  the 
rifle  I  had  dropped,  and  passed  its  small  end  between  the 
bent  arms  of  my  antagonist  and  his  own  back,  raising  it  at 
the  same  time  like  a  lever.  In  the  brief  interval  of  breath- 
ing this  ready  expedient  gave  me,  I  rallied  my  force, 
caught  my  enemy  by  the  throat,  made  a  desperate  effort, 
threw  him  off,  and  over  on  his  side,  and  was  on  my  feet  in 
an  instant.  Drawing  the  pistol,  I  ordered  the  rascal  to 
yield,  or  to  take  the  consequences.  The  sight  of  this  weap- 
on secured  the  victory,  the  black-faced  villain  shrinking 
back  into  a  corner,  begging  piteously  not  to  be  shot.  At 
the  next  moment,  the  interpreter  appeared  under  the  arch, 
followed  by  a  stream  of  redskins,  which  had  been  turned 
in  this  direction  by  the  alarm  given  by  my  rifle. 


CHAPTER    XXIII. 

"Ye  say  they  all  have  passed  away, 

That  noble  race  and  brave : 
That  their  light  canoes  have  vanished 

From  off  the  crested  wave  : 
That  'mid  the  forests  where  they  roamed 

There  rings  no  hunter's  shout : 
But  their  name  is  on  your  waters, 

Ye  may  not  wash  it  out." — MRS.  SiGOURNEY. 

DIRECTING  Manytongues  to  secure  the  two  incendiaries, 
I  sprang  into  the  kitchen  to  extinguish  the  flames.  It 
wa*s  high  time,  though  Mary  Warren  had  already  antici- 
pated me  here,  too.  She  had  actually  thrown  several  dip- 
pers of  water  upon  the  fire,  which  was  beginning  to  crackle 
through  the  pile  of  chairs,  and  had  already  succeeded  in 
lessening  the  flames.  I  knew  that  a  hydrant  stood  in  the 
kitchen  itself,  which  gave  a  full  stream  of  water.  Filling 


THE  REDSKINS.  329 

a  pail,  I  threw  the  contents  on  the  flames  ;  and  repeating 
the  application,  in  half  a  minute  the  room  was  filled  with 
vapor,  and  to  the  bright  light  succeeded  a  darkness  that 
was  so  deep  as  to  suggest  the  necessity  of  finding  lamps 
and  candles. 

The  tumult  produced  by  the  scene  just  described  soon 
brought  all  in  the  house  to  the  spot.  The  domestics,  male 
and  female,  came  tumbling  down  the  stairs,  under  which 
the  fire  had  been  lighted,  and  presently  candles  were  seen 
glancing  about  the  house,  in  all  directions. 

"  I  declare,  Mr.  Hugh,"  cried  John,  the  moment  he  had 
taken  a  survey  of  the  state  of  the  kitchen,  "  this  is  worse 
than  Hireland,  sir!  The  Hamericans  affect  to  laugh  at 
the  poor  Hirish,  and  calls  their  country  savage,  and  hunfit 
to  be  in'abited,  but  nothing  worse  passes  in  it  than  is  be- 

f  inning  to  pass  'ere.     Them  stairs  would  have  been  all  in 
ames  in  a  few  minutes,  and  them  stairs  once  on  fire,  not 
one  of  hus,  up  in  the   hattics,  could  'ave  escaped   death ! 
Don't  talk  of  Hireland,  after  this  !  " 

Poor  John  !  his  prejudices  are  those  of  an  Englishman 
of  his  class,  and  that  is  saying  as  much  in  favor  of  thejr 
strength  as  can  be  well  said  of  any  prejudices.  But  how 
much  truth  was  there  in  his  remark  !  The  quiet  manner 
in  which  we  assume  superiority,  in  morals,  order,  justice, 
and  virtue,  over  all  other  nations,  really  contains  an  in- 
structive lesson,  if  one  will  only  regard  things  as  they 
really  are.  I  have  no  wish  to  exaggerate  the  faults  of  my 
own  country,  but  certainly  I  shall  not  remorselessly  con- 
ceal them,  when  the  most  dangerous  consequences  are 
connected  with  such  a  mistake.  As  a  whole,  the  disorders, 
disturbances,  and  convulsions  of  America  have  certainly 
been  much  fewer  than  those  of  most,  perhaps  of  all  other 
Christian  nations,  comparing  numbers,  and  including  the 
time  since  the  great  experiment  commenced.  But  such 
ought  to  have  been  the  result  of  our  facts,  quite  indepen- 
dently of  national  character.  The  institutions  leave  noth- 
ing for  the  masses  to  struggle  for,  and  famine  is  unknown 
among  us.  But  what  does  the  other  side  of  the  picture 
exhibit  ?  Can  any  man  point  to  a  country  in  Europe  in 
which  a  great  political  movement  has  commenced  on  a 
principle  as  barefacedly  knavish  as  that  of  transferring 
property  from  one  class  of  men  to  another.  That  such  a 
project  does  exist  here,  is  beyond  all  just  contradiction  ; 
and  it  is  equally  certain  that  it  has  carried  its  devices  into 
legislation,  and  is  fast  corrupting  the  government  in  its 


330  THE   REDSKINS. 

most  efficient  agents.  John  was  right  in  saying  we  ought 
not  to  turn  up  our  noses  at  the  ebullitions  of  abused  and 
trodden-on  "  Hireland,"  while  our  own  skirts  are  to  be 
cleared  of  such  sins  against  the  plainest  dictates  of  right. 

The  fire  was  extinguished,  and  the  house  was  safe.  The 
kitchen  was  soon  cleared  of  the  steam  and  smoke,  and  in 
their  places  appeared  a  cloud  of  redskins.  Prairiefire, 
Eaglesflight,  and  Flintyheart,  were  all  there,  examining 
the  effects  of  the  fire,  with  stern  and  interesting  counte- 
nances. T  looked  round  for  Mary  Warren  ;  but  that  gen- 
tle and  singularly  feminine  girl,  after  manifesting  a  pres- 
ence of  mind  and  decision  that  would  have  done  honor  to 
a  young  man  of  her  own  age,  had  shrunk  back  with  sensi- 
tive consciousness,  and  now  concealed  herself  among  the 
others  of  her  sex.  Her  duty,  so  eminently  useful  and  pro- 
tective, had  been  performed,  and  she  was  only  anxious  to 
have  it  all  forgotten.  This  I  discovered  only  next  day, 
however. 

Many  tongues  had  secured  the  incendiaries,  and  they 
were  now  in  the  kitchen,  also,  with  their  hands  tied  to- 
gether, and  arms  bound  behind  their  backs,  at  the  elbows. 

As  their  faces  remained  black,  it  was  out  of  my  power 
to  recognize  either.  The  rascal  who  had  been  felled  by 
the  blow  of  the  rifle  was  yet  confused  in  manner,  and  I 
ordered  the  domestics  to  wash  him,  in  the  double  expecta- 
tion of  bringing  him  more  completely  to  his  senses,  and  of 
ascertaining  who  he  might  be. 

The  work  was, soon  done,  and  both  objects  were  at- 
tained. The  cook  used  a  dishcloth  with  so  much  dexter- 
ity, that  the  blackamoor  came  out  a  white  man,  at  the 
first  application,  and  he  was  soon  as  clean  as  a  child  that 
is  about  to  be  sent  to  school,  fresh  from  the  hands  of  its 
nurse.  The  removal  of  the  disguise  brought  out  the 
abashed  and  frightened  physiognomy  of  Joshua  Brigham, 
Miller's  hired  man — or  my  hired  man,  in  effect,  as  I  paid 
him  his  wages. 

Yes  !  such  was  one  of  the  effects  of  the  pernicious  opin- 
ions that  had  been  so  widely  circulated  in  the  land,  during 
the  profound  moral  mania  that  was  working  its  ravages 
among  us,  with  a  fatality  and  danger  that  greatly  exceed 
those  which  accompanied  the  cholera.  A  fellow,  who  was 
almost  an  inmate  of  my  family,  had  not  only  conspired 
with  others  to  rob  me  of  my  property,  on  a  large  scale, 
but  he  had  actually  carried  his  plot  so  far  as  to  resort  to 
the  brand  and  the  rifle,  as  two  of  the  agents  to  be  em- 


THE      EDSKINS.  331 

ployed  in  carrying  out  his  virtuous  objects.  Nor  was  this 
the  result  of  the  vulgar  disposition  to  steal ;  it  was  purely 
a  consequence  of  a  widely-extended  system,  that  is  fast 
becoming  incorporated  with  the  politics  of  the  land,  and 
which  men,  relying  on  the  efficacy  of  majorities,  are  bold 
enough  to  stand  up,  in  legislative*  halls,  to  defend.* 

I  confess  that  the  discovery  of  the  person  of  Joshua 
Brigham  rendered  me  a  little  curious  to  ascertain  that  of 
liis  companion.  Hester,  the  cook,  was  directed  to  take 
the  other  child  in  hand,  as  soon  as  she  had  well  wiped  the 
countenance  of  the  one  first  unmasked.  Nothing  loath, 
the  good  housewife  set  about  her  task,  and  the  first  dab 
of  water  she  applied  revealed  the  astounding  fact  that  I 
had  again  captured  Seneca  Newcome  !  It  will  be  remem- 
bered, that  the  last  time  I  saw  these  two  men  together, 
I  left  them  fighting  in  the  highway. 

I  admit  that  this  discovery  shocked  me.  There  never 
had  been  a  being  of  the  Newcome  tribe,  from  the  grand- 
father, who  was  its  root  at  Ravensnest,  down  to  Opportu- 
nity, who  had  ever  been  esteemed  or  respected  among  us. 
Trick — trick — trick — low  cunning,  and  overreaching  man- 
agement, had  been  the  family  trait,  from  the  day  Jason, 

*  In  order  that  the  reader  who  is  not  familiar  with  what  is  passing  in 
New  York  may  not  suppose  that  exaggerated  terms  are  here  used,  the 
writer  will  state  a  single  expedient  of  the  anti-renters  in  the  Legislature  to 
obtain  their  ends.  It  is  generally  known  that  the  Constitution  of  the 
United  States  prevents  the  separate  States  from  passing  laws  impairing  the 
obligations  of  contracts.  But  for  this  provision  of  the  Federal  Constitu- 
tion, it  is  probable,  numbers  would  have  succeeded,  long  ago,  in  obtaining 
the  property  of  the  few  on  their  own  terms,  amid  shouts  in  honor  of  lib- 
erty !  This  provision,  however,  has  proved  a  stubborn  obstacle,  until  the 
world,  near  the  middle  of  the  nineteenth  century,  has  been  favored  with 
the  following  notable  scheme  to  effect  the  ends  of  those  who  "want  farms 
and  must  have  them.''  The  State  can  regulate,  by  statute,  the  laws  of  de- 
scents. It  has,  accordingly,  been  solemnly  proposed  in  the  Legislature  of 
New  York,  that  the  statute  of  descents  should  be  so  far  altered,  that  when 
a  landlord,  holding  lands  subject  to  certain  leasehold  tenures,  dies,  or  a 
descent  is  cast,  that  it  shall  be  lawful  for  the  tenants,  on  application  to  the 
chancellor,  to  convert  these  leasehold  tenures  into  mortgages,  and  to  ob- 
tain the  fee-simple  of  the  estates  in  payment  of  the  debt !  In  other 
words,  A  leases  a  farm  to  B  forever,  reserving  a  ground-rent,  with  cove- 
nants of  re-entry,  etc.,  etc.  B  wishes  a  deed,  but  will  not  pay  A's  price. 
The  United  States  says  the  contract  shall  not  be  impaired,  and  the  Leg- 
islature of  New  York  is  illustrated  by  the  expedient  we  have  named,  to 
get  over  the  provision  of  the  Constitution  ! 

Since  writing  the  foregoing,  this  law  has  actually  passed  the  Assembly, 
though  it  h£s  not  been  adopted  by  the  Senate.  The  provision  included  all 
leased  property,  when  the  leases  were  for  more  than  twenty-one  years,  or 
were  on  lives. — EDITOR. 


33$  THE   f 

of  that  name,  had  rented  the  mill  lot,  down  to  the  present 
hour.  This  I  had  heard  from  my  grandfather,  my  grand- 
mother, my  own  father,  my  uncle,  my  aunts  and  all,  older 
than  myself,  who  belonged  to  me.  Still,  there  they  had 
been,  and  habit  had  created  a  sort  of  feeling  for  them. 
There  had,  also,  been  a  species  of  pretension  about  the 
family,  which  brought  them  more  before  us,  than  most  of 
the  families  of  the  tenantry.  The  grandfather  had  received 
a  sort  of  an  education,  and  this  practice  had  been  con- 
tinued, after  a  manner,  down  to  the  unfortunate  wretch 
who  now  stood  a  prisoner  taken  flagrante  delictu,  and  fora 
capital  crime.  Seneca  could  never  have  made  a  gentle- 
man, as  the  term  is  understood  among  gentlemen  ;  but  he 
belonged  to  a  profession  which  ought  to  raise  a  man  ma- 
terially above  the  level  of  the  vulgar.  Opportunity,  too, 
had  received  her  quasi  education,  a  far  more  pretending 
one  than  that  of  my  own  Patt,  but  nothing  had  been  well 
taught  to  her ;  not  even  reading,  inasmuch  as  she  had  a  de- 
cided provincial  pronunciation,  which  sometimes  grated 
on  my  nerves.  But,  Opportunity  had  feelings,  and  could 
not  have  anticipated  her  own  brother's  intentions,  when 
she  communicated  the  important  information  she  had.. 
Opportunity,  moreover,  had  more  refinement  than  Seneca, 
in  consequence  of  having  a  more  limited  association,  and 
she  might  fall  into  despair,  at  this  unexpected  result  of 
her  own  acts  ! 

I  was  still  reflecting  on  these  things,  when  summoned 
to  my  grandmother.  She  was  in  her  own  dressing-room, 
surrounded  by  the  four  girls;  just  so  many  pictures  of 
alarm,  interest,  and  female  loveliness.  Mary  Warren  alone, 
'was  in  regular  toilette  ;  but  the  others,  with  instinctive  co- 
quetry, had  contrived  to  wrap  themselves  up,  in  a  way  to 
render  them  handsomer  than  ever.  As  for  my  dear  grand- 
mother herself,  she  had 'been  told  that  the  house  was  safe, 
but  felt  that  vague  desire  to  see  me,  that  was  perhaps 
natural  to  the  circumstances. 

"The  state  of  the  country  is  frightful,"  she  said,  when  I 
had  answered  a  few  of  her  questions,  and  had  told  her  who 
the  prisoners  really  were  ;  "  and  we  can  hardly  remain 
here,  in  safety.  Think  of  one  of  the  Newcomes — and  of 
Seneca,  in  particular,  with  his  profession  and  education, 
being  engaged  in  such  a  crime  ! " 

"  Nay,  grandmother,"  put  in  Patt,  a  little  archly,  "  I  never 
yet  heard  you  speak  well  of  the  Newcomes  ;  you  barely 
tolerated  Opportunity,  in  the  hope  of  improving  her." 


THE  REDSKINS.  333 

"  It  is  true  that  the  race  is  a  bad  one,  and  the  circum- 
stances show  what  injury  a  set  of  false  notions,  trans- 
mitted from  father  to  son,  for  generations,  may  do  in  a 
family.  We  cannot  think  of  keeping  these  dear  girls  here, 
one  hour  after  to-morrow,  Hugh.  To-morrow,  or  to-day, 
for  it  is  now  past  two  o'clock,  I  see  ; — to-day  is  Sunday, 
and  we  can  go  to  church  ;  to-night  we  will  be  watchful, 
and  Monday  morning  your  uncle  shall  start  for  Satanstoe, 
with  all  three  of  the  girls." 

11 1  shall  not  leave  my  dear  grandmother,"  rejoined  Patt 
— "  nor  do  I  think  it  would  be  very  kind  to  leave  Mary 
Warren  behind  us,  in  a  place  like  this." 

"  I  cannot  quit  my  father,"  said  Mary  herself,  quietly, 
but  very  firmly.  "  It  is  his  duty  to  remain  with  his  parish- 
ioners, and  more  so,  now  that  so  many  of  them  are  mis- 
guided, than  at  any  other  time  ;  and  it  is  always  my  duty 
and  my  pleasure  to  remain  with  him" 

Was  that  acting  ?  Was  that  Pharisaical !  Or  was  it 
genuine  nature  ;  pure  filial  affection  and  filial  piety  ?  Be- 
yond all  question,  it  was  the  last  ;  and,  had  not  the  sim- 
ple tone,  the  earnest  manner,  and  the  almost  alarmed 
eagerness,  with  which  the  dear  girl  spoke,  proclaimed  as 
much,  no  one  could  have  looked  in  at  that  serene  and 
guileless  eye  and  doubted.  My  grandmother  smiled  on 
the  lovely  earnest  speaker,  in  her  kindest  manner,  took 
her  hand,  and  charmingly  observed — 

"  Mary  and  I  will  remain  together.  Her  father  is  in 
no  danger,  for  even  anti-renters  will  respect  a  minister 
of  the  gospel,  and  can  be  made  to  understand  it  is  his 
duty  to  rebuke  even  their  sins.  As  for  the  other  girls,  I 
think  it  is  our  duty  to  insist  that  your  uncle's  wards,  at 
least,  should  no  longer  be  exposed  to  dangers  like  those 
we  have  gone  through  to-night." 

The  two  young  ladies,  however,  protested  in  the  prettiest 
manner  possible,  their  determination  not  to  quit  "grand- 
mamma," as  they  affectionately  termed  their  guardian's 
mother  ;  and  while  they  were  thus  employed,  my  uncle  Ro 
entered  the  room,  having  just  paid  a  visit  to  the  kitchen. 

"  Here's  a  charming  affair  !"  exclaimed  the  old  bachelor, 
as  soon  as  in  our  midst.  "  Arson,  anti-rentism,  attempts  at 
murder,  and  all  sorts  of  enormities,  going  hand  in  hand, 
in  the  very  heart  of  the  wisest  and  best  community  that 
earth  ever  knew  ;  and  the  laws  as  profoundly  asleep  the 
whole  time,  as  if  such  gentle  acts  were  considered  meri- 
torious. This  outdoes  repudiation  twenty-fold,  Hugh." 


334  THE  REFSK1NS. 

"Ay,  my  dear  sir,  but  it  will  not  make  a  tithe  of  the 
talk.  Look  at  the  newspapers  that  will  be  put  into  your 
hands  to-morrow  morning,  fresh  from  Wall  and  Pine  and 
Ann  Streets.  They  will  be  in  convulsions,  if  some  unfort- 
unate wight  of  a  senator  speak  of  adding  an  extra  corporal 
to  a  regiment  of  foot,  as  an  alarming  war-demonstration, 
or  quote  the  fall  of  a  fancy  stock  that  has  not  one  cent  of 
intrinsic  value,  'as  if  it  betokened  the  downfall  of  a  nation; 
while  they  doze  over  this  volcano,  which  is  raging  and 
gathering  strength  beneath  the  whole  community,  men- 
acing destruction  to  the  nation  itself,  which  is  the  father 
of  stocks." 

"  The  intense  selfishness  that  is  uppermost  is.  a  bad 
symptom,  certainly ;  and  no  one  can  say  to  what  it  will 
lead.  One  thing  is  sure  ;  it  causes  men  to  limit  all  their  cal- 
culations to  the  present  moment;  and,  to  abate  a  nuisance 
that  presses  on  our  existing  interests,  they  will  jeopard 
everything  that  belongs  to  the  future.  But  what  are  we  to 
do  with  Seneca  Newcome,  and  his  co-rascal,  the  other  in- 
cendiary ?" 

"I  had  thought  of  referring  that  to  your  discretion,  sir. 
They  have  been  guilty  of  arson,  I  suppose,  and  must  take 
their  chances,  like  every-day  criminals." 

"  Their  chances  will  be  very  good  ones,  Hugh.  Had  you 
been  caught  in  Seneca  Newcome's  kitchen,  setting  fire  to 
his  house,  condign  and  merciless  punishment  would  have 
beenj>w/r  lot,  beyond  all  controversy  ;  but  their  cases  will 
be  very  different.  I'll  bet  you  a  hundred  that  they'll  not 
be  convicted  ;  and  a  thousand  that  they  are  pardoned,  if 
convicted." 

"  Acquitted,  sir,  will  be  out  of  the  question — Miss  War- 
ren and  I  saw  them  both,  in  the  very  act  of  building  their 
fire  ;  and  there  is  plenty  of  testimony,  as  to  their  identity." 

This  indiscreet  speech  drew  every  eye  on  my  late  com- 
panion ;  all  the  ladies,  old  and  young,  repeating  the  name  of 
"  Mary  !  "  in  the  pretty  manner  in  which  the  sex  express 
surprise.  As  for  Mary,  herself,  the  poor  blushing  girl 
shrunk  back  abashed,  ashamed  of  she  knew  not  what,  un- 
less it  might  be  in  connection  with  some  secret  conscious- 
ness, at  finding  herself  so  strangely  associated  with  me. 

"  Miss  Warren  is,  indeed,  in  her  evening  dress,"  said  rny 
grandmother,  a  little  gravely,  "  and  cannot  have  been  in 
bed  this  night.  How  has  this  happened,  my  dear  ?"  . 

Thus  called  on,  Mary  Warren  was  of  too  guileless  and 
pure  a  mind,  to  hesitate  in  telling  her  tale.  Every  inci- 


THE   REDSKINS.  33$ 

dent,  with  which  she  had  been  connected,  was  simply  and 
clearly  related,  though  she  suppressed  the  name  of  our  mid- 
night visitor,  out  of  tenderness  to  Opportunity.  All  pres- 
ent were  too  discreet  to  ask  the  name,  and,  I  may  add,  all 
present  heard  the  narrative  with  a  marked  and  approving 
interest  When  Mary  had  done,  my  grandmother  kissed 
her,  and  Patt,  the  generous  creature,  encircled  her  waist, 
with  the  tenderness  and  affection  of  a  sister,  who  felt  for 
all  the  trials  the  other  had  endured. 

"  It  seems,  then,  we  owe  our  safety  to  Mary,  after  all !  " 
exclaimed  my  good  grandmother  ;  "  without  her  care  and 
watchfulness,  Hugh  might,  most  probably  would,  have  re- 
mained on  the  lawn,  until  it  was  too  late  to  save  the  house, 
or  us." 

"That  is  not  all,"  added  uncle  Ro.  "Any  one  could 
have  cried  *  fire,'  or  given  a  senseless  alarm,  but  it  is  evident 
from  Miss  Warren's  account,  unpremeditated  and  artless  as 
it  is,  that,  but  for  the  cool  and  discreet  manner  in  which 
she  played  her  part,  not  one-half  of  that  which  has  been 
done,  would  have  been  effected,  and  that  the  house  might 
have  been  lost.  Nay,  had  these  fellows  surprised  Hugh, 
instead  of  Hugh's  surprising  them,  we  might  have  been 
called  on  to  deplore  his  loss." 

I  saw  a  common  shudder  in  Patt  and  Mary,  as  they  stood 
encircling  each  other  with  their  arms  ;  but  the  last  was 
evidently  so  pained,  that  I  interfered  for  her  relief. 

"  I  do  not  see  any  possibility  of  escape  for  these  incen- 
diaries," I  said,  turning  to  my  uncle,  "  under  the  testimony 
that  can  be  offered,  and  am  surprised  to  hear  you  suggest 
a  doubt  of  the  result  of  the  trial." 

"You  feel  and  reason  like  a  very  young  man,  Hugh  ;  one 
who  fancies  things  are  much  nearer  what  they  ought  to  be 
than  facts  will  sustain.  Justice  is  blind,  nowadays,. not  as 
a  proof  of  impartiality,  but  as  a  proof  that  she  too  often 
sees  only  one  side  of  a  question.  How  will  they  escape  ? 
Perhaps  the  jury  may  fancy  setting  fire  to  a  pile  of  wood 
and  certain  chairs,  is  not  setting  fire  to  a  house,  let  the  ani- 
mus be  as  plain  as  the  noses  on  their  faces.  Mark  me,  Hugh 
Littlepage  ;  one  mouth  will  not  go  by,  before  the  events 
of  this  very  night  will  be  tortured  into  an  argument  in 
favor  of  anti-rentism." 

A  common  exclamation,  in  which  e^en  my  grandmother 
joined,  expressed  the  general  dissent  from  this  opinion. 

"It  is  all  very  well,  ladies,"  answered  my  uncle  Ro,  coolly 
—"all  well  enough,  Master  Hugh ;  but  let  the  issue  tell  its 


336  THE  REDSKINS. 

own  story.  I  have  heard  already  other  abuses  of  the  anti« 
renters  urged  as  a  reason  why  the  laws  should  be  changed, 
in  order  that  men  may  not  be  tempted  beyond  their 
strength ;  and  why  not  use  the  same  reasoning  in  favor  of 
this  crime  when  it  has  been  used  already,  in  cases  of  mur- 
der ?  'The  leasehold  tenures  make  men  commit  murder,' 
it  is  said,  'and  they  ought  to  be  destroyed  themselves. 
'The  leasehold  tenures  make  men  commit  arson,' it  will 
now  be  said,  'and  who  desires  to  retain  laws  that  induce 
men  to  commit  arson  ? ' ' 

"  On  the  same  principle  it  might  be  pretended  there 
should  be  no  such  thing  as  personals,  as  they  tempt  men, 
beyond  what  they  can  bear,  to  commit  petty  larceny." 

"  No  doubt  it  could,  and  no  doubt  it  would,  if  political 
supremacy  were  to  be  the  reward.  There  is  nothing — -no 
fallacy,  no  moral  sophism,  that  would  not  be  used  to  attain 
such  an  end.  But  it  is  late,  and  we  ought  to  bethink  us 
of  disposing  of  the  prisoners  for  the  night — what  means 
this  light  ?  The  house  is  not  on  fire,  after  all  ?  " 

Sure  enough,  notwithstanding  the  close  shutters,  and 
drawn  curtains  of  my  grandmother's  dressing-room,  an  un- 
usual light  had  penetrated  to  the  place,  filling  us  with 
sudden  and  intense  alarm.  I  opened  the  door  and  found 
the  passages  illuminated,  though  all  within  appeared  tran- 
quil and  safe.  There  was  a  clamor  in  the  court,  however, 
and  presently  the  fearful  warwhoop  of  the  savages  rose 
on  the  night  air.  The  cries  came  from  without,  as  I  fancied, 
and  rushing  to  the  little  door,  I  was  on  the  lawn  in  a  mo- 
ment, when  the  mystery  was  solved.  An  extensive  hay- 
barn,  one  well  filled  with  the  remainder  of  the  last  year's 
crops,  was  on  fire,  sending  its  forged  and  waving  tongues 
of  flame  at  least  a  hundred  feet  into  the  air.  It  was  merely 
a  new  argument  against  the  leasehold  tenures,  and  in  favor 
of  the  "  spirit  of  the  institutions,"  a  little  vividly  pressed  on 
the  human  senses.  Next  year,  it  may  figure  in  the  message 
of  a  governor,  or  the  philanthropical  efforts  of  some  Albany 
orator,  if  the  same  "  spirit "  prevail  in  the  "institutions,"  as 
would  seem  to  prevail  this!  Is  a  contract  to  be  tolerated 
which  induces  freemen  to  set  barns  on  fire  ? 

The  barn  that  had  been  set  on  fire  stood  on  the  fiats, 
below  the  cliff,  and  fully  half  a  mile  away  from  the  Nest. 
The  conflagration  made  a  most  brilliant  blaze,  and,  as  a 
matter  of  course,  produced  an  intense  light.  The  loss  to 
myself  did  not  exceed  a  few  hundred  dollars  ;  and,  while 
this  particular  argument  in  favor  of  anti-rentism  was  not 


THE  REDSKINS.  337 

entirely  agreeable,  it  was  not  so  grave  as  it  might  have 
been,  had  it  been  urged  on  other  buildings,  and  in  the  same 
mode.  In  other  words,  I  was  not  so  much  distressed  with 
my  loss  as  not  to  be  able  to  see  the  beauty  of  the  scene  ; 
particularly  as  my  uncle  Ro  whispered  that  Dunning  had 
caused  an  insurance  to  be  effected  in  the  Saratoga  Mutual 
Assurance,  which  would  probably  place  a  considerable 
portion  of  the  tenants  in  the  unlooked-for  category  of 
those  who  were  to  pay  for  their  own  frolic. 

As  it  was  too  late  to  think  of  saving  the  barn  and  ricks, 
and  Miller,  with  his  people,  had  already  descended  to  the 
spot  to  look  after  the-  fences,  and  any  other  object  that 
might  be  endangered  by  the  flying  embers,  there  was 
nothing  for  us  to  do  but  to  remain  passive  spectators. 
Truly,  the  scene  was  one  worthy  of  being  viewed,  and  is 
not  altogether  unfit  for  description. 

The  light  of  that  burning  barn  extended  for  a  great  dis- 
tance, shining  like  what  it  was,  an  "  evil  deed  in  a  naughty 
world  ;"  for,  notwithstanding  the  high  authority  of  Shake- 
speare, it  is  your  "evil  deeds,"  after  all,  that  produce  the 
brightest  blazes,  and  which  throw  their  beams  the  farthest, 
in  this  state  of  probation  in  which  we  live. 

The  most  remarkable  objects  in  that  remarkable  scene 
were  the  true  and  the  false  redskins — the  "  Indians  "  and 
the  "  Injins" — both  of  whom  were  in  motion  on  the  mead- 
ows, and  both  of  whom  were  distinctly  visible  to  us  where 
we  stood,  on  the  cliffs  (the  ladies  being  at  their  chamber 
windows),  though  I  dare  say  they  were  not  quite  so  obvi- 
ous to  each  other. 

The  Indians  had  formed  themselves  into  a  very  open 
order,  and  were  advancing  toward  the  other  party  in"  a 
stealthy  manner,  by  creeping  on  all-fours,  or  crouching  like 
catamounts  to  the  earth,  and  availing  themselves  of  every- 
thing like  a  cover  that  offered.  The  burning  barn  was  be- 
tween the  two  parties,  and  was  a  principal  reason  that  the 
"  Injins  "  were  not  sooner  aware  of  the  risk  they  ran.  The 
last  were  a  whooping,  shouting,  dancing,  leaping  band,  of 
some  forty  or  fifty  of  the  "disguised  and  armed,"  who 
were  quite  near  enough  to  the  conflagration  to  enjoy  it, 
without  being  so  near  as  to  be  necessarily  connected  with 
it.  We  understood  their  presence  and  antics  to  be  in- 
tended as  so  many  intimations  of  the  secret  agency  they 
had  had  in  the  depredations  of  the  night,  and  as  so  many 
warnings  how  I  withstood  the  "  spirit  of  the  institutions." 

Manytongues,  who  had  certain  vague  notions  of  the  ne* 
22 


338  THE  REDSKIN'S. 

cessity  of  his  keeping  on  the  windy  side  of  the  law,  did  not 
accompany  his  red  brethren,  but  came  through  the  gate- 
way and  joined  my  uncle  and  myself,  as  we  stood  beneath 
the  cover  of  a  noble  chestnut,  on  the  verge  of  the  cliff, 
watching  the  course  of  things  on  the  meadow.  I  ex- 
pressed my  surprise  at  seeing  him  there,  and  inquired  if 
his  presence  might  not  be  needed  byFlintyheart  or  Prairie- 
fire. 

"  Not  at  all,  not  at  all,  colonel,"  he  answered  with  per- 
fect coolness.  "The  savages  have  no  great  need  of  an  in- 
tarpreter  in  the  business  they  are  on  ;  and  if  harm  comes 
of  the  meetin',  it's  perhaps  best  that  the  two  parties  should 
not  understand  each  other,  in  which  case  it  might  all  be 
looked  on  as  an  accident.  I  hope  they'll  not  be  particular 
about  scalps — for  I  told  Flintyheart,  as  he  was  leaving 
us,  the  people  of  this  part  of  the  world  did  not  like  to  be 
scalped." 

This  was  the  only  encouragement  we  received  from  the 
interpreter,  who  appeared  to  think  that  matters  were  now 
in  the  right  train,  and  that  every  difficulty  would  soon  be 
disposed  of,  secundum  artem.  The  Injins,  however,  viewed 
the  affair  differently,  having  no  wish  for  a  serious  brush 
with  any  one  ;  much  less  with  enemies  of  the  known  char- 
acter of  redskins.  How  they  ascertained  the  presence  of 
their  foe  I  cannot  say,  though  it  is  probable  some  one  saw 
them  stealing  along  the  meadows,  in  spite  of  all  their  care, 
and  gave  the  alarm.  Alarm  it  was,  sure  enough  ;  the  party 
of  the  previous  day  scarce  retreating  through  the  woods 
with  greater  haste  than  the  "  disguised  and  armed  "  now 
vanished. 

Such  has  been  the  fact,  as  respects  these  men,  in  every 
instance  in  which  they  have  been  brought  in  contact  with 
armed  bodies,  though  much  inferior  to  their  own  in  num- 
bers. Fierce  enough,  and  even  brutal,  on  a  variety  of  oc- 
casions in  which  individuals  have  become  subject  to  their 
power,  in  all  cases  in  which  armed  parties,  however  small, 
have  been  sent  against  them,  they  have  betrayed  timidity 
and  a  dread  of  making  that  very  appeal  to  force,  which,  by 
their  own  previous  acts,  they  had  insolently  invited.  Is  it 
then  true,  that  these  soi-disant  "  Injins  "  have  not  the  or- 
dinary courage  of  their  race,  and  that  they  are  less  than 
Americans  with  arms  in  their  hands,  and  below  the  level 
of  all  around  them  in  spirit  ?  Such  is  not  the  case.  The 
consciousness  of  guilt  has  made  them  cowards  ;  they  have 
found  "that  the  king's  name  is  a  tower  of  strength,"  and 


THE  REDSKINS.  339 

have  shrunk  from  conflicts,  in  which  the  secret  warn- 
ings that  come  from  on  high  have  told  them  that  they 
were  embodied  in  a  wicked  cause,  and  contending  for  the 
attainment  of  wrong  ends  by  unjustifiable  means.  Their 
conduct  proves  how  easy  it  would  have  been  to  suppress 
their  depredations  at  the  earliest  day,  by  a  judicious  ap- 
plication of  the  power  of  the  State,  and  how  much  they 
.have  to  answer  for  who  have  neglected  their  duty  in  this 
particular. 

As  soon  as  Flintyheart  and  his  followers  ascertained 
that  the  "  disguised  and  armed  "  were  actually  off  again, 
and  that  they  were  not  to  pass  the  morning  in  a  skirmish, 
as  no  doubt  each  man  among  them  had  hoped  would  be  the 
case,  they  set  up  such  whoops  and  cries  as  had  not  been 
heard  on  those  meadows  during  the  last  eighty  years.  The 
period  went  beyond  the  memory  of  man  since  Indian  war- 
fare had  existed  at  Ravensnest,  a  few  false  alarms  in  the 
Revolution  excepted.  The  effect  of  these  yells  was  to 
hasten  the  retreat,  as  was  quite  apparent  to  us  on  the  cliffs  ; 
but  the  sagacious  warriors  of  the  prairies  knew  too  much 
to  expose  their  persons  by  approaching  nearer  to  the  blaz- 
ing barn  than  might  be  prudent.  On  the  contrary,  seem- 
ingly satisfied  that  nothing  was  to  be  done,  and  disdain- 
ing a  parade  of  service  where  no  service  was  to  be  effect- 
ed, they  slowly  retired  from  the  meadows,  regaining  the 
cliffs  by  means  known  to  themselves. 

This  military  demonstration,  on  the  part  of  our  red 
brethren,  was  not  without  its  useful  consequences.  It 
gave  the  "Injins"  an  intimation  of  watchfulness,  and  of 
a  readiness  to  meet  them  that  prevented  any  new  alarm 
that  night,  and  satisfied  everybody  at  the  Nest  that  our  im- 
mediate danger  had  come  to  an  end.  Not  only  was  this  the 
feeling  of  my  uncle  and  myself,  but  it  was  also  the  feeling 
of  the  females,  as  we  found  on  returning  to  the  house, 
who  had  witnessed  all  that  passed  from  the  upper  windows. 
After  a  short  interview  with  my  grandmother,  she  con- 
.sented  to  retire,  and  preparations  were  made  for  setting 
a  lookout,  and  dismissing  everbody  to  their  beds  again. 
Many  tongues  took  charge  of  the  watch,  though  he  laughed 
at  the  probability  of  there  being  any  further  disturbance 
that  night. 

"As  .for  the  redskins,"  he  said,  "they  would  as  soon 
sleep  out  under  the  trees,  at  this  season  of  the  year,  as 
sleep  under  a  roof  ;  and  as  for  waking — cats  a'nt  their 
equals.  No — no — colonel ;  leave  it  all  to  me,  and  I'll 


340  THE  REDSKINS. 

carry  you  through  the  night  us  quietly  as  if  we  were  on 
the  prer-ies  and  living  under  good  wholesome  prer-ie 
law." 

"  As  quietly,  as  if  we  were  on  the  prairies  !  "  We  had 
then  reached  that  pass  in  New  York,  that  after  one  burn- 
ing, a  citizen  might  really  hope  to  pass  the  remainder  of 
his  night  as  quietly  as  if  he  were  on  the  prairies  !  And 
there  was  that  frothy,  lumbering,  useless  machine,  called 
a  government,  at  Albany,  within  fifty  miles  of  us,  as  placid, 
as  self-satisfied,  as  much  convinced  that  this  was  the  great- 
est people  on  earth,  and  itself  their  illustrious  representa- 
tives, as  if  the  disturbed  counties  were  so  many  gardens  of 
Eden,  before  sin  and  transgression  had  become  known  to 
it !  If  it  was  doing  anything  in  the  premises,  it  was  prob- 
ably calculating  the  minimum  the  tenant  should  pay 
for  the  landlord's  land,  when  the  latter  might  be  suffi- 
ciently worried  to  part  with  his  estate.  Perhaps  it  was  il- 
lustrating its  notions  of  liberty,  by  naming  the  precise 
sum  that  one  citizen  ought  to  accept,  in  order  that  the 
covetous  longings  of  another  should  be  satisfied ! 

I  was  about  to  retire  to  my  bed,  for  the  first  time  that 
night,  when  my  uncle  Ro  remarked  it  might  be  well  to  see 
one  of  our  prisoners  at  least.  Orders  had  been  given  to 
unbind  the  wretched  men,  and  to  keep  them  in  an  empty 
store-room  which  had  no  available  outlet  but  the  door. 
Thither  we  then  repaired,  and  of  course  were  admitted  by 
the  sentinels,  without  a  question.  Seneca  Newcome  was 
startled  at  my  appearance,  and  I  confess  I  was  myself  em- 
barrassed how  to  address  him,  from  a  wish  to  say  nothing 
that  might  appear  like  exultation  on  one  side,  or  conces- 
sion on  the  other.  My  uncle,  however,  had  no  such 
scruples,  probably  from  better  knowing  his  man  ;  accord- 
ingly, he  came  to  the  point  at  once. 

"The  evil  spirit  must  have  got  great  ascendency  in  the 
country,  Seneca  Newcome,  when  men  of  your  knowledge 
dip  so  deeply  into  his  designs,"  said  Mr.  Littlepage,  stern- 
ly. "  What  has  my  nephew  ever  done  to  incite  you  to 
come  into  his  house,  as  an  incendiary,  like  a  thief  in  the 
night  ?" 

"  Ask  me  no  questions,  Mr.  Littlepage,"  surlily  replied 
the  attorney,  "for  I  shall  answer  none." 

"And  this  miserable  misguided  creature  who  has  been 
your  companion.  The  last  we  saw  of  these  two  men, 
Hugh,  they  were  quarrelling  in  the  highway,  like  cat  and 
dog,  and  there  are  signs  about  their  faces  that  the  inter- 


THE   REDSKINS.  341 

view  became  still  more  hostile  than  it  had  been,  after  we 
left  them." 

"And  here  we  find  them  together,  companions  in  an  en- 
terprise of  life  and  death  !  " 

"  It  is  ever  thus  with  rogues.  They  will  push  their 
quarrels  to  extremities,  and  make  them  up  in  an  hour,when 
the  demon  of  rapine  points  to  an  object  for  common  plun- 
der. You  see  the  same  spirit  in  politics,  ay,  and  even  in 
religion.  Men  that  have  lived  in  hostility  for  half  their 
lives,  contending  for  selfish  objects,  will  suddenly  combine 
their  powers  to  attain  a  common  end,  and  work  together 
like  the  most  true-hearted  friends,  so  long  as  they  see  a 
chance  of  effecting  their  wishes.  If  honesty  were  only 
one- half  as  active  as  roguery,  it  would  fare  better  than  it 
does.  But  the  honest  man  has  his  scruples  ;  his  self-re- 
spect ;  his  consistency,  and,  most  of  all,  his  principles,  to 
mark  out  his  course,  and  he  cannot  turn  aside  at  each  new 
impulse,  like  your  pure  knave,  to  convert  enemies  into 
friends,  and  friends  into  enemies,  ^nd  you,"  turning  to 
Josh  Brigham,  who  was  looking  surlily  on — "  who  have 
actually  been  eating  Hugh  Littlepage's  bread,  what  has  he 
done,  that  you  should  come  at  midnight,  to  burn  him  up 
like  a  caterpillar  in  the  spring  ?" 

"  He  has  had  his  farm  long  enough  " — muttered  the  fel- 
low— "  It's  time  that  poor  folks  had  some  chance." 

My  uncle  shrugged  his  shoulders  ;  then,  as  if  he  sud- 
denly recollected  himself,  he  lifted  his  hat,  bowed  like  a 
thoroughbred  gentleman  as  he  was,  when  he  chose  to  be, 
wished  Seneca  good-night,  and  walked  away.  As  we  re- 
tired, he  expressed  his  conviction  of  the  uselessness  of  re- 
monstrance, in  this  case,  and  of  the  necessity  of  suffering 
the  law  to  take  its  own  course.  It  might  be  unpleasant  to 
see  a  Newcome  actually  hanged,  but  nothing  short  of  that 
operation,  he  felt  persuaded,  would  ever  fetch  up  the  breed 
in  its  evil  courses.  Wearied  with  all  that  had  passed,  I 
now  went  to  bed,  and  slept  soundly  for  the  succeeding 
seven  hours.  As  the  house  was  kept  quiet  by  orders,  every- 
body repaired  the  lost  time,  the  Nest  being  as  quiet  as  in 
those  days  in  which  the  law  ruled  in  the  republic. 


342  THE  REDSKINS. 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

"  Well  may  we  sing  her  beauties 

This  pleasant  land  of  ours, 
Her  sunny  smiles,  her  golden  fruits, 

And  all  her  world  of  flowers. 
And  well  would  they  persuade  us  now, 

In  moments  all  too  dear, 
That,  sinful  though  our  hearts  may  be, 

We  have  our  Eden  here." — SIMMS. 

THE  following  day  was  Sunday.  I  did  not  rise  until 
nine,  and  when  I  withdrew  the  curtains  and  opened  the 
shutters  of  my  window,  and  looked  out  upon  the  lawn,  and 
the  fields  beyond  it,  and  the  blue  void  that  canopied  all,  I 
thought  a  lovelier  day,  or  one  more  in  harmony  with  the 
tranquil  character  of  the  whole  scene,  never  shone  from 
the  heavens.  I  threw  up  the  sash,  and  breathed  the  morn- 
ing air  which  filled  my  dressing-room,  pregnant  -with  the 
balms  and  odors  of  the  hundred  sweet-smelling  flowers 
and  plants  that  embellished  the  shrubberies.  The  repose 
of  the  Sabbath  seemed  to  rest  on  man  and  beast ;  the  bees 
and  humming-birds  that  buzzed  about  the  flowers,  even  at 
their  usual  pursuits,  seemed  as  if  conscious  of  the  sanctity 
of  the  day.  I  think  no  one  can  be  insensible  to  the  differ- 
ence there  is  between  a  Sabbath  in  the  country  and  any 
other  day  of  the  week.  Most  of  this,  doubtless,  is  the  sim- 
ple consequence  of  abstaining  from  labor  ;  but,  connected 
with  the  history  of  the  festival,  its  usual  observances,  and 
the  holy  calm  that  appears  to  reign  around,  it  is  so  very 
obvious  and  impressive,  that  a  Sunday  in  a  mild  day  in 
June  is  to  me  ever  a  delicious  resting-place,  as  a  mere  po- 
etical pause  in  the  bustling  and  turmoil  of  this  world's 
time.  Such  a  day  was  that  which  succeeded  the  night 
through  which  we  had  just  passed,  and  it  came  most  op- 
portunely to  soothe  the  spirits,  tranquillize  the  apprehen- 
sions, and  afford  a  moment  for  sober  reflection. 

There  lay  the  smouldering  ruins  of  the  barn,  it  is  true  ; 
a  blackened  monument  of  a  wicked  deed  ;  but  the  mood 
which  had  produced  this  waste  and  wrong  appeared  to  have 
passed  away  ;  and  in  all  other  respects,  far  and  near,  the 
farms  of  Ravensnest  had  never  spread  themselves  before 
the  eye  in  colors  more  in  consonance  with  the  general  be- 
nevolence of  a  bountiful  nature.  Fora  moment,  as  I  gazed 


THE  REDSKINS.  343 

on  the  broad  view,  I  felt  all  my  earlier  interests  in  it  re- 
vive, and  am  not  ashamed  to  own  that  a  profound  feeling 
of  gratitude  to  God  came  over  me,  when  I  recollected  it 
was  by  his  Providence  I  was  born  the  heir  to  such  a  scene, 
instead  of  having  my  lot  cast  among  the  serfs  and  depend- 
ents of  other  regions. 

After  standing  at  the  window  a  minute,  in  contemplation 
of  that  pleasing  view,  I  drew  back,  suddenly  and  painfully 
conscious  of  the  character  and  extent  of  the  combination 
that  existed  to  rob  me  of  my  rights  in  it.  America  no  lon- 
ger seemed  America  to  my  eyes  ;  but  in  place  of  its  ancient 
submission  to  the  law,  its  quick  distinction  between  right 
and  wrong,  its  sober  and  discriminating  liberty,  which 
equally  avoided  submission  to  the  injustice  of  power,  and 
the  excesses  of  popular  delusions,  there  had  been  substi- 
tuted the  rapacity  of  the  plunderer,  rendered  formidable 
by  the  insidious  manner  in  which  it  was  interwoven  with 
political  machinery,  and  the  truckling  of  the  wretches  in- 
trusted with  authority  ;  men  who  were  playing  into  the 
hands  of  demagogues,  solely  in  order  to  secure  majorities 
to  perpetuate  their  own  influence.  Was,  then,  the  State 
really  so  corrupt  as  to  lend  itself  to  projects  as  base  as 
those  openly  maintained  by  the  anti-renters  ?  Far  from  it : 
four  men  out  of  five,  if  not  a  larger  proportion,  must  be, 
and  indeed  are,  sensible  of  the  ills  that  their  success  would 
entail  on  the  community,  and  would  lift  up  heart  and  hand 
to-morrow  to  put  them  down  totally  and  without  pity  ;  but 
they  have  made  themselves  slaves  of  the  lamp  ;  have  en- 
listed in  the  ranks  of  party,  and  dare  not  oppose  their  lead- 
ers, who  wield  them  as  Napoleon  wielded  his  masses,  to 
further  private  views,  apostrophizing  and  affecting  an  hom- 
age to  liberty  all  the  while  !  Such  is  the  history  of  man  ! 

When  the  family  met  in  the  breakfast-room,  a  singular 
tranquillity  prevailed  among  us.  As  for  my  grandmother, 
I  knew  her  spirit  and  early  experience,  and  was  not  so 
much  surprised  to  find  her  calm  and  reasonable  ;  but  these 
qualities  seemed  imparted  to  her  four  young  companions 
also.  Patt  could  laugh,  and  yield  to  her  buoyant  spirits, 
just  the  same  as  if  nothing  had  occurred,  while  my  uncle's 
other  wards  maintained  a  lady-like  quiet,  that  denoted 
anything  but  apprehension.  Mary  Warren,  however,  sur- 
prised me  by  her  air  and  deportment.  There  she  sat,  in 
her  place  at  the  table,  looking,  if  possible,  the  most  femi- 
nine, gentle,  and  timid  of  the  four.  I  could  scarcely  be- 
lieve that  the  blushing,  retiring,  modest,  pretty  daughter 


344  THE  REDSKINS. 

of  the  rector  could  be  the  prompt,  decided,  and  clear-headed 
young  girl  who  had  been  of  so  much  service  to  me  the  past 
night,  and  to  whose  coolness  and  discretion,  indeed,  we 
were  all  indebted  for  the  roof  that  was  over  our  heads,  and 
some  of  us,  most  probably,  for  our  lives. 

Notwithstanding  this  air  of  tranquillity,  the  breakfast 
was  a  silent  and  thoughtful  meal.  Most  of  the  conversa- 
tion was  between  my  uncle  and  grandmother,  and  a  portion 
of  it  related  to  the  disposal  of  the  prisoners.  There  was 
no  magistrate  within  several  miles  of  the  Nest,  but  those 
who  were  tainted  with  anti-rentism  ;  and  to  carry  Sen- 
eca and  his  companion  before  a  justice  of  the  peace  of 
this  character,  would  be,  in  effect,  to  let  them  go  at  large. 
Nominal  bail  would  be  taken,  and  it  is  more  than  probable 
the  constable  employed  would  have  suffered  a  rescue,  did 
they  even  deem  it  necessary  to  go  through  this  parade  of 
performing  their  duties.  My  uncle,  consequently,  adopted 
the  following  plan.  He  had  caused  the  two  incendiaries 
to  be  transferred  to  the  old  farm-house,  wThich  happened 
to  contain  a  perfectly  dry  and  empty  cellar,  and  which  had 
much  of  the  security  of  a  dungeon,  without  the  usual  de- 
fects of  obscurity  and  dampness.  The  red-men  had  as- 
sumed the  office  of  sentinels,  one  having  his  station  at  the 
door,  while  another  watched  near  a  window  which  admitted 
the  light,  while  it  was  scarcely  large  enough  to  permit  the 
human  body  to  squeeze  through  it.  The  interpreter  had 
received  instructions  from  the  agent  to  respect  the  Chris- 
tian Sabbath  ;  and  no  movement  being  contemplated  for 
the  day,  this  little  duty  just  suited  their  lounging,  idle 
habits,  when  in  a  state  of  rest.  Food  and  water,  of  course, 
had  not  been  forgotten  ;  and  there  my  uncle  Ro  had  left 
that  portion  of  the  business,  intending  to  have  the  delin- 
quents carried  to  a  distant  magistrate,  one  of  the  judges 
of  the  county,  early  on  Monday  morning.  As  for  the  dis- 
turbers of  the  past  night,  no  signs  of  them  were  any  longer 
visible  ;  and  there  being  little  extensive  cover  near  the 
Nest,  no  apprehension  was  felt  of  any  surprise. 

We  were  still  at  breakfast,  when  the  tone  of  St.  Andrew's 
bell  came  floating,  plaintively,  through  the  air,  as  a  sum- 
mons to  prepare  ourselves  for  the  services  of  the  day.  It 
was  little  more  than  a  mile  to  the  church,  and  the  younger 
ladies  expressed  a  desire  to  walk.  My  grandmother,  at- 
tended by  her  son,  therefore,  alone  used  the  carriage,  while 
we  young  people  went  off  in  a  body,  on  foot,  half  an  hour 
before  the  ringing  of  the  second  bell.  Considering  the 


THE  REDSKINS.  345 

state  of  the  country,  and  the  history  of  the  past  night,  1 
was  astonished  at  my  own  indifference  on  this  occasion, 
no  less  than  at  that  of  my  charming  companions  ;  nor  was 
it  long  before  I  gave  utterance  to  the  feeling. 

"  This  America  of  ours  is  a  queer  place,  it  must  be  ad- 
mitted," I  cried,  as  we  crossed  the  lawn  to  take  a  foot-path 
that  would  lead  us,  by  pleasant  pastures,  quite  to  the 
church-door,  without  entering  the  highway,  except  to  cross 
it  once  ;  "  here  we  have  the  whole  neighborhood  as  tran- 
quil as  if  crime  never  disturbed  it,  though  it  is  not  yet  a 
dozen  hours  since  riot,  arson,  and  perhaps  murder,  were 
in  the  contemplation  of  hundreds  of  those  who  live  on  every 
side  of  us.  The  change  is  wonderful !  " 

"  But,  you  will  remember  it  is  Sunday,  Hugh,"  put  in 
Patt  "  All  summer,  when  Sunday  has  come,  we  have  had 
a  respite  from  disturbances  and  fears.  In  this  part  of  the 
country,  the  people  are  too  religious  to  think  of  desecrat- 
ing the  Sabbath  by  violence  and  armed  bands.  The  anti- 
renters  would  lose  more  than  they  would  gain  by  pursuing 
a  different  course." 

I  had  little  or  no  difficulty  in  believing  this,  it  being  no 
unusual  thing,  among  us,  to  find  observances  of  this  nature 
clinging  to  the  habits  of  thousands,  long  after  the  devout 
feeling  which  had  first  instilled  it  into  the  race  has  become 
extinct.  Something  very  like  it  prevails  in  other  coun- 
tries, and  among  even  higher  and  more  intellectual  classes, 
where  it  is  no  unusual  thing  to  find  the  most  profound 
outward  respect  manifested  toward  the  altar  and  its  rites, 
by  men  who  live  in  the  hourly  neglect  of  the  first  and 
plainest  commands  of  the  decalogue.  We  are  not  alone, 
therefore,  in  this  pharisaical  spirit,  which  exists,  in  some 
mode  or  other,  wherever  man  himself  is  to  be  found. 

But  this  equivocal  piety  was  certainly  manifested  to  a 
striking  degree,  that  day,  at  Ravensnest.  The  very  men 
who  were  almost  desperate  in  their  covetous  longings  -ap- 
peared at  church,  and  went  through  the  service  with  as 
much  seeming  devotion  as  if  conscious  of  no  evil  ;  and  a 
general  truce  appeared  to  prevail  in  the  country,  notwith- 
standing there  must  have  been  much  bitterness  of  feeling 
among  the  discomfited.  Nevertheless,  I  could  detect  in 
the  countenances  of  many  of  the  old  tenants  of  the  family, 
an  altered  expression,  and  a  coldness  of  the  eye,  which 
bespoke  anything  but  the  ancient  friendly  feeling  which 
had  so  long  existed  between  us.  The  solution  was  very 
simple  ;  demagogues  had  stirred  up  the  spirit — not  of  the 


346  THE  REDSKINS. 

institutions,  but — of  covetousness,  in  their  breasts  ;  and  so 
long  as  that  evil  tendency  predominated,  there  was  little 
room  for  better  feelings. 

"  Now  I  shall  have  another  lo'ok  at  the  canopied  pew," 
I  cried,  as  we  entered  the  last  field,  on  our  way  to  the 
church.  "That  offensive,  but  unoffending  object,  had* al- 
most gone  out  of  my  mind's  eye,  until  my  uncle  recollected 
it,  by  intimating  that  Jack  Dunning,  as  he  calls  his  friend 
and  council,  had  written  him  it  must  come  down." 

"  I  agree  with  Mr.  Dunning  altogether,"  answered  Mar- 
tha, quickly.  "  I  wish  with  all  my  heart,  Hugh,  you  would 
order  that  hideous-looking  thing  to  be  taken  away  this 
very  week." 

"  Why  this  earnestness,  my  dear  Patt  ?  There  has  the 
hideous  thing  been  ever  since  the  church  was  built,  which 
is  now  these  threescore  years,  and  no  harm  has  come  of  it, 
as  I  know." 

"  It  is  harm  to  be  so  ugly.  It  disfigures  the  church  ; 
and  then  I  do  not  think  distinctions  of  that  sort  are  proper 
for  the  house  of  God.  I  know  this  ever  has  been  my 
grandmother's  opinion  ;  but  finding  her  father-in-law  and 
husband  desirous  of  such  an  ornament,  she  consented  in 
silence,  during  their  lives." 

"  What  do  you  say  to  all  this,  Miss  Warren,"  I  asked, 
turning  to  my  companion,  for  by  some  secret  influence  I 
was  walking  at  her  side.  "  Are  you  '  up  canopy'  or  *  down 
canopy ' ? " 

"  '  Down  canopy,'  "  answered  Mary,  firmly.  "  I  am  of 
Mrs.  Littlepage's  opinion,  that  churches  ought  to  contain 
as  little  as  possible  to  mark  worldly  distinctions.  Such 
distinctions  are  inseparable  from  life,  I  know  ;  but  it  is  to 
prepare  for  death  that  we  enter  such  buildings." 

"And  your  father,  Miss  Warren — have  you  ever  heard 
him  speak  of  my  unfortunate  pew  ?  " 

Mary  hesitated  an  instant,  changed  color,  then  looked 
up  into  my  face  with  a  countenance  so  ingenuous  and 
lovely,  that  I  would  have  forgiven  her  even  a  severe  com- 
ment on  some  act  of  folly  of  my  own." 

"  My  father  is  an  advocate  for  doing  away  with  pews 
altogether,"  she  answered,  "and,  of  course,  can  have  no 
particular  wish  to  preserve  yours.  He  tells  me,  that  in 
the  churches  of  the  Romanists,  the  congregation  sit,  stand, 
or  kneel,  promiscuously  before  the  altar,  or  crowd  around 
the  pulpit,  without  any  distinction  of  rank  or  persons. 
Surely,  that  is  better  than  bringing  into  the  very  temple 


THE  REDSKINS.  347 

the  most  pitiful  of  all  worldly  classiflcations,  that  of  mere 
money." 

u  It  is  better,  Miss  Warren  ;  and  I  wish,  with  all  my  heart, 
the  custom  could  be  adopted  here.  But  the  church  that 
might  best  dispense  with  the  support  obtained  from  pews, 
and  which  by  its  size  and  architecture,  is  best  fitted  to  set 
the  example  of  a  new  mode,  has  gone  on  in  the  old  way,  I 
understand,  and  has  its  pews  as  well  as  another." 

"  Do  we  get  our  custom  from  England,  Hugh  !  *'  de- 
manded Martha. 

"  Assuredly  ;  as  we  do  most  others,  good,  bad  and  indif- 
ferent. The  property-notion  would  be  very  likely  to  pre- 
vail in  a  country  like  England  ;  and  then  it  is  not  absolutely 
true  that  everybody  sits  in  common,  even  in  the  churches 
of  the  continent  of  the  old  world.  The  seigneur,  under 
the  old  regime,  in  France,  had  his  pew,  usually  ;  and  high 
dignitaries  of  the  State  in  no  country  are  found  mingling 
with  the  mass  of  worshippers,  unless  it  be  in  good  com- 
pany. It  is  true,  a  duchesse  will  kneel  in  the  crowd,  in 
most  Romish  churches,  in  the  towns,  for  there  are  too 
many  such  persons  to  accommodate  all  with  privileged 
seats,  and  such  honors  are  reserved  for  the  very  great  ; 
but  in  the  country,  there  are  commonly  pews,  in  by-places, 
for  the  great  personages  of  the  neighborhood.  We  are 
not  quite  so  bad  as  we  fancy  ourselves,  in  this  particular, 
though  we  might  be  better." 

"  But  you  will  allow  that  a  canopied  pew  is  unsuited  to 
this  country,  brother?" 

"  Not  more  to  this  than  to  any  other.  I  agree  that  it  is 
unsuited  to  all  places  of  worship,  where  the  petty  differ- 
ences between  men,  which  are  created  by  their  own  usages, 
should  sink  into  insignificance,  .in  the  direct  presence,  as 
it  might  be,  of  the  power  of  God.  But,  in  this  country,  I 
find  a  spirit  rising,  which  some  persons  would  call  the 
'spirit  of  the  institutions/ that  is  forever  denying  men  re- 
wards, and  honors,  and  credit  exactly  in  the  degree  in  which 
they  deserve  them.  The  moment  a  citizen's  head  is  seen 
above  the  crowd  of  faces  around  him,  it  becomes  the  mark 
of  rotten  eggs,  as  if  he  were  raised  in  the  pillory,  and  his 
fellow-creatures  would  not  tolerate  any  difference  in  moral 
stature." 

"  How  do  you  reconcile  that  with  the  great  number  of 
Catos,  and  Brutuses,  not  to  say  of  the  Gracchi,  that  are  to 
be  found  among  us?"  asked  Mary  Warren,  slyly. 

"  Oh  !  these  are  the  mere  creatures  of  party- — great  men 


348  THE  REDSKINS, 

for  the  nonce.  They  are  used  to  serve  the  purposes  of 
factions,  and  are  be-greated  for  the  occasion.  Thus  it  is, 
that  nine-tenths  of  the  Catos  you  mention  are  forgotten, 
even  by  name,  every  political  lustrum.  But  let  a  man  rise, 
independently  of  the  people,  by  his  own  merit,  and  see  how 
the  people  will  tolerate  him.  Thus  it  is  with  my  pew — it 
is  a  great  pew,  and  become  great  without  any  agency  of 
the  'folks  ;'  and  the  'folks'  don't  like  it." 

The  girls  laughed  at  this  sally,  as  light-hearted,  happy 
girls  will  laugh  at  anything  of  the  sort  ;  and  Patt  put  in 
her  retort,  in  her  own  direct,  spirited  manner." 

"  It  is  a  great  ugly  thing,  if  that  concession  will  flatter 
your  vanity,"  she  said,  "and  I  do  entreat  it  may  come  down 
greatly,  this  present  week.  Really,  you  can  have  no  notion, 
Hugh,  how  much  talk  it  has  made  of  late." 

"  I  do  not  doubt  it,  my  dear.  The  talk  is  all  aimed  at 
the  leases  ;  everything  that  can  be  thought  of,  being 
dragged  into  the  account  against  us  poor  landlords,  in  or- 
der to  render  our  cause  unpopular,  and  thus  increase  the 
chances  of  robbing  us  with  impunity.  The  good  people  of 
this  State  little  imagine  that  the  very  evils  that  the  enemies  of  the 
institutions  have  long  predicted,  and  which  their  friends  have  as 
warmly  repudiated,  are  now  actively  at  work  among  us,  and  that 
the  great  experiment  is  in  imminent  danger  of  failing,  at  the 
very  moment  the  people  are  loudly  exulting  in  its  success.  Let 
this  attempt  on  property  succeed,  ever  so  indirectly,  AND  IT  WILL 

BE  FOLLOWED  UP  BY  OTHERS,  WHICH  WILL  AS  INEVITABLY  DRIVE 
US  INTO  DESPOTISM,  AS  A  REFUGE  AGAINST  ANARCHY,  AS  EFFECT 

SUCCEEDS  TO  CAUSE.  The  danger  exists,  now,  in  its  very 
worst  form — that  of  political  demagogueism — and  must  be 
met,  face  to  face,  and  put  down  manfully,  and  on  true 
principles,  or,  in  my  poor  judgment,  we  are  gone.  Cant 
is  a  prevailing  vice  of  the  nation,  more  especially  political 
and  religious  cant,  and  cant  can  never  be  appeased  by  con- 
cessions. My  canopy  shall  stand,  so  long  as  anti-rentism 
exists  at  Ravensnest,  or  be  torn  down  by  violence  ;  when 
men  return  to  their  senses,  and  begin  to  see  the  just  dis- 
tinctions between  meum  and  tuum,  the  cook  may  have  it 
for  oven-wood,  any  day  in  the  week." 

As  we  were  now  about  to  cross  the  stile  that  communi- 
cated with  the  highway,  directly  in  front  of  the  church,  the 
conversation  ceased,  as  unsuited  to  the  place  and  the  oc- 
casion. The  congregation  of  St.  Andrew's  was  small,  as  is 
usually  the  case  with  country  congregations  of  its  sect, 
which  are  commonly  regarded  with  dfstrust  by  the  de- 


THE  REDSKINS.  349 

scendants  of  the  Puritans  in  particular,  and  not  unfre- 
quently  with  strong  aversion.  The  rowdy  religion — half- 
cant,  half-blasphemy — that  Cromwell  and  his  associates 
entailed  on  so  many  Englishmen,  but  which  was  not  with- 
out a  degree  of  ferocious,  narrow-minded  sincerity  about 
it,  after  all,  has  probably  been  transmitted  to  this  country, 
with  more  of  its  original  peculiarities  than  exist,  at  the  pres- 
ent day,  in  any  other  part  of  the  world.  Much  of  the  narrow- 
mindedness  remains  ;  but,  unhappily,  when  liberality  does 
begin  to  show  itself  in  these  sects,  it  is  apt  to  take  the 
character  of  latitudinarianism.  In  a  word,  the  exaggera- 
tions and  false  principles  that  were  so  common  among  the 
religious  fanatics  of  the  American  colonies  *n  the  seven- 
teenth century,  which  burnt  witches,  hanged  Quakers, 
and  denounced  all  but  the  elect  few,  are  now  running  their 
natural  race,  with  the  goal  of  infidelity  in  open  view  before 
them.  Thus  will  it  be,  also,  with  the  abuses  of  political 
liberty,  which  must  as  certainly  terminate  in  despotism, 
unless  checked  in  season  ;  such  being  not  the  "  spirit  vi  the 
institutions,"  but  the  tendency  of  human  nature,  as  con- 
nected with  everything  in  which  the  right  is  abandoned  to 
sustain  the  wrong. 

Mr.  Warren,  I  found,  was  a  popular  preacher,  notwith- 
standing the  disfavor  with  which  his  sect  was  generally  re- 
garded. A  prejudiced  and  provincial  people  were  naturally 
disposed  to  look  at  everything  that  differed  from  their  own 
opinions  and  habits  with  dislike  ;  and  the  simple  circum- 
stance that  he  belonged  to  a  church  that  possessed  bishops, 
was  of  itself  tortured  into  a  proof  that  his  sect  favored 
aristocracy  and  privileged  classes.  It  is  true  that  nearly 
every  other  sect  in  the  country  had  orders  in  the  church, 
under  the  names  of  ministers,  elders,  and  deacons,  and  was 
just  as  liable  to  the  same  criticism  ;  but  then  they  did  not 
possess  bishops,  and  having  that  which  we  do  not  happen 
to  have  ourselves,  usually  constitutes  the  gist  of  an  offence, 
in  cases  of  this  sort.  Notwithstanding  these  obstacles  to 
popularity,  Mr.  Warren  commanded  the  respect  of  all 
around  him  ;  and,  strange  as  it  may  seem,  none  the  less 
because,  of  all  the  clergy  in  that  vicinity,  he  alone  had 
dared  to  rebuke  the  spirit  of  covetousness  that  was  abroad, 
and  which  it  suits  the  morals  of  some  among  us  to  style 
the  "spirit  of  the  institutions  ;  "  a  duty  he  had  discharged 
on  more  than  one  occasion,  and  with  great  distinctness 
and  force,  though  temperately  and  under  the  full  in- 
fluence of  a  profound  feeling  of  Christian  charity.  This 


350  THE  REDSKINS. 

conscientious  course  had  given  rise  to  menaces  and 
anonymous  letters,  the  usual  recourse  of  the  mean  and 
cowardly  ;  but  it  had  also  increased  the  weight  of  his  char- 
acter, and  extorted  the  secret  deference  of  many  who 
would  gladly  have  entertained  a  different  feeling  toward 
him,  had  it  been  in  their  power. 

My  grandmother  and  uncle  were  already  seated  in  the 
canopied  pew  when  we  pedestrians  entered  the  church. 
Mary  Warren  turned  into  another  aisle,  and  proceeded  to 
the  pew  reserved  for  the  rector,  accompanied  by  my  sister, 
while  the  other  two  ladies  passed  up  to  the  chancel,  and  took 
their  customary  places.  I  followed,  and  for  the  first  time 
in  my  life  wa's  seated  beneath  the  offensive  canopy,  vested 
with  all  the  rights  of  ownership.  By  the  term  "canopy," 
however,  the  reader  is  not  to  imagine  anything  like  fes- 
tooned  drapery — crimson  colors  and  gilded  laces  ;  our  am- 
bition had  never  soared  so  high.  The  amount  of  the  dis- 
tinction between  this  pew  and  any  other  in  the  church  was 
simply  this  :  it  was  larger  and  more  convenient  than  those 
around  it,  an  advantage  which  any  other  might  have  equal- 
ly enjoyed  who  saw  fit  to  pay  for  it,  as  had  been  the  case 
with  us,  and  it  was  canopied  with  a  heavy,  clumsy,  ill- 
shaped  sort  of  a  roof,  that  was  a  perfect  caricature  of  the 
celebrated  bahiachino  of  St.  Peter's  in  Rome.  The  first  of 
these  advantages  probably  excited  no  particular  envy,  for 
it  came  within  the  common  rule  of  the  country,  of  "  play 
and  pay  ;  "  but  as  for  the  canopy,  that  was  aristocratic, 
and  was  not  to  be  tolerated.  Like  the  leasehold  tenure,  it 
was  opposed  to  the  "spirit  of  the  institutions."  It  is  true, 
it  did  no  real  harm,  as  an  existing  thing  ;  it  is  true,  it 
had  a  certain  use,  as  a  memorial  of  past  opinions  and 
customs ;  it  is  true,  it  was  property,  and  could  not  be 
touched  without  interfering  with  its  privileges  ;  it  is  true, 
that  every  person  who  saw  it  secretly  felt  there  was  noth- 
ing, after  all,  so  very  inappropriate  in  such  a  pew's  belong- 
ing to  a  Littlepage  ;  and,  most  of  all,  it  was  true  that  they 
who  sat  in  it  never  fancied  for  a  moment  that  it  made  them 
any  better  or  any  worse  than  the  rest  of  their  fellow-creat- 
ures. There  it  was,  however  ;  and,  next  to  the  feudal  char- 
acter of  a  lease,  it  was  the  most  offensive  object  then 
existing  in  Ravensriest.  It  may  be  questioned  if  the  cross, 
which  occupied  the  place  that,  according  to  provincial  or- 
thodoxy, a  weathercock  should  have  adorned,  or  Mr. 
Warren's  surplice,  was  one-half  as  offensive. 

When   I   raised    my    head,   after    the    private    devotions 


THE  REDSKINS.  351 

which  are  customary  with  us  semi-papishes,  on  entering  a 
place  of  worship,  and  looking  around  me,  I  found  that  the 
building  was  crowded  nearly  to  overflowing.  A  second 
glance  told  me  that  nearly  every  eye  was  fastened  on  my- 
self. At  first,  the  canopy  having  been  uppermost  so  lately 
in  my  mind,  I  fancied  that  the  looks  were  directed  at  that  ^ 
but  I  soon  became  satisfied  that  I,  in  my  own  unworthy 
person,  was  their  object.  T  shall  not  stop  to  relate  most  of 
the  idle  and  silly  reports  that  had  got  abroad,  in  connec- 
tion with  the  manner  and  reason  of  my  disguised  appear- 
ance in  the  hamlet  the  preceding  day,  or  in  connection 
with  anything  else,  though  one  of  those  reports  was  so 
very  characteristic,  and  so  entirely  peculiar  to  the  subject 
in  hand,  that  I  cannot  omit  it.  That  report  was  simply  a 
rumor  that  I  had  caused  one  of  my  own  barns  to  be  set  on 
fire,  the  second  night  of  my  arrival,  in  order  to  throw  the 
odium  of  the  act  on  those  "virtuous  and  hard-working 
husbandmen,"  who  only  maintained  an  illegal  and  armed 
body  on  foot,  just  to  bully  and  worry  me  out  of  my  prop- 
erty. Yes,  there  I  sat  ;  altogether  unconscious  of  the 
honor  done  me  ;  regarded  by  quite  half  that  congregation 
as  the  respected  and  just-minded  youth  who  had  devised 
and  carried  out  precisely  such  a  rascally  scheme.  Now 
no  one  who  has  not  had  the  opportunity  to  compare,  can 
form  any  idea  how  much  more  potent  and  formidable  is 
the  American  "  folks  say,"  than  the  vulgar  reports  of  any 
other  state  of  society.  The  French  on  dit  is  a  poor,  pitiful 
report,  placed  by  the  side  of  this  vast  lever,  which,  like 
that  of  Archimedes,  only  wants  a  stand  for  its  fulcrum,  to 
move  the  world.  The  American  "folks  say"  has  a  certain 
omnipotence,  so  long  as  it  lasts,  which  arises  from,  not 
the  spirit,  but  the  character  of  the  institutions  themselves. 
In  a  country  in  which  the  people  rule,  "folks"  are  resolved 
that  their  "  say  "  shall  not  pass  for  nothing.  So  few  doubt 
the  justice  of  the  popular  decision,  that  holy  writ  itself 
has  not,  in  practical  effect,  one-half  the  power  that  really 
belongs  to  one  of  these  reports,  so  long  as  it  suits  the  com- 
mon mind  to  entertain  it.  Few  dare  resist  it  ;  fewer  still 
call  in  question  its  accuracy ;  though,  in  sober  truth,  it  is 
hardly  ever  right.  It  makes  and  unmakes  reputation,  for 
the  time  being  bien  entendu  ;  it  even  makes  and  unmakes 
patriots  themselves.  In  short,  though  never  quite  truth, 
and  not  often  very  much  like  the  truth,  paradoxical  as  it 
may  appear,  it  is  truth,  and  nothing  but  the  truth,  pro  hac 
vice.  Everybody  knows,  nevertheless,  that  there  is  no  per- 


352  THE  REDSKINS. 

manency  to  what  "folks  say"  about  anything;  and  that 
"folks"  frequently,  nay,  almost  invariably,  "unsay"  what 
has  been  said  six  months  before  ;  yet,  all  submit  to  the  au- 
thority of  its  dicta,  so  long  as  "  folks "  choose  to  "  say." 
The  only  exception  to  this  rule,  and  it  merely  proves  it,  is 
in  the  case  of  political  parties,  when  there  are  always  two 
"folks  say"  which  flatly  contradict  each  other  ;  and  some- 
times there  are  half-a-dozen,  no  two  of  which  are  ever  pre- 
cisely alike ! 

There  I  sat,  as  I  afterward  learned,  "the  observed  of  all 
observers,"  merely  because  it  suited  the  purposes  of  those 
who  wished  to  get  away  my  estate  to  raise  various  reports 
to  my  prejudice — not  one  of  which,  I  am  happy  to  have  it 
in  my  power  to  say,  was  in  any  manner  true.  The  first 
good  look  that  I  took  at  the  congregation  satisfied  me 
that  very  much  the  larger  part  of  it  consisted  of  those 
who  did  not  belong  to  St.  Andrew's  Church.  Curiosity, 
or  some  worse  feeling,  had  trebled  the  number  of  Mr. 
Warren's  hearers  that  day — or,  it  might  be  more  correct 
to  say,  of  my  observers. 

There  was  no  other  interruption  to  the  services  than  that 
which  was  produced  by  the  awkwardness  of  so  many  who 
were  strangers  to  the  ritual.  The  habitual  respect  paid  to 
religious  rites  kept  every  one  in  order ;  and,  in  the  midst 
of  a  feeling  that  was  as  malignant  and  selfish  as  well  could 
exist  under  circumstances  of  so  little  provocation,  I  was 
safe  from  violence,  and  even  from  insult.  As  for  myself, 
little  was  or  could  be  known  of  my  character  and  propen- 
sities at  Ravensnest.  School,  college,  and  travelling,  with 
winter  residences  in  town,  had  made  me  a  sort  of  stranger 
in  my  own  domain,  and  I  \vas  regarded  through  the  cov- 
enants of  my  leases,  rather  than  through  any  known  facts. 
The  same  was  true,  though  in  a  less  degree,  with  my  uncle, 
who  had  lived  so  much  abroad  as  to  be  considered  a  sort 
of  half  foreigner,  and  one  who  preferred  other  countries  to 
his  own.  This  is  an  offence  that  is  rarely  forgiven  by  the 
masses  in  America,  though  it  is  probably  the  most  venial 
sin  that  one  who  has  had  the  opportunities  of  comparing 
can  commit.  Old  nations  offer  so  many  more  inducements 
than  young  nations  to  tempt  men  of  leisure  and  cultivation 
to  reside  in  them,  that  it  is  not  surprising  the  travelled 
American  should  prefer  Europe  to  his  own  quarter  of  the 
world  ;  but  the  jealousy  of  a  provincial  people  is  not  apt 
to  forgive  this  preference.  For  myself,  I  have  heard  it 
said,  and  I  believe  it  to  be  true,  to  a  certain  extent,  that 


THE  REDSKINS.  353 

countries  on  the  decline,  supposing  them  to  have  been 
once  at  the  summit  of  civilization,  make  pleasanter  abodes 
for  the  idler  than  nations  on  the  advance.  This  is  one 
of  the  reasons  why  Italy  attracts  so  many  more  visitors 
than  England,  though  climate  must  pass  for  something  in 
such  a  comparison.  But  these  long  absences,  and  sup- 
posed preferences  for  foreign  life,  had  made  my  uncle 
Ro,  in  one  sense,  unpopular  with  the  mass,  which  has 
been  taught  to  believe,  by  means  of  interested  and  ful- 
some eulogies  on  their  own  state  of  society,  that  it  implies 
something  more  than  a  want  of  taste,  almost  a  want  of 
principle,  to  prefer  any  other.  This  want  of  popularity, 
however,  was  a  good  deal  relieved  by  a  wide  and  deep 
conviction  of  my  uncle's  probity,  as  well  as  of  his  liber- 
ality, his  purse  having  no  more  string  to  it  than  General 
Harrison's  door  was  thought  to  have  a  latch.  But  the 
case  was  very  different  with  my  grandmother.  The  early 
part  of  her  life  had  been  spent  at  the  Nest,  and  it  was 
impossible  so  excellent  a  woman  could  be  anything  but  re- 
spected. She  had,  in  truth,  been  a  sore  impediment  with 
the  anti-renters ;  more  especially  in  carrying  out  that  part 
of  their  schemes  which  is  connected  with  traduction,  and 
its  legitimate  offspring,  prejudice.  It  would  hardly  do  to 
traduce  this  noble-minded,  charitable,  spirited,  and  just 
woman  ;  yet,  hazardous  as  the  experiment  must  and  did 
seem,  it  was  attempted,  and  not  altogether  without  suc- 
cess. She  was  accused  of  an  aristocratic  preference  of  her 
own  family  to  the  families  of  other  people.  Patt  and  I,  it 
was  urged,  were  only  her  grandchildren,  and  had  ample 
provision  made  for  us  in  other  estates  besides  this — and  a 
woman  of  Mrs.  Littlepage's  time  of  life,  it  was  said,  who  had 
one  foot  in  the  grave,  ought  to  have  too  much  general  phil- 
anthropy to  give  a  preference  to  the  interests  of  mere  grand- 
children, over  the  interests  of  the  children  of  men  who  had 
paid  her  husband  and  sons  rent,  now,  for  quite  sixty  years. 
This  attack  had  come  from  the  pulpit,  too,  or  the  top  of  a 
molasses  hogshead,  which  was  made  a  substitute  for  a  pul- 
pit, by  an  itinerant  preacher,  who  had  taken  a  bit  of  job- 
work,  in  which  the  promulgation  of  the  tenets  of  the  gospe) 
and  those  of  anti-rentism  was  the  great  end  in  view. 

As  I  have  said,  my  good  grandmother  suffered  some- 
what in  public  estimation,  in  consequence  of  this  assault. 
It  is  true,  had  any  one  openly  charged  the  circulators  of 
this  silly  calumny  with  their  offence,  they  would  have 
stoutly  denied  it ;  but  it  was  none  the  less  certain  that  this 


354  THE  REDSKINS. 

charge,  among  a  hundred  others,  varying  from  it  only  in 
degree,  and  not  at  all  in  character,  was  industriously  cir- 
culated in  order  to  render  the  Littlepages  unpopular ;  un- 
popularity being  among  us  the  sin  that  is  apt  to  entail  all 
the  evil  consequences  of  every  other  offence. 

The  reader  who  is  not  acquainted  with  the  interior  of 
our  social  habits,  must  not  suppose  that  I  am  coloring  for 
effect.  So  far  from  this,  I  am  quite  conscious  of  having 
kept  the  tone  of  the  picture  down,  it  being  an  undeniable 
truth  that  nothing  of  much  interest,  nowadays,  is  left  to 
the  simple  decision  of  principles  and  laws,  in  this  part  of 
the  country  at  least.  The  supremacy  of  numbers  is  so 
great,  that  scarce  a  private  suit  of  magnitude  is  committed 
to  a  jury,  without  attempts,  more  or  less  direct,  to  influence 
the  common  mind  in  favor  of  one  side  or  the  other,  in  the 
hope  that  the  jurors  will  be  induced  to  think  as  the  ma- 
jority thinks.  In  Europe,  it  is  known  that  judges  were, 
nay,  are,  visited  and  solicited  by  the  parties  ;  but  here,  it 
is  the  public  that  must  be  treated  in  the  same  way.  I  am 
far  from  wishing  to  blazon  the  defects  of  my  own  country, 
and  I  know  from  observation,  that  corresponding  evils, 
differing  in  their  exterior  aspects,  and  in  their  mode  of 
acting,  exist  elsewhere  ;  but  these  are  the  forms  in  which 
some  of  our  defects  present  themselves,  and  he  is  neither 
a  friend  to  his  country,  nor  an  honest  man,  who  wishes 
them  to  be  bundled  up  and  cloaked,  instead  of  being  ex- 
posed, understood,  and  corrected.  This  notion  of  "  nil  nisi 
bene  "  has  done  an  infinite  degree  of  harm  to  the  country ; 
and,  through  the  country,  to  freedom. 

I  do  not  think  the  worship  of  the  temple  amounted  to 
any  great  matter  that  day  in  St.  Andrew's  Church,  Ravens- 
nest.  Quite  half  the  congregation  was  blundering  through 
the  liturgy,  and  every  man  who  lost  his  place  in  the 
prayer-book,  or  who  could  not  find  it  at  all,  seemed  to 
fancy  it  was  quite  sufficient  for  the  ritual  of  us  semi- 
papists  if  he  kept  his  eye  on  me  and  my  canopied  pew. 
How  many  pharisees  were  present,  who  actually  believed 
that  t  had  caused  my  own  barn  to  be  burned,  in  order  to 
throw  opprobrium  on  the  "  virtuous,"  "honest,"  and  "hard- 
working "  tenants,  and  who  gave  credit  to  the  stories  af- 
fecting my  title,  and  all  the  rest  of  the  stuff  that  calculat- 
ing cupidity  had  set  afloat  in  the  country,  I  have  no  way  of 
knowing ;  but  subsequent  circumstances  have  given  me 
reason  to  suppose  they  were  not  a  few.  A  great  many  men 
left  the  house  of  God  that  morning,  I  make  no  doubt, 


THE  REDSKINS.  355 

whose  whole  souls  were  wrapped  up  in  effecting  an  act  of 
the  grossest  injustice,  professing  to  themselves  to  thank 
God  that  they  were  not  as  wicked  as  the  being  whom  they 
desired  to  injure. 

I  stopped  to  say  a  word  to  Mr.  Warren,  in  the  vestry- 
room,  after  the  people  were  dismissed,  for  he  had  not 
passed  the  night  with  us  at  the  Nest,  though  his  daughter 
had.  After  we  had  said  a  word  about  the  occurrence  of 
the  morning,  the  good  rector  having  heard  a  rumor  of  the 
arrest  of  certain  incendiaries,  without  knowing  who  they 
were,  I  made  a  more  general  remark  or  two  previously  to 
quitting  the  place. 

"Your  congregation  was  unusually  large  this  morning, 
sir,"  I  said,  smiling,  "though  riot  altogether  as  attentive 
as  it  might  have  been." 

"  I  owe  it  to  your  return,  Mr.  Littlepage,  aided  by  the 
events  of  the  past  day  or  two.  At  one  moment  I  was  afraid 
that  some  secret  project  was  on  foot,  and  that  the  day  and 
place  might  be  desecrated  by  some  scene  of  disgraceful 
violence.  All  has  gone  off  well  in  that  respect,  however, 
and  I  trust  that  no  harm  will  come  of  this  crowd.  We 
Americans  have  a  respect  for  sacred  things,  which  will  or- 
dinarily protect  the  temple." 

"  Did  you,  then,  think  St.  Andrew's  ran  any  risk  to-day, 
sir?" 

Mr.  Warren  colored  a  little,  and  he.  hesitated  an  instant 
before  he  answered. 

"You  doubtless  know,  young  sir,"  he  said,  "the  nature 
of  the  feeling  that  is  now  abroad  in  the  country.  With  a 
view  to  obtain  its  ends,  anti-rentism  drags  every  auxiliary 
it  can  find  into  its  ranks,  and,  among  other  things,  it  has 
assailed  your  canopied  pew.  I  own,  that,  at  first,  I  appre- 
hended some  assault  might  be  contemplated  on  that" 

"  Let  it  come,  sir  ;  the  pew  shall  be  altered  on  a  gen- 
eral and  right  principle,  but  not  until  it  is  let  alone  by 
envy,  malice,  and  covetousness.  It  would  be  wrorse  to 
make  a  concession  to  these  than  to  let  the  pew  stand  an- 
other half  century." 

With,  these  words  in  my  mouth,  T  took  my  leave,  hast- 
ening on  to  overtake  the  girls  in  the  fields. 


356  THE   REDSKINS. 


CHAPTER  XXV. 

"  There  is  a  pure  republic — wild,  yet  strong— 
A  '  fierce  democracie,'  where  all  are  true 

To  what  themselves  have  voted — right  or  wrong — 
And  to  their  laws  denominated  blue  ; 

(If  red,  they  might  to  Draco's  code  belong.)" — HALLECK. 

SUCH  was  my  haste  in  quitting  the  church,  that  I  did 
not  turn  to  the  right  or  the  left.  I  saw  the  light,  but  well- 
rounded  form  of  Mary  Warren  loitering  along  with  the 
rest  of  the  party,  seemingly  in  waiting  for  me  to  join  them  ; 
and  crossing  the  road,  I  sprang  upon  the  stile,  and  thence 
to  the  ground,  coming  up  with  the  girls  at  the  next 
instant. 

"What  is  the  meaning  of  the  crowd,  Hugh  ?  "  asked  my 
sister,  pointing  down  the  road  with  the  stick  of  her  para- 
sol, as  she  put  the  question. 

"  Crowd  !  I  have  seen  no  crowd.  Everybody  had  left 
the  church  before  I  quitted  it,  and  all  has  gone  off  peace- 
ably. Ha!  sure  enough,  that  does  look  like  a  crowd 
yonder  in  the  highway.  It  seems  an  organized  meeting, 
by  George  !  Yes,  there  is  the  chairman,  seated  on  the 
upper  rail  of  the  fence,  and  the  fellow  with  a  bit  of  paper 
in  his  hand  is  doubtless  the  secretary.  Very  American,  and 
regular,  all  that !  Some  vile  project  is  hatching,  I'll  an- 
swer for  it,  under  the  aspect  of  an  expression  of  public 
opinion.  See,  there  is  a  chap  speaking,  and  gesticulating 
manfully !  " 

We  all  stopped,  for  a  moment,  and  stood  looking  at  the 
crowd,  which  really  had  all  the  signs  of  a  public  meeting 
about  it.  There  it  had  been,  the  girls  told  me,  ever  since 
they  had  quitted  the  church,  and  seemingly  engaged  much 
as  it  was  at  that  moment.  The  spectacle  was  curious,  and 
the  day  being  fine,  while  time  did  not  press,  we  lingered 
in  the  fields,  occasionally  stopping  to  look  behind  us,  and 
note  what  was  passing  on  in  the  highway. 

In  this  manner,  we  might  have  walked  half  the  distance 
to  the  Nest,  when,  on  turning  to  take  another  look,  we 
perceived  that  the  crowd  had  dispersed  ;  some  driving  off 
in  the  ever-recurring  one-horse  wagon,  some  on  horse- 
back and  others  on  foot.  Three  men,  however,  were 
walking  fast  in  our  direction,  as  if  desirous  of  overtaking 
us.  They  had  already  crossed  the  stile,  and  were  on  the 


THE  REDSKINS.  357 

path  in  the  field,  a  route  rarely  or  never  taken  by  any  but 
those  who  desired  to  come  to  the  house.  Under  the  circum* 
stances,  I  determined  at  once  to  stop  and  wait  for  them. 
First  feeling  in  my  pocket,  and  making  sure  of  the  "re- 
volver," which  is  getting  to  be  an  important  weapon,  now 
that  private  battles  are  fought  not  only  "yard-arm  and 
yard-arm,"  but  by  regular  "  broadsides,"  starboard  and  lar- 
board, I  intimated  my  intention  to  the  girls. 

"As  these  men  are  evidently  coming  in  quest  of  me,"  I 
remarked,  "  it  may  be  as  well,  ladies,  for  you  to  continue 
your  walk  toward  home,  while  I  wait  for  them  on  this 
stile." 

"Very  true,"  answered  Patt.  "They  can  have  little  to 
say  that  we  shall  wish  to  hear,  and  you  will  soon  overtake 
us.  Remember,  we  dine  at  two  on  Sundays,  Hugh  ;  the 
evening  service  commencing  at  four,  in  this  month." 

"  No,  no,"  said  Mary  Warren,  hurriedly,  "we  ought  not, 
cannot,  quit  Mr.  Littlepage.  These  men  may  do  him  some 
harm." 

I  was  delighted  with  this  simple,  natural  manifestation  of 
interest,  as  well  as  with  the  air  of  decision  with  which  it  was 
made.  Mary  herself  colored  at  her  own  interest,  but  did 
not  the  less  maintain  the  ground  she  had  taken. 

"  Why,  of  what  use  can  we  be  to  Hugh,  dear,  even  ad- 
mitting what  you  say  to  be  true  ? "  answered  Patt ;  "  it 
were  better  for  us  to  hurry  on  to  the  house,  and  send  those 
here  who  can  assist  him  in  such  a  case,  than  stand  by  idle 
and  useless." 

As  if  profiting  by  this  hint,  Miss  Coldbrooke  and  Miss 
Marston,  who  were  already  some  little  distance  in  advance, 
went  off  almost  on  a  run,  doubtless  intending  to  put  my 
sister's  project  into  execution.  But  Mary  Warren  stood 
firm,  and  Patt  would  not  desert  her  friend,  whatever  might 
have  been  her  disposition  to  treat  me  with  less  considera- 
tion. 

"  It  is  true,  we  may  not  be  able  to  assist  Mr.  Littlepage, 
should  violence  be  attempted,"  the  first  remarked  ;  "but 
violence  is,  perhaps,  what  is  least  to  be  apprehended. 
These  wretched  people  so  little  regard  truth,  and  they  will 
be  three  to  one,  if  your  brother  be  left  alone  ;  that  it  is 
better  we  stay  and  hear  what  is  said,  in  order  that  we  may 
assert  what  the  facts  really  were,  should  these  persons  see 
fit  to  pervert  them,  as  too  often  happens." 

Both  Patt  and  myself  were  struck  with  the  prudence 
and  sagacity  of  this  suggestion ;  and  the  former  now  came 


358  THE   REDSKIN'S. 

quite  near  to  the  stile,  on  which  I  was  still  standing,  with 
an  ai/  as  steady  and  resolute  as  that  of  Mary  Warren  her- 
self. Just  then  the  three  men  approached.  Two  of  them 
I  knew  by  name,  though  scarcely  in  person,  while  the 
third  was  a  total  stranger.  The  two  of  whom  I  had  some 
knowledge,  were  named  Bunce  and  Mowatt,  and  were 
both  tenants  of  my  own  ;  and,  as  I  have  since  learned, 
warm  anti-renters.  The  stranger  was  a  travelling  dema- 
gogue, who  had  been  at  the  bottom  of  the  whole  affair 
connected  with  the  late  meeting,  and  who  had  made  his 
two  companions  his  tools.  The  three  came  up  to  the  stile, 
with  an  air  of  great  importance,  nor  could  the  dignity  of 
their  demeanor  have  been  greater  had  they  been  ambas- 
sadors extraordinary  from  the  Emperor  of  China. 

"  Mr.  Littlepage,"  commenced  Mr.  Bunce,  with  a  par- 
ticularly important  physiognomy,  "there  has  been  a  meet- 
ing of  the  public,  this  morning,  at  which  these  resolutions 
was  passed.  We  have  been  appointed  a  committeee  to 
deliver  a  copy  of  them  to  you,  and  our  duty  is  now  per- 
formed by  handing  you  this  paper." 

"  Not  unless  I  see  fit  to  accept  it,  I  presume,  sir,"  was  my 
answer. 

"  I  should  think  no  man,  in  a  free  country,  would  refuse 
to  receive  a  set  of  resolutions  that  has  been  passed  by  a 
meeting  of  his  fellow-citizens." 

"That  might  depend  on  circumstances;  the  character 
of  the  resolutions,  in  particular.  The  freedom  of  the  coun- 
try it  is,  precisely,  which -gives  one  man  the  same  right  to 
say  he  cares  nothing  about  your  resolutions,  as  it  does  you 
to  pass  them." 

"  But  you  have  not  looked  at  the  resolutions,  sir,  and 
until  you  do,  you  cannot  know  how  you  may  like  them." 

"  That  is  very  true  ;  but  I  have  looked  at  their  bearers, 
have  seen  their  manner,  and  do  not  quite  like  the  assump- 
tion of  power  which  says  any  body  of  men  can  send  me 
resolutions,  whether  I  like  to  receive  them  or  not." 

This  declaration  seemed  to  strike  the  committee  aghast! 
The  idea  that  one  man  should  hesitate  to  submit  himself  to 
a  yoke  imposed  by  a  hundred,  \vas  so  newT  and  inconceiva- 
ble to  those  who  deem  majorities  all  in  all,  that  they  hardly 
knew  how  to  take  it.*  At  first  there  was  an  obvious  dis- 

*  The  prevalence  of  the  notion  of  the  omnipotence  of  majorities,  in 
America,  is  so  wide-spread  and  deep,  among  the  people  in  general,  as  to 
form  a  distinctive  trait  in  the  national  character.  It  is  doing  an  infinity  of 
inischief,  by  being  mistaken  for  the  governing  principle  of  the  institutions, 


THE  REDSKINS,  359 

position  to  resent  the  insult  ;  then  came  reflection,  which 
probably  told  them  that  such  a  course  might  not  prove  so 
well,  the  whole  terminating  in  the  more  philosophical  de- 
termination of  getting  along  easily. 

"Am  I  to  understand,  Mr.  Littlepage,  that  you  refuse 
to  accept  the  resolutions  of  a  public  meeting  ?  " 

"  Yes  ;  of  half  a  dozen  public  meetings  put  together,  if 
those  resolutions  are  offensive,  or  are  offered  offensively." 

"As  to  the  resolutions,  you  can  know  nothing,  having 
never  seen  them.  Of  the  right  of  any  number  of  the 
people  to  pass  such  resolutions  as  they  may  think  proper, 
I  presume  there  can  be  no  question." 

"  Of  that  right,  sir,  there  is  a  very  great  question,  as  has 
been  settled  within  the  last  few  years,  in  our  own  courts. 
But,  even  if  the  right  existed,  and  in  as  broad  a  way  as  you 
seem  to  think,  it  would  not  form  a  right  to  force  these 
resolutions  on  me." 

"  I  am,  then,  to  tell  the  people  you  refuse  even  to  read 
their  resolutions,  'Squire  Littlepage  ?  " 

"You  can  tell  them  what  you  please,  sir.  I  know  of  no 
people,  except  in  a  legal  sense,  and  under  the  limited 
powers  that  they  exercise  by  law.  As  for  this  new  power, 
which  is  rising  up  in  the  country,  and  has  the  impudence 
to  call  itself  the  people,  though  composed  of  little  knots 
of  men  got  together  by  management,  and  practised  on  by 
falsehood,  it  has  neither  my  respect  nor  dread  ;  and  as  I 
hold  it  in  contempt,  I  shall  treat  it  with  contempt  when- 
ever it  comes  in  my  way." 

"  I  am,  then,  to  tell  the  people  of  Ravensnest  you  hold 
them  in  contempt,  sir  ?  " 

"  I  authorize  you  tell  the  people  of  Ravensnest  nothing, 

when  in  fact  it  is  merely  a  necessary  expedient  to  decide  certain  questions 
which  must  be  decided  by  somebody,  and  in  some  mode  or  other.  Kept 
in  its  proper  sphere,  the  use  of  majorities  is  replete  with  justice,  so  far  as 
justice  can  be  exercised  among  men  ;  abused,  it  opens  the  highway  to  the 
most  intolerable  tyranny.  As  a  matter  of  course,  the  errors  connected 
with  this  subject  vary  through  all  the  gradations  of  intellect  and  selfishness. 
The  following  anecdote  will  give  the  reader  some  notion  how  the  feeling 
impressed  a  stranger  shortly  after  his  arrival  in  this  country. 

A  year  or  two  since  the  writer  had  in  his  service  an  Irishman  who  had 
been  only  two  years  in  the  country.  It  was  a  part  of  this  man's  duty  to 
look  after  the  welfai-e  of  certain  pigs,  of  which  one  occupied  the  position 
of  a  "runt."  "Has  your  honor  looked  at  the  pigs  lately?"  said  the 
honest  fellow,  one  day.  "No,  not  lately,  Pat;  is  there  any  change?" 
"That  there  is,  indeed,  sir,  and  a  great  change.  The  little  fellow  is  get- 
ting the  majority  of  the  rest,  and  will  make  the  best  hog  of  'em  ail !  "— 
EDITOR. 


360  THE   REDSKINS. 

as  coming  from  me,  for  I  do  not  know  that  the  people  of 
Ravensnest  have  employed  you.  If  you  will  ask  me,  re- 
spectfully, as  if  you  were  soliciting  a  favor  instead  of  de- 
manding a  right,  to  read  the  contents  of  the  paper  you 
hold  in  your  hand,  I  may  be  willing  to  comply.  What  I 
object  to  is  a  handful  of  men  getting  together,  setting 
themselves  up  as  the  people,  pretending  to  authority  in 
that  capacity,  and  claiming  a  right  to  force  their  notions 
on  other  folks." 

The  three  committee-men  now  drew  back  a  few  paces, 
and  consulted  together  apart  for  two  or  three  minutes. 
While  they  were  thus  employed,  I  heard  the  sweet  gentle 
voice  of  Mary  Warren  say  at  my  elbow — "  Take  their  reso- 
lutions, Mr.  Littlepage,  and  get  rid  of  them.  I  dare  say 
they  are  very  silly,  but  you  will  get  rid  of  them  all  the 
sooner  by  receiving  the  paper."  This  was  woman's  advice, 
which  is  a  little  apt  to  err  on  the  side  of  concession,  when 
her  apprehensions  are  aroused  ;  but  I  was  spared  the  pain 
of  not  complying  with  it,  by  the  altered  tone  of  the  trio, 
who  now  came  up  to  the  stile  again,  having  apparently 
come  to  a  final  decision  in  the  premises. 

"Mr.  Hugh  Roger  Littlepage,  junior,"  said  Bunce,  in  a 
solemn  voice,  and  in  a  manner  as  precise  as  if  he  were 
making  some  legal  tender  that  was  of  the  last  importance, 
and  which  required  set  phrases,  "  I  now  ask  you,  in  a  most 
respectful  manner,  if  you  will  consent  to  receive  this  pa- 
per. It  contains  certain  resolutions,  passed  with  great 
unanimity  by  the  people  of  Ravensnest,  and  which  may  be 
found  to  affect  you.  I  am  directed  respectfully  to  ask 
you,  if  you  will  accept  this  copy  of  the  said  resolutions." 

I  cut  the  rest  of  the  speech  short  by  receiving  the  prof- 
fered paper,  and  I  thought  ail  three  of  the  worthy  ambas- 
sadors looked  disappointed  at  my  having  done  so.  This 
gave  a  new  turn  to  my  ideas,  and  had  they  now  demanded 
their  resolutions  back  again,  they  should  not  have  had 
them,  so  long  as  the  revolvers  could  do  their  duty.  For  a 
moment,  I  do  believe  Bunce  was  for  trying  the  experiment. 
He  and  his  companions  would  have  been  delighted  to  have 
it  in  their  power  to  run  up  and  down  the  country  crying 
out  that  the  aristocrat-landlord,  young  Littlepage,  held 
the  people  in  contempt,  and  had  refused  even  to  accept 
the  resolutions  they  had  deigned,  in  their  majesty,  to  pass. 
As  it  was,  however,  I  had  sufficiently  rebuked  the  pre- 
sumption of  these  pretenders  to  liberty,  avoided  all  the 
consequences  of  their  clamor  in  that  behalf,  and  had  an 


THE   REDSKINS.  361 

opportunity  to  gratify  a  curiosity  to  know  what  the  leaders 
of  the  meeting  had  been  about,  and  to  read  their  resolu- 
tions. I  say,  the  leaders  of  the  meeting,  for  it  is  very  cer- 
tain the  meetings  themselves,  on  all  such  occasions,  have 
no  more  to  do  with  the  forming  or  entertaining  the  opin- 
ions that  are  thus  expressed,  than  if  they  had  been  in 
Kamtschatka  the  whole  time.  Folding  the  paper,  there- 
fore, and  putting  it  in  my  pocket,  I  bowed  to  the  commit- 
tee, saying,  as  I  descended  the  stile  on  the  other  side  of 
the  fence — 

"  It  is  well,  gentlemen  ;  if  the  resolutions  require  any 
notice,  they'll  be  sure  to  receive  it.  Public  meetings  held 
of  a  Sunday  are  so  unusual  in  this  part  of  the  world,  that 
this  may  have  interest  with  that  small  portion  of  the  State 
which  does  not  dwell  at  Ravensnest." 

I  thought  the  committee  was  a  little  abashed ;  but  the 
stranger,  or  the  travelling  demagogue,  caught  at  my  words, 
and  answered  as  I  walked  away,  in  company  with  Patt  and 
Mary  Warren — 

"  The  better  day,  the  better  deed.  The  matter  related 
to  the  Sabbath,  and  no  time  so  suitable  as  the  Sabbath  to 
act  on  it." 

I  will  own  I  was  dying  of  curiosity  to  read  the  resolu- 
tions, but  dignity  prevented  any  such  thing  until  we  had 
reached  a  spot  where  the  path  led  through  a  copse,  that 
concealed  us  from  observation.  Once  under  that  cover, 
however,  I  eagerly  drew  out  the  paper,  the  two  girls  draw- 
ing near  to  listen,  with  as  lively  an  interest  as  that  I  felt 
myself  in  the  result. 

"  Here  you  may  see  at  a  glance","  I  cried,  shaking  open 
the  folds  of  the  paper,  "  the  manner  in  which  the  people  so 
often  pass  their  resolutions  !  All  this  writing  has  a  very 
school-master  air,  and  has  been  done  with  care  and  a  de- 
liberation, whereas  there  was  certainly  no  opportunity  to 
make  a  copy  as  fair  as  this  of  anything  out  in  the  highway 
where  the  meeting  was  actually  held.  This  proves  that 
matters  had  been  cut  and  dried  for  the  sovereign  people, 
who,  like  other  monarchs,  are  saved  a  great  deal  of  trouble 
by  their  confidential  servants." 

"  I  dare  say,"  said  Patt,  "two  or  three  men  down  at  the 
village  prepared  everything,  and  then  brought  their  work 
up  to  the  meeting  to  be  read  and  approved,  and  to  go  forth 
as  public  sentiment." 

"  If  it  were  only  honesty  approved  .by  even  those  who 
heard  it  read,  it  would  be  another  matter  ;  but  two-thirds 


362  THE  REDSKINS. 

of  every  meeting  are  nothing  but  dough-faces,  that  are 
moulded  to  look  whichever  way  the  skilful  manager  may 
choose.  But  let  us  see  what  these  notable  resolutions  are  ; 
we  may  like  them,  possibly,  after  having  read  them." 

"  It  is  so  extraordinary  to  have  a  public  meeting  of  a 
Sunday  in  this  part  of  the  world  ! " 

I  now  set  about  reading  the  contents  of  the  paper,  which, 
at  a  glance,  I  saw  had  been  very  carefully  prepared  for 
publication,  and  no  doubt  would  soon  figure  in  some  of 
the  journals.  Fortunately,  this  business  has  been  so  much 
overdone,  and  so  many  meetings  are  held  that  flatly  con- 
tradict each  other,  though  all  represent  public  sentiment, 
fire  is  made  so  effectually  to  fight  fire,  that  the  whole  pro- 
cedure is  falling  into  contempt,  and  the  public  is  actually 
losing  the  great  advantage  which,  under  a  more  temperate 
use  of  its  power,  it  might  possess,  by  making  known  from 
time  to  time,  as  serious  occasions  offered,  its  true  opinions 
and  wishes.  As  things  actually  are,  every  man  of  intelli- 
gence is  fully  aware  that  simulated  public  opinions  are 
much  the  most  noisy  and  active  in  the  country,  and  he  re- 
gards nothing  of  the  sort  of  which  he  hears  or  reads,  un- 
less he  happen  to  know  something  of  the  authority.  It  is 
the  same  with  the  newspaper  press  generally ;  into  such 
deep  discredit  has  it  fallen,  that  not  only  is  its  power  to  do 
evil  much  curtailed,  but  it  has  nearly  lost  all  power  to  do 
good  ;  for,  by  indulging  in  licentiousness,  and  running 
into  the  habit  of  crying  "  wolf,"  nobody  is  disposed  to  be- 
lieve, were  the  beast  actually  committing  its  ravages  in  the 
flocks  of  the  nation.  There  are  but  two  ways  for  a  man  to 
regain  a  position  from  which  he  has  departed  ;  the  one  is 
by  manfully  retracing  his  steps,  and  the  other  is  by  making 
a  circuit  so  complete  that  all  who  choose  to  watch  him  may 
see  and  understand  all  sides  of  him,  and  estimate  him  ac- 
cordingly. The  last  is  likely  to  be  the  career  of  dema- 
gogueism  and  the  press  ;  both  of  which  have  already  gone 
so  far  as  to  render  retreat  next  to  impossible,  and  who  can 
only  regain  any  portion  of  public  confidence  by  being  sat- 
isfied with  completing  their  circuit,  and  falling  in  the  rear 
of  the  nation,  content  to  follow  those  whom  it  has  been 
their  craving  ambition  to  lead. 

"  At  a  meeting  of  the  citizens  of  Ravensnest/'  I  began 
to  read  aloud,  "spontaneously  convened,  June  22d,  1845, 
in  the  public  highway,  after  attending  divine  service  in  the 
Episcopal  meeting-house,  according  to  the  forms  of  the 
established  denomination  of  England,  on  the  church  and 


THE  REDSKINS.  363 

state  system,  Oricsiphoras  Hayden,  Esquire,  was  called  to 
the  chair,  and  Pulaski  Todd,  Esquire,  was  appointed  sec- 
retary. After  a  luminous  and  eloquent  exposition  of  the 
objects  of  the  meeting,  and  some  most  pungent  strictures 
on  aristocracy  and  the  rights  of  man,  from  Demosthenes 
Hewlett  and  John  Smith,  Esquires,  the  following  expres- 
sion of  public  sentiment  was  sustained  by  an  undivided 
unanimity  : — Resolved,  That  a  temperate  expression  of  pub- 
lic opinion  is  useful  to  Jie  rights  of  freemen,  and  is  one  of 
the  most  precious  privileges  of  freedom,  as  the  last  has 
been  transmitted  to  us  in  a  free  country  by  our  ancestors, 
who  fought  and  bled  for  free  and  equal  institutions  on  free 
and  equal  grounds. 

"  Resolved,  That  we  prize  this  privilege,  and  shall  ever 
watch  over  its  exercise  with  vigilance,  the  price  of  liberty. 

"Resolved,  That,  as  all  men  are  equal  in  the  eyes  of  the 
law,  so  are  they  much  more  so  in  the  eyes  of  God. 

"Resolved,  That  meeting-houses  are  places  constructed 
for  the  convenience  of  the  people,  and  that  nothing  ought 
to  be  admitted  into  them  that  is  opposed  to  public  senti- 
ment, or  which  can  possibly  offend  it. 

"Resolved,  That,  in  our  judgment,  the  seat  that  is  good 
enough  for  one.  man  is  good  enough  for  another  ;  that  we 
know  no  differences  in  families  and  races,  and  that  pews 
ought  to  be  constructed  on  the  principles  of  equality,  as 
well  as  laws. 

"  Resolved,  That  canopies  are  royal  distinctions,  and 
quite  unsuited  to  republicans  ;  and  most  of  all,  to  republi- 
can meeting-houses. 

"Resolved,  That  religion  should  be  adapted  to  the  insti- 
tutions of  a  country,  and  that  a  republican  form  of  govern- 
ment is  entitled  to  a  republican  form  of  religion  ;  and  that 
we  do  not  see  the  principles  of  freedom  in  privileged  seats 
in  the  house  of  God." 

"  That  resolution  has  been  got  up  as  a  commentary  on 
what  has  been  circulated  so  much,  of  late,  in  the  news* 
papers,"  cried  Mary  Warren,  quickly  ;  "  in  which  it  has 
been  advanced,  as  a  recommendation  of  certain  sects,  that 
their  dogmas  and  church-government  are  more  in  harmony 
with  republicanism  than  certain  others,  our  own  Church  in- 
cluded." 

"  One  would  think,"  I  answered,  "  if  this  conformity 
be  a  recommendation,  that  it  would  be  the  duty  of  men  to 
make  their  institutions  conform  to  the  Church,  instead  of 
the  Church's  conforming  to  the  institutions." 


364  THE  REDSKINS. 

"  Yes  ;  but  it  is  nut  the  fashion  to  reason  in  this  wayt 
nowadays.  Prejudice  is  just  as  much  appealed  to  in  mat 
ters  connected  with  religion,  as  with  anything  else." 

"Resolved"  I  continued  to  read,  "  That  in  placing  a  can- 
opy over  his  pew,  in  St.  Andrew's  meeting-house,  Ravens- 
nest,  General  Cornelius  Littlepage  conformed  to  the  spirit 
of  a  past  age,  rather  than  to  the  spirit  of  the  present  time, 
and  that  we  regard  its  continuance  there  as  an  aristocrati- 
cal  assumption  of  a  superiority  that  is  opposed  to  the  char- 
acter of  the  government,  offensive  to  liberty,  and  danger- 
ous as  an  example." 

"Really  that  is  too  bad!"  exclaimed  Patt,  vexed  at 
heart,  even  while  she  laughed  at  the  outrageous  silliness 
of  the  resolutions,  and  all  connected  with  them.  "  Dear, 
liberal-minded  grandpapa,  who  fought  and  bled  for  that 
very  liberty  about  which  these  people  cant  so  much,  and 
who  was  actively  concerned  in  framing  the  very  institu- 
tions that  they  do  not  understand,  and  are  constantly  violat- 
ing, is  accused  to  being  false  to  what  were  notoriously  his 
own  principles  ! " 

"  Never  mind  that,  my  dear  ;  there  only  remain  three 
more  resolutions:  let  us  hear  them.  Resolved,  That  we 
see  an  obvious  connection  between  crowned  heads,  patents 
of  nobility,  canopied  pews,  personal  distinctions,  leasehold 
tenures,  land-LoRDS,  days' works,  fat  fowls,  quarter-sales, 
three-lives  leases,  and  RENT. 

"  Resolved,  That  we  are  of  opinion  that,  when  the  owners 
of  barns  wish  them  destroyed,  for  any  purpose  whatever, 
there  is  a  mode  less  alarming  to  a  neighborhood  than  by 
setting  them  on  fire,  and  thus  giving  rise  to  a  thousand 
reports  and  accusations  that  are  wanting  in  the  great  merit 
of  truth. 

"  Resolved,  That  a  fair  draft  be  made  of  these  resolutions, 
and  a  copy  of  them  delivered  to  one  Hugh  Roger  Little- 
page,  a  citizen  of  Ravensnest,  in  the  county  of  Washing- 
ton ;  and  that  Peter  Bunce,  Esq.,  John  Mowatt,  Esq.,  and 
Hezekiah  Trott,  Esq.,  be  a  commitee  to  see  that  this  act 
be  performed. 

"  Whereupon  the  meeting  adjourned,  sine  die.  Onesiph* 
oras  Hayden,  chairman  ;  Pulaski  Todd,  secretary." 

"  Whe-e-e-w  !"  I  whistled,  "  here's  gunpowder  enough 
for  another  Waterloo  !  " 

"  What  means  that  last  resolution,  Mr.  Littlepage  ? " 
asked  Mary  Warren,  anxiously.  "That  about  the  barn." 

"  Sure  enough  ;  there  is  a  latent  meaning  there  which 


THE  REDSKINS.  365 

has  its  sting.  Can  the  scoundrels  intend  to  insinuate  that 
/  caused  that  barn  to  be  set  on  fire  !  " 

"  If  they  should,  it  is  scarcely  more  than  they  have  at- 
tempted to  do  with  every  landlord  they  have  endeavored 
to  rob,"  said  Patt,  with  spirit.  "  Calumny  seems  a  natural 
weapon  of  those  who  get  their  power  by  appealing  to  num- 
bers." 

"That  is  natural  enough,  my  dear  sister  ;  since  prejudice 
and  passion  are  quite  as  active  agents  as  reasons  and  facts, 
in  the  common  mind.  But  this  is  a  slander  that  shall  be 
looked  to.  If  I  find  that  these  men  really  wish  to  circu- 
late a  report  that  I  caused  my  own  barn  to  be  set  on  fire — 
pshaw  !  nonsense,  after  all ;  have  we  not  Newcome,  and 
that  other  rascal  in  confinement,  at  this  moment,  for  at- 
tempting to  set  fire  to  my  house  ?" 

"Be  not  too  confident,  Mr.  Littlepage,"  said  Mary,  with 
an  anxiety  so  pointed  that  I  could  not  but  feel  its  flattery — 
"  my  dear  father  tells  me  he  has  lost  most  of  his  confidence 
in  innocence,  except  as  One  above  all  weaknesses  shall  be 
the  judge  :  this  very  story  may  be  got  up  expressly  to  throw 
distrust  on  your  accusations  against  the  two  incendiaries 
you  have  taken  in  the  act.  Remember  how  much  of  the 
facts  will  depend  on  your  own  testimony." 

"I  shall  havejy0//  to  sustain  me,  Miss  Warren,  and  the 
juror  is  not  living,  who  would  hesitate  to  believe  that 
to  which  you  will  testify.  But  here  we  are  approaching 
the  house  ;  we  will  talk  no  more  on  the  subject,  lest  it 
distress  my  grandmother." 

We  found  all  quiet  at  the  Nest,  no  report  of  any  sort 
having  come  from  the  red-men.  Sunday  was  like  any 
other  day  to  them,  \vith  the  exception  that  they  so  far  de- 
ferred to  our  habits  as  to  respect  it,  to  a  certain  extent, 
while  in  our  presence.  Some  writers  have  imagined  that 
the  aborigines  of  America  are  of  the  lost  tribes  of  Israel  ; 
but  it  seems  to  me  that  such  a  people  could  never  have 
existed  aparc,  uninfluenced  by  foreign  association,  and 
preserved  no  tradition,  no  memorial  of  the  Jewish  Sab- 
bath. Let  this  be  as  it  may,  John,  who  met  us. at  the 
door,  which  we  reached  just  after  my  uncle  and  grand- 
mother, reported  all  quiet,  so  far  as  he  knew  anything  of 
the  state  of  the  farm-buildings. 

"They  got  enough  last  night,  I'se  thinking,  Mr.  Hugh, 
and  has  found  out  by  this  time,  that  it's  better  to  light  a 
fire  in  one  of  their  own  cook-stoves,  than  come  to  light  it 
on  the  floor  of  a  gentleman's  kitche'n.  I  never  heard  it 


366  THE  REDSKINS. 

said,  sir,  that  the  Hamericans  was  as  much  Hirish  as  they 
be  Henglish,  but  to  me  they  seems  to  grow  every  day 
more  like  the  wild  Hirishers,  of  whom  we  used  to  hear  so 
much  in  Lun'un.  Your  honored  father,  sir,  would  never 
have  believed  that  his  own  dwelling  would  be  entered,  at 
night,  by  men  wrho  are  his  very  neighbors,  and  who  act 
like  burglariouses,  as  if  they  were  so  many  Newgate  birds 
— no.  Why,  Mr.  Hugh,  this  'Squire  Newcome,  as  they  call 
him,  is  an  hattorney,  and  has  often  dined  here  at  the  Nest. 
I  have  'anded  him  his  soup,  and  fish,  and  wine,  fifty  times, 
just  as  if  he  was  a  gentleman,  and  to  his  sister,  Miss  Hop- 
portunity,  too  ;  and  they  to  come  to  set  fire  to  the  house, 
at  midnight  ! " 

"You  do  Miss  Opportunity  injustice,  John  ;  for  she  has 
not  had  the  least  connection  with  the  matter." 

"Well,  sir,  nobody  knows  anything  nowaday — I  de- 
clare, my  eyes  be  getting  weak,  or  there  is  the  young 
lady,  at  this  very  instant !" 

"  Young  lady  !  where  ? — you  do  not  mean  Opportunity 
Newcome,  surely  ? " 

"  I  does  though,  sir,  and  it's  she,  sure  enough.  If  that 
isn't  Miss  Hopportunity,  the  prisoner  that  the  savages 
has  got  up  in  the  cellar  of  the  old  farm-house,  isn't  her 
brother." 

John  was  quite  right  ;  there  was  Opportunity  standing 
in  the  very  path,  and  at  the  very  spot  where  I  had  last 
seen  her  disappear  from  my  sight,  the  past  night.  That 
spot  was  just  where  the  path  plunged  into  the  wooded 
ravine,  and  so  far  \vas  her  person  concealed  by  the  de- 
scent, that  we  could  only  perceive  the  head,  and  the  up- 
per part  of  the  body.  The  girl  had  shown  herself  just 
that  much,  in  order  to  attract  my  attention,  in  which  she 
had  no  sooner  succeeded,  than,  by  moving  downward  a 
few  paces,  she  was  entirely  hid  from  sight.  Cautioning 
John  to  say  nothing  of  what  had  passed,  I  sprang  down 
the  steps,  and  walked  in  the  direction  of  the  ravine,  per- 
fectly satisfied  I  was  expected,  and  far  from  certain  that 
this  visit  did  not  portend  further  evil. 

The  distance  was  so  short  that  I  was  soon  at  the  verge 
of  the  ravine,  but  when  I  reached  it  Opportunity  had  dis- 
appeared. Owing  to  the  thicket,  her  concealment  was 
easily  obtained,  while  she  might  be  within  a  few  yards 
from  me,  and  I  plunged  downward,  bent  only  on  ascer- 
taining her  object.  One  gleam  of  distrust  shot  across  my 
mind,  I  will  own,  as  I  strided  down  the  declivity  ;  but  it 


THE   REDSKIXS.  367 

was  soon  lost  in  the  expectation  and  curiosity  that  were 
awakened  by  the  appearance  of  the  girl. 

I  believe  it  has  already  been  explained,  that  in  this 
part  of  the  lawn  a  deep,  narrow  ravine  had  been  left  in 
wood,  and  that  the  bridle-path  that  leads  to  the  hamlet 
had  been  carried  directly  through  it,  for  effect.  This 
patch  of  wood  may  be  three  or  four  acres  in  extent,  fol- 
lowing the  course  of  the  ravine  until  it  reaches  the  mead' 
ows,  and  it  contains  three  or  four  rustic  seats,  intended  to 
be  used  in  the  warmer  months.  As  Opportunity  was  ac( 
custumed  to  all  the  windings  and  turnings  of  the  place, 
she  had  posted  herself  near  one  of  these  seats,  which  stood 
in  a  dense  thicket,  but  so  near  the  main  path  as  to  enable 
her  to  let  me  know  where  she  was  to  be  found,  by  a  low 
utterance  of  my  name,  as  my  tread  announced  my  ap- 
proach. Springing  up  the  by-path,  I  was  at  her  side  in 
an  instant.  I  do  believe  that,  now  she  had  so  far  suc- 
ceeded, the  girl  sunk  upon  the  seat  from  inability  to  stand. 

"  Oh  !  Mr.  Hugh  !  "  she  exclaimed,  looking  at  me  with 
a  degree  of  nature  and  concern  in  her  countenance  that  it 
was  not  usual  to  see  there — "  Sen — my  poor  brother  Sen — 
what  have  I  done  ? — what  have  I  done  ?  " 

"Will  you  answer  me  one  or  two  questions,  Miss  Op- 
portunity, with  frankness,  under  the  pledge  that  the  re- 
plies never  shall  be  used  to  injure  you  or  yours  ?  This  is 
a  very  serious  affair,  and  should  be  treated  with  perfect 
frankness." 

"  I  will  answer  anything  to  yoit — any  question  you  can 
put  me,  though  I  might  blush  to  do  so — but,"  laying  her 
hand  familiarly,  not  to  say  tenderly,  on  my  arm — "why 
should  we  be  Mr.  Hugh  and  Miss  Opportunity  to  each 
other,  when  we  were  so  long  Hugh  and  Op  ?  Call  me 
Op  again,  and  I  shall  feel  that  the  credit  of  my  family  and 
the  happiness  of  my  poor  Sen  are,  after  all,  in  the  keeping 
of  a  true  friend." 

"  No  one  can  be  more  willing  to  do  this  than  myself,  my 
dear  Op,  and  I  am  willing  to  be  Hugh  again.  But,  you 
know  all  that  has  passed." 

"I  do — yes,  the  dreadful  news  has  reached  us,  and 
mother  wouldn't  leave  me  a  moment's  peace  till  I  stole 
out  again  to  see  you." 

"  Again  ? "  Was  your  mother,  then,  acquainted  with 
the  visit  of  last  night  ?  " 

"Yes,  yes — she  knew  it  all,  and  advised  it  all." 

"Your  mother  is  a  most  thoughtful  and  prudent  parent/1 


368  THE   REDSKINS. 

I  answered,  biting  my  lip,  "  and  I  shall  know  hereafter 
how  much  I  am  indebted  to  her.  Tojw/,  Opportunity,  I 
owe  the  preservation  of  my  house,  and  possibly  the  lives 
of  all  who  are  most  dear  to  me." 

"Well,  that's  something,  any  how.  There's  no  grief 
that  hasn't  its  relief.  But,  you  must  know,  Hugh,  that  I 
never  could  or  did  suppose  that  Sen  himself  would  be  so 
weak  as  to  come  in  his  own  person  on  such  an  errand  !  I 
didn't  want  telling  to  understand  that,  in  anti-rent  times, 
fire  and  sword  are  the  law — but,  take  him  in  general,  Sen 
is  altogether  prudent  and  cautious.  I'd  a  bit  my  tongue 
off  before  I'd  got  my  own  brother  into  so  cruel  a  scrape. 
No,  no — don't  think  so  ill  of  me  as  to  suppose  I  came  to 
tell  of  Sen." 

"  It  is  enough  for  me  that  I  know  how  much  trouble  you 
took  to  warn  me  of  danger.  It  is  unnecessary  for  me  to 
think  of  you  in  any  other  light  than  that  of  a  friend." 

"  Ah,  Hugh  !  how  happy  and  merry  we  all  of  us  used  to 
be  a  few  years  since  !  That  was  before  your  Miss  Cold- 
brookes,  and  Miss  Marstons,  and  Mary  Warrens  ever  saw 
the  country.  Then  we  did  enjoy  ourselves,  and  I  hope 
such  times  will  return.  If  Miss  Martha  would  only  stick 
to  old  friends,  instead  of  running  after  new  ones,  Ravens- 
nest  would  be  Ravensnest  again." 

"  You  are  not  to  censure  my  sister  for  loving  her  own 
closest  associates  best.  She  is  several  years  our  junior, 
you  will  remember,  and  was  scarcely  of  an  age  to  be  our 
companion  six  years  ago." 

Opportunity  had  the  grace  to  color  a  little,  for  she  had 
only  used  Patt  as  a  cloak  to  make  her  assaults  on  me,  and 
she  knew  as  well  as  I  did  that  my  sister  was  good  seven 
years  younger  than  herself.  This  feeling,  however,  was 
but  momentary,  and  she  next  turned  to  the  real  object  of 
this  visit. 

"  What  am  I  to  tell  mother,  Hugh  ?  You  will  let  Sen 
off,  I  know  ? " 

I  reflected,  for  the  first  time,  on  the  hardships  of  the 
case  ;  but  felt  a  strong  reluctance  to  allow  incendiaries  to 
escape. 

"  The  facts  must  be  known,  soon,  all  over  the  town,"  I 
remarked. 

"  No  fear  of  that  ;  they  are  pretty  much  known  already. 
News  does  ^j  fast  at  Ravensnest,  all  must  admit." 

"Ay,  if  it  would  only  fly  true.  But  your  brother  can 
hardly  remain  here,  after  such  an  occurrence." 


THE   REDSKINS.  369 

"  Lord  \  How  you  talk  !  If  the  law  will  only  let  him 
alone,  who'd  trouble  him  for  this  ?  You  haven't  been  home 
long  enough  to  learn  that  folks  don't  think  half  as  much 
of  setting  fire  to  a  house,  in  anti-rent  times,  as  they'd  think 
of  a  trespass  under  the  old-fashioned  law.  Anti-rent  alters 
the  whole  spirit." 

How  true  was  this  !  And  we  have  lads  among  us,  who 
have  passed  from  their  tenth  to  their  eighteenth  and  twen- 
tieth years,  in  a  condition  of  society  that  is  almost  hope- 
lessly abandoned  to  the  most  corrupting  influence  of  all 
the  temptations  that  beset  human  beings.  It  is  not  sur- 
prising that  men  begin  to  regard  arson  as  a  venial  offence, 
when  the  moral  feeling  of  the  community  is  thus  un- 
hinged, and  boys  are  suffered  to  grow  into  manhood  in 
the'midst  of  notions  so  fatal  to  everything  that  is  just  and 
safe. 

"  But  the  law  itself  will  not  be  quite  as  complaisant  as 
the  'folks.'  It  will  scarcely  allow  incendiaries  to  escape  ; 
and  your  brother  would  be  compelled  to  flee  the  land." 

"What  of  that?  How  many  go  off,  and  stay  off  for  a 
time  ;  and  that's  better  than  going  up  north  to  work  at  the 
new  prison.  I'm  not  a  bit  afraid  of  Sen's  being  hanged, 
for  these  an't  hanging  times,  in  this  country  ;  but  it  is  some 
disgrace  to  a  family  to  have  a  member  in  the  State's  prison. 
As  for  any  punishment  that  is  lasting,  you  can  see  how  it 
is,  as  well  as  I.  There've  been  men  murdered  about  anti- 
rentism,  but,  Lord  !  the  Senators  and  Assemblymen  .will 
raise  such  a  rumpus,  if  you  go  to  punish  them,  that  it  won't 
be  long,  if  things  go  on  as  they  have,  before  it  will  be 
thought  more  honorable  to  be  put  in  jail  for  shooting  a 
peace-officer,  than  to  stay  out  of  it  for  not  having  done 
it.  Talk's  all  ;  and  if  folks  have  a  mind  to  make  anything 
honorable,  they've  only  to  say  so  often  enough  to  make  it 
out." 

Such  were  the  notions  of  Miss  Opportunity  Newcome, 
on  the  subject  of  modern  morals,  and  how  far  was  she 
from  the  truth  ?  I  could  not  but  smile  at  the  manner  in 
which  she  treated  things,  though  there  was  a  homely  and 
practical  common  sense  in  her  way  of  thinking  that  was 
probably  of  more  efficiency  than  would  have  been  the  case 
with  a  more  refined  and  nicer  code.  She  looked  at  things 
as  they  are,  and  that  is  always  something  toward  success. 

As  for  myself,  I  was  well  enough  disposed  to  consider 
Opportunity,  in  this  unfortunate  affair  of  the  fire,  for  it 
\yould  have  been  a  cruel  thing  to  suffer  the  girl  to  imagine 

24 


370  THE  REDSKINS. 

she  had  been  an  instrument  in  destroying  her  brother.  It 
is  true,  there  is  no  great  danger  of  a  rogue's  being  hanged, 
nowadays,  and  Seneca  was  not  sufficiently  a  gentleman, 
though  very  tenacious  of  the  title,  to  endanger  his  neck. 
Had  he  been  a  landlord,  and  caught  lighting  a  fire  on  the 
kitchen-floor  of  one  of  the  tenants,  the  State  would  not 
grow  hemp  enough  for  his  execution  ;  but  it  was  a  very 
different  thing  to  catch  a  tenant  at  that  work.  I  could  not 
but  ask  myself,  how  many  of  the  "  honorable  gentlemen  " 
at  Albany  would  interfere  in  my  behalf,  had  matters  been 
reversed?  for  this  is  the  true  mode  of  arriving  at  the 
"spirit  of  the  institutions  ;"  or,  rather,  I  have  just  as  good 
a  right  to  affirm  such  is  their  "spirit,"  as  any  one  has  to 
assert  that  the  leasehold  tenure  is  opposed  to  them  ;  the 
laws  and  institutions  themselves  being  equally  antagonist 
to  both. 

The  results  of  the  interview  I  had  with  Opportunity 
were  :  firstly,  I  kept  my  heart  just  were  it  was  at  its  com- 
mencement, though  I  am  not  certain  that  it  was  in  my  own 
custody ;  secondly,  the  young  lady  left  me  much  encour- 
aged on  the  subject  of  the  credit  of  the  Newcomes,  though 
I  took  very  good  care  not  to  put  myself  in  her  power  by 
promising  to  compromise  felony;  thirdly,  I  invited  the 
sister  to  come  openly  to  the  Nest,  that  evening,  as  one  of 
the  means  to  be  employed  in  attaining  her  ends — as  re- 
spects Seneca,  be  it  remembered,-  not  as  respects  me ;  and 
lastly,  we  parted  just  as  good  friends  as  we  ever  had  been, 
and  entertaining  exactly  the  same  views  as  regards  each 
other.  What  those  views  were  it  may  not  be  modest  in 
me  to  record. 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 

"If  men  desire  the  rights  of  property,  they  must  take  their  consequences; 
distinction  in  social  classes.  Without  the  rights  of  property  civilization 
can  hardly  exist,  while  the  highest  class  of  improvements  is  probably  the 
result  of  the  very  social  distinctions  that  so  many  decry.  The  great  po- 
litical problem  to  be  solved  is  to  ascertain  if  the  social  distinctions  that  are 
inseparable  from  civilization  can  really  exist  with  perfect  equality  in  politi- 
cal rights.  We  are  of  opinion  they  can  ;  and  as  much  condemn  him  who 
vainly  contends  for  a  visionary  and  impracticable  social  equality,  as  we  do 
him  who  would  deny  to  men  equal  opportunities  for  advancement." — Po- 
litical Essay. 

MY  interview  with  Opportunity  Newcome  remained  a 
secret  between  those  who.  first  knew  of  it.  The  evening 
service  in  St.  Andrew's  was  attended  only  by  the  usual 


THE  REDSKINS.  37 1 

congregation,  all  the  curiosity  of  the  multitude  seeming  to 
have  been  allayed  by  the  visit  in  the  morning.  The  re- 
mainder of  the  day  passed  as  usual,  and  after  enjoying  a 
pleasant  eventide,  and  the  earlier  hours  of  the  night  in  the 
company  of  the  girls,  I  retired  early  to  bed,  and  slept  pro- 
foundly until  morning.  My  Uncle  Ro  partook  of  my  own 
philosophical  temper,  and  we  encouraged  each  other  in  it 
by  a  short  conversation  that  occurred  in  his  room  before 
we  respectively  retired  to  rest. 

"  I  agree  with  you,  Hugh,"  said  my  uncle,  in  reply  to  a 
remark  of  my  own  ;  "  there  is  little  use  in  making  ourselves 
unhappy  about  evils  that  we  cannot  help.  If  we  are  to  be 
burnt  up  and  stripped  of  our  property,  we  shall  be  burnt 
up  and  stripped  of  our  property.  I  have  a  competency 
secured  in  Europe,  and  we  can  all  live  on  //*#/,  with  econo- 
my, should  the  worst  come  to  the  worst." 

"  It  is  a  strange  thing  to  hear  an  American  talk  of  seek- 
ing a  refuge  of  any  sort  in  the  Old  World  !  " 

"  If  matters  proceed  in  the  lively  manner  they  have  for 
the  last  ten  years,  you'll  hear  of  it  often.  Hitherto,  the 
rich  of  Europe  have  been  in  the  habit  of  laying  by  a  penny 
in  America  against  an  evil  day,  but  the  time  will  soon  come, 
unless  there  is  a  great  change,  when  the  rich  of  America 
will  return  the  compliment  in  kind.  We  are  worse  off  than 
if  we  were  in  a  state  of  nature,  in  many  respects  ;  having 
our  hands  tied  by  the  responsibility  that  belongs  to  our 
position  and  means,  while  those  who  choose  to  assail  us 
are  under  a  mere  nominal  restraint.  They  make  the 
magistrates,  who  are  altogether  in  their  interests  ;  and  they 
elect  the  sheriffs  who  are  to  see  the  laws  executed.  The 
theory  is,  that  the  people  are  sufficiently  virtuous  to  per- 
form all  these  duties  well  ;  but  no  provision  has  been 
made  for  the  case  in  which  the  people  themselves  happen 
to  go  astray,  en  masse" 

"  We  have  our  governors  and  masters  at  Albany,  sir." 

"Yes,  we  have  our  governors  and  servants  at  Albany, 
and  there  they  are  !  There  has  not  been  the  time,  proba- 
bly, since  this  infernal  spirit  first  had  its  rise  among  us, 
that  a  clear,  manly,  energetic  and  well-principled  procla- 
mation alone,  issued  by  the  governor  of  this  State,  would 
not  have  aroused  all  the  better  feelings  of  the  community 
and  put  this  thing  down  ;  but,  small  as  would  have  been 
that  tribute  to  the  right,  it  has  never  been  paid,  and,  until 
we  drop  double-distilled  patriots,  and  have  recourse  agaia 
to  the  old-fashioned,  high-principled  gentlemen  for  offices 


372  THE  REDSKINS. 

of  mark,  it  never  will  be  done.  Heaven  preserve  me  from 
extra-virtuous,  patriotic,  and  enlightened  citizens  ;  no  good 
ever  comes  of  them." 

"  I  believe  the  wisest  way,  sir,  is  to  make  up  our  minds 
that  we  have  reached  the  point  of  reaction  in  the  institu- 
tions, and  be  ready  to  submit  to  the  worst.  I  keep  the 
'revolver'  well  primed,  and  hope  to  escape  being  burnt 
up  at  least." 

After  a  little  more  such  discourse,  we  parted  and  sought 
our  pillows,  and  I  can  say  that  I  never  slept  more  soundly 
in  my  life.  If  I  did  lose  my  estate,  it  was  what  other  men 
had  suffered  and  survived,  and  why  might  not  I  as  well  as 
another  ?  It  is  true,  those  other  men  were,  in  the  main,  the 
victims  of  what  are  called  tyrants  ;  but  others,  again,  had 
certainly  been  wronged  by  the  masses.  Thousands  have 
been  impoverished  in  France,  for  instance,  by  the  political 
confiscations  of  the  multitude,  and  thousands  enriched  by 
ill-gotten  gains,  profiting  by  the  calamities  of  those  around 
them  ;  and  what  has  happened  there  might  happen  here. 
Big  words  ought  to  pass  for  nothing.  No  man  was  ever  a 
whit  more  free  because  he  was  the  whole  time  boasting  of 
his  liberty,  and  I  was  not  now  to  learn  that  when  numbers 
did  inflict  a  wrong,  it  was  always  of  the  most  intolerable 
character.  Ordinarily,  they  were  not  much  disposed  to 
this  species  of  crime  ;  but  men  in  masses  were  no  more 
infallible  than  individuals.  In  this  philosophic  mood  I 
slept. 

I  was  awoke  next  morning  by  John's  appearing  at  my 
bedside,  after  having  opened  the  shutter  of  my  window. 

"I  declare  to  you,  Mr.  Hugh,"  began  this  well-meaning, 
but  sometimes  officious  servant,  "  I  don't  know  what  will 
come  next  at  Ravensnest,  now  the  evil  spirit  has  got  up- 
permost among  the  inhabitants  !  " 

"  Tut,  tut,  John — what  you  call  the  evil  spirit  is  only  the 
4  spirit  of  the  institutions  ; '  and  is  to  be  honored,  instead 
of  disliked." 

"  Well,  sir,  I  don't  know  what  they  calls  it,  for  they  talks 
so  much  about  the  hinstitutions  in  this  country,  I  never 
can  find  out  what  they  would  be  at.  There  was  a  hinsti- 
tution  near  where  I  lived  in  my  last  place,  at  the  West 
End,  in  Lun'on,  and  there  they  taught  young  masters  to 
speak  and  write  Latin  and  Greek.  But  hinstitutions  in 
Hamerica  must  mean  something,  for  them  as  doesn't  know 
any  more  Latin  than  I  do  seems  to  be  quite  hintitnate  with 
these  Hamerican  hinstitutions.  But,  Mr.  Hugh,  would 


THE   REDSKINS.  373 

you,  could  you,  believe  the  people  committed  parricide  last 
night  ? " 

"  I  am  not  at  all  surprised  at  it,  for  to  me  they  have 
seemed  to  be  bent  on  matricide  for  some  time,  calling  the 
country  their  mother." 

"  It's  hawful,  sir — it's  truly  hawful,  when  a  whole  people 
commits  such  a  crime  as  parricide  !  I  know'd  you  would 
be  shocked  to  hear  it,  Mr.  Hugh,  and  so  I  just  came  in  to 
let  you  know  it." 

"  I  am  infinitely  obliged  to  you  for  this  attention,  my 
good  fellow,  and  shall  be  still  more  so  when  you  tell  me 
all  about  it." 

"  Yes,  sir,  most  willingly  ;  and  most  unwillingly,  too. 
But  there's  no  use  in  'iding  the  fact ;  it's  gone,  Mr.  Hugh  !  " 

"  What  is  gone,  John  ?  Speak  out,  my  good  fellow  ;  I 
can  bear  it." 

"  The  pew,  sir — or,  rather  that  beautiful  canopy  that 
covered  it  and  made  it  look  so  much  like  the  lord  mayor's 
seat  in  Guildhall.  I  'ave  hadmired  and  honored  that  can- 
opy, sir,  as  the  most  helegant  hobject  in  this  country,  sir." 

"  So  they  have  destroyed  it  at  last,  have  they  ?  En- 
couraged and  sustained  by  an  expression  of  public  senti- 
ment, as  proclaimed  in  a  meeting  that  had  a  chairman  and 
secretary,  they  have  actually  cut  it  down,  I  suppose  ? " 

"  They  have,  sir  ;  and  a  pretty  job  they've  made  of  it. 
There  it  stands,  up  at  Miller's,  hover  his  pig-pen  !  " 

This  was  not  a  very  heroic  termination  of  the  career  of 
the  obnoxious  canopy  ;  but  it  was  one  that  made  me  laugh 
heartily.  John  was  a  little  oifended  at  this  levity,  and  he 
soon  left  me  to  finish  my  toilet  myself.  I  dare  say,  many 
of  the  honest  folk  of  Ravensnest  would  have  been  as  much 
surprised  as  John  himself,  at  the  indifference  I  manifested 
at  the  fate  of  this  dignified  pew.  But,  certainly,  so  far  as 
my  own  social  elevation,  or  social  depression,  was  con- 
cerned, I  cared  nothing  about  it.  It  left  me  just  where  I 
was — neither  greater  nor  otherwise  ;  and  as  for  any  mon- 
uments to  let  the  world  know  who  my  predecessors  had 
been,  or  who  I  was  at  that  moment,  the  country  itself,  or 
the  part  of  it  in  which  we  dwelt,  was  sufficient.  Its  history 
must  be  forgotten,  or  changed,  before  our  position  could 
be  mistaken  ;  though  I  dare  say  the  time  will  come  when 
some  extremely  sublimated  friend  of  equality  will  wish  to 
extinguish  all  the  lights  of  the  past,  in  order  that  there 
may  not  exist  that  very  offensive  distinction  of  one  man's 
name  being  illustrated,  while  another  man's  name  is  not. 


374  THE  REDSKINS. 

The  pride  of  family  is  justly  deemed  the  most  offensive  ol 
all  pride,  since  a  man  may  value  himself  on  a  possession 
to  which  he  has  not  the  smallest  claim  in  the  way  of  per- 
sonal merit,  while  those  of  the  highest  personal  claims  are 
altogether  deprived  of  an  advantage,  to  the  enjoyment  of 
which  ancestors  alone  have  created  the  right.  Now,  the 
institutions,  both  in  their  letter  and  their  spirit,  do  favor 
justice  in  this  particular,  as  far  as  they  can  ;  though  even 
they  are  obliged  to  sustain  one  of  the  most  potent  agents 
to  such  distinctions,  by  declaring,  through  the  laws,  that 
the  child  shall  succeed  to  the  estate  of  the  father.  When 
we  shall  get  everything  straight,  and  as  it  ought  to  be,  in 
this  progressive  country,  heaven  only  knows  ;  for  I  find 
my  tenants  laying  stress  on  the  fact  that  their  fathers  have 
leased  my  lands  for  generations,  while  they  are  quite  will- 
ing to  forget  that  my  fathers  were  the  lessors  all  the  while. 
I  found  all  four  of  the  girls  on  the  piazza,  breathing  the 
air  of  as  balmy  a  summer  morning  as  a  bountiful  nature 
ever  bestowed.  They  had  heard  of  the  fate  of  the  canopy, 
which  affected  them  differently,  and  somewhat  according 
to  temperament.  Henrietta  Coldbrooke  laughed  at  it  vio- 
lently, and  in  a  way  I  did  not  like  ;  your  laughing  young 
lady  rarely  having  much  beyond  merriment  in  her.  I 
make  all  allowance  for  youthful  spirits,  and  a  natural  dis- 
position to  turn  things  into  fun  ;  but  it  was  too  much  to 
laugh  at  this  exploit  of  the  anti-renters  for  quite  half  an 
hour  together.  I  liked  Anne  Marston's  manner  of  regard- 
ing it  better.  She  smiled  a  good  deal,  and  laughed  just 
enough  to  show  that  she  was  not  insensible  to  the  effect  of 
an  absurdity  ;  and  then  she  looked  as  if  she  felt  that  a 
wrong  had  been  done.  ^As  for  Patt,  she  was  quite  indig- 
nant at  the  insult ;  nor  was  she  very  backward  in  letting 
her  opinions  be  known.  But  Mary  Warren's  manner  of 
viewing  the  affair  pleased  me  best,  as  indeed  was  fast  get- 
ting to  be  the  fact  with  most  of  her  notions  and  conceits. 
She  manifested  neither  levity  nor  resentment.  Once  or 
twice,  when  a  droll  remark  escaped  Henrietta,  she  laughed 
a  little  ;  a  very  little,  and  involuntarily,  as  it  might  be — just 
enough  to  prove  that  there  was  fun  in  her — when  she 
would  make  some  sensible  observation,  to  the  effect  that 
the  evil  temper  that  was  up  in  the  country  was  the  true 
part  of  the  transaction  that  deserved  attention  ;  and  that 
she/?//  this  as  well  as  saw  it.  Nobody  seemed  to  care  for 
the  canopy — not  even  my  excellent  grandmother,  in  whose 
vouth  the  church  had  been  buiJt,  when  distinctions  of  this 


THE  REDSKINS,  375 

sort  were  more  in  accordance  with  the  temper  and  habits 
of  the  times  than  they  are  to-day.  I  had  been  on  the  piazza 
just  long  enough  to  note  this  difference  in  the  manner  of 
the  girls,  when  my  grandmother  joined  us. 

"  Oh  !  grandmother,  have  you  heard  what  those  wretches 
of  *  Injins,'  as  they  are  rightly  named,  have  been  doing 
with  the  canopy  of  the  pew  ? "  cried  Patt,  who  had  been 
at  the  bedside  of  our  venerable  parent  and  kissed  her  an 
hour  before  ;  "they  have  torn  it  down,  and  placed  it  over 
the  pen  of  the  pigs  !  " 

A  common  laugh,  in  which  Patt  herself  now  joined,  in- 
terrupted the  answer  for  a  moment,  old  Mrs.  Littlepage 
herself  manifesting  a  slight  disposition  to  make  one  of  the 
amused. 

"  I  have  heard  it  all,  my  dear,"  returned  my  grand- 
mother, "  and,  on  the  whole,  think  the  thing  is  well  enough 
gotten  rid  of.  I  do  not  believe  it  \vould  have  done  for 
Hugh  to  have  had  it  taken  down  under  a  menace,  while  it 
is  perhaps  better  that  it  should  no  longer  stand." 

"  Were  such  things  common  in  your  youth,  Mrs.  Little- 
page  ?  "  asked  Mary  Warren. 

"  Far  from  uncommon  ;  though  less  so  in  country  than 
in  town  churches.  You  will  remember  that  we  were  but 
recently  separated  from  England  when  St.  Andrew's  was 
built,  and  that  most  of  the  old  colonial  ideas  prevailed 
among  us.  People  in  that  day  had  very  different  notions 
of  social  station  from  those  which  now  exist ;  and  New 
York  was,  in  a  certain  sense,  one  of  the  most,  perhaps  the 
most,  aristocratic  colony  in  the  country.  It  was  somewhat 
so  under  the  Dutch,  republicans  as  they  were,  with  its 
patroons ;  but  when  the  colony  was  transferred  to  the 
English,  it  became  a  royal  colony  at  once,  and  English 
notions  were  introduced  as  a  matter  of  course.  In  no 
other  colony  were  there  as  many  manors,  perhaps  ;  the 
slavery  of  the  South  introducing  quite  a  different  system 
there,  while  the  policy  of  Penn  and  New  England  gener- 
ally was  more  democratic.  I  apprehend,  Roger,  that  we 
owe  this  anti-rent  struggle,  and  particularly  the  feebleness 
with  which  it  is  resisted,  to  the  difference  of  opinion  that 
prevails  among  the  people  of  New  England,  who  have 
sent  so  many  immigrants  among  us,  and  our  own  purely 
New  York  notions." 

"  You  are  quite  right,  my  dear  mother,"  answered  my 
uncle,  "though  New  Yorkers,  by  descent,  are  not  wanting 
among  the  tenants  to  sustain  the  innovation.  The  last 


376  THE  REDSKINS. 

act  either  from  direct  cupidity,  or  to  gain  popularity  with 
a  set,  whereas,  as  I  view  the  matter,  the  first  are  influenced 
by  the  notions  of  the  state  of  society  from  which  either 
they  themselves,  or  their  parents,  were  directly  derived. 
A  very  large  proportion  of  the  present  population  of 
New  York  is  of  New  England  origin.  Perhaps  one-third 
have  this  extraction,  either  as  born  there,  or  as  the  sons 
or  grandsons  of  those  who  were.  Now,  in  New  England 
generally,  great  equality  of  condition  exists,  more  espe- 
cially when  you  rise  above  the  lower  classes  ;  there  being 
very  few,  out  of  the  large  trading  towns,  who  would  be 
deemed  rich  in  New  York,  and  scarcely  such  a  thing  as 
a  large  landholder  at  all.  The  relation  of  landlord  and 
tenant,  as  connected  with  what  we  should  term  estates,  is 
virtually  unknown  to  New  England  ;  though  Maine  may 
afford  some  exceptions.  This  circumstance  is  owing  to 
the  peculiar  origin  of  the  people,  and  to  the  fact  that  emi- 
gration has  so  long  carried  off  the  surplus  population  ;  the 
bulk  of  those  who  remain  being  able  to  possess  freeholds. 
There  is  a  natural  antipathy  in  men  who  have  been  edu- 
cated in  such  a  state  of  society  to  anything  that  seems  to 
place  others  in  positions  they  do  not  and  cannot  occupy 
themselves.  Now,  while  the  population  of  New  York  may 
be  one-third,  perhaps,  of  New  England  descent,  and  con- 
sequently more  or  less  of  New  England  notions,  a  much 
larger  proportion  of  the  lawyers,  editors  of  newspapers, 
physicians,  and  active  politicians,  are  of  that  class.  We 
think  little,  and  talk  little  of  these  circumstances  ;  for  no 
nation  inquires  into  its  moral  influences,  and  what  I  may 
call  its  political  statistics,  less  than  the  Americans  ;  but 
they  produce  large  consequences." 

"  Am  I  to  understand  you,  sir,  to  say  that  anti-rentism 
is  of  New  England  origin  ?  " 

"  Perhaps  not.  Its  origin  was  probably  more  directly 
derived  from  the  devil,  who  has  tempted  the  tenants  as  he 
is  known  once  to  have  tempted  the  Saviour.  The  out- 
break was  originally  among  the  descendants  of  the  Dutch, 
for  they  happened  to  be  the  tenants,  and,  as  for  the  theo- 
ries that  have  been  broached,  they  savor  more  of  the  reac- 
tion of  European  abuses  than  of  anything  American  at 
all  ;  and  least  of  all  of  anything  from  New  England,  where 
there  is  generally  a  great  respect  for  the  rights  of  prop- 
erty, and  unusual  reverence  for  the  law.  Still,  I  think  we 
owe  our  greatest  danger  to  the  opinions  and  habits  of  those 
of  New  England  descent  among  us." 


THE  REDSKINS.  377 

"  This  seems  a  little  paradoxical,  uncle  Ro,  and  I  con- 
fess I  should  like  to  hear  it  explained." 

"  I  will  endeavor  so  to  do,  and  in  as  few  words  as  pos* 
sible.  The  real  danger  is  among  those  who  influence  leg- 
islation. Now,  you  will  find  hundreds  of  men  among  us 
who  feel  the  vast  importance  of  respecting  contracts,  who 
perceive  much  of  the  danger  of  anti-rentism,  and  who  wish 
to  see  it  defeated  in  its  violent  and  most  offensive  forms, 
but  who  lean  against  the  great  landlords,  on  account  of 
those  secret  jealousies  which  cause  most  men  to  dislike 
advantages  in  which  they  do  not  share,  and  who  would 
gladly  enough  see  all  leases  abolished,  if  it  could  be  done 
without  a  too  violent. conflict  with  justice.  When  you  talk 
with  these  men,  they  will  make  you  the  commonplace  but 
unmeaning  profession  of  wishing  to  see  every  husbandman 
the  owner  in  fee  of  his  farm,  instead  of  a  tenant,  and  that 
it  is  a  hardship  to  pay  rent,  and  quantities  of  such  twaddle. 
Henry  the  Fourth,  in  a  much  better  spirit,  is  said  to  have 
wished  that  each  of  his  subjects  had  ' *  line ponle  dans  son 
pot"  but  that  wish  did  not  put  it  there.  So  it  is  with  this 
idle  profession  of  wishing  to  see  every  American  husband- 
man a  freeholder.  We  all  know  such  a  state  of  society 
never  did  exist,  and  probably  never  will ;  and  it  is  merely 
placing  a  vapid  pretension  to  philanthropy  in  the  fore- 
ground of  a  picture  that  should  rigidly  represent  things  as 
they  are.  For  my  part,  I  am  one  of  those  who  do  not  be- 
lieve that  this  or  any  other  country  would  be  any  the  bet- 
ter for  dispensing  with  landlords  and  tenants." 

"  Mr.  Littlepage  !"  exclaimed  Mary  Warren,  "  you  surely 
do  not  mean  that  competency  widely  diffused  is  not  better 
than  wealth  in  a  few  hands  and  poverty  in  a  great  many  ! " 

"  No,  I  shall  not  go  as  far  as  that  ;  but  I  do  say,  that 
what  this  country  most  wants  just  now  is  precisely  the 
class  that  is  connected  with  the  independence  of  character 
and  station,  the  leisure,  with  its  attendant  cultivation  and 
refinement,  and  the  principles  as  well  as  taste  that  are  con- 
nected with  all." 

"  Principles  !  Mr.  Littlepage  !  "  added  my  uncle's  sweet 
interlocutor  ;  "  my  father  would  hardly  uphold  that,  though 
he  agrees  with  you  in  so  much  of  what  you  say." 

"  I  do  not  know  that.  I  repeat  the  vtzx&  principles  ;  for 
when  you  have  a  class  of  men  who  are  removed  from  a 
large  range  of  temptations,  without  being  placed  above 
public  opinion,  you  get  precisely  those  who  are  most  likely 
to  uphold  that  sort  of  secondary,  but  highly  useful  morals 


378  THE  REDSKINS. 

which  are  not  directly  derived  from  purely  religious  duties. 
Against  the  last  I  shall  not  say  one  word,  as  it  comes  from 
the  grace,  which  is  of  the  power  of  God,  and  is  happily  as 
accessible  to  the  poor  as  to  the  rich,  and  more  too  ;  but,  of 
men  as  they  are,  not  one  in  a  hundred  regulates  his  life  by 
a  standard  created  under  such  impulses  ;  and  even  when 
they  do,  the  standard  itself  is,  in  some  degree,  qualified  by 
the  ordinary  notions  I  apprehend.  The  Christian  moral- 
ity of  an  East  Indian  is  not  identical  with  that  of  a  Puritan, 
or  that  of  a  man  of  highly  cultivated  mind  with  that  of  one 
who  has  enjoyed  fewer  advantages.  There  is  one  class  of 
principles,  embracing  all  those  that  are  adverse  to  the 
littlenesses  of  daily  practice,  which  is  much  the  more  ex- 
tended among  the  liberal-minded  and  educated,  and  it  is 
to  that  set  of  principles  I  refer.  Now  we  want  a  due  pro- 
portion of  that  class  of  men,  as  our  society  is  getting  to  be 
organized  ;  of  those  who  are  superior  to  meannesses." 

"  All  this  would  be  deemed  atrociously  aristocratic,  were 
it  told  in  Gath ! "  exclaimed  Patt,  laughing. 

"  It  is  atrociously  common  sense,  notwithstanding,"  an- 
swered my  uncle,  who  was  not  to  be  laughed  out  of  any- 
thing he  felt  to  be  true  ;  "  and  the  facts  will  show  it.  New 
England  early  established  a  system  of  common  schools, 
and  no  part  of  the  world,  perhaps,  has  a  population  that  is 
better  grounded  in  intelligence.  This  has  been  the  case  so 
long  as  to  put  the  people  of  Connecticut  and  Massachu- 
setts, for  instance,  as  a  whole,  materially  in  advance  of  the 
people  of  any  other  State,  New  York  included  ;  although, 
by  taking  the  system  from  our  eastern  brethren,  we  are 
now  doing  pretty  well.  Notwithstanding,  who  will  say 
that  New  England  is.  as  far  advanced,  in  many  material 
things,  as  the  Middle  States.  To  begin  with  the  kitchen — 
her  best  cookery  is  much  below  that  of  even  the  humbler 
classes  of  the  true  Middle  States'  families  ;  take  her  lan- 
guage for  another  test,  it  is  provincial  and  vulgar;  and 
there  is  no  exaggeration  in  saying  that  the  laboring  classes 
of  the  Middle  States,  if  not  of  New  England  origin,  use 
better  English  than  thousands  of  educated  men  in  New 
England  itself.  Both  of  these  peculiarities,  as  I  conceive, 
come  from  the  fact  that  in  one  part  of  the  country  there 
has  been  a  class  to  give  a  tone  that  does  not  exist  in  the 
other.  The  gentlemen  of  the  larger  towns  in  the  East 
have  an  influence  where  they  live,  no  doubt ;  but  in  the 
interior,  as  no  one  leads,  all  these  matters  are  left  to  the 
common  mind  to  get  along  with  as  well  as  it  can," 


THE  REDSKINS.  379 

"  Aristocratic,  sir — rank  aristocracy  !  " 

"If  it  be,  has  aristocracy,  as  you  call  it,  which  in  this 
instance  must  only  mean  decided  social  position,  no  ad- 
vantages ?  Is  not  even  a  wealthy  idler  of  some  use  in  a 
nation  ?  He  contributes  his  full  share  to  the  higher  civi- 
lization that  is  connected  with  the  tastes  and  refinements, 
and,  in  fact,  he  forms  it.  In  Europe  they  will  tell  you  that 
a  court  is  necessary  to  such  civilization;  but  facts  con- 
tradict the  theory.  Social  classes,  no  doubt,  are  ;  but  they 
can  exist  independently  of  courts,  as  they  can,  have,  do, 
and  ever  will  in  the  face  of  democracy.  Now,  connect  this 
class  with  the  landed  interest,  and  see  how  much  your 
chances  for  material  improvement  are  increased.  Coke, 
of  Norfolk,  probably  conferred  more  benefit  on  the  hus- 
bandry of  England  than  all  the  mere  operatives  that  ex- 
isted in  his  time.  It  is  from  such  men,  indeed,  from  their 
enterprise  and  their  means,  that  nearly  all  the  greater 
benefits  come.  The  fine  wool  of  America  is  mainly  owing 
to  Livingston's  connection  with  land  ;  and  if  you  drive 
such  men  out  of  existence,  you  must  drive  the  benefits 
they  confer  with  them.  A  body  of  intelligent,  well-edu- 
cated, liberalized  landlords,  scattered  through  New  York, 
would  have  more  effect  in  advancing  the  highest  interests 
of  the  community  than  all  the  'small  potato  '  lawyers  and 
governors  you  can  name  in  a  twelvemonth.  What  is  more, 
this  is  just  the  state  of  society  in  which  to  reap  all  the 
benefits  of  such  a  class,  without  the  evils  of  a  real  aris- 
tocracy. They  are  and  would  be  without  any  particular 
political  power,  and  there  is  no  danger  of  corn-laws  and 
exclusive  legislation  for  their  benefit.  Rich  and  poor  we 
must  have  ;  and  let  any  fair-minded  man  say  whether  he 
wish  a  state  of  things  in  which  the  first  shall  have  no  in- 
ducement to  take  an  extended  interest  in  real  estate,  and 
the  last  no  chance  to  become  agriculturists,  except  as 
hired  laborers  ? " 

"You  do  not  mince  matters,  uncle  Ro,"  put  in  Patt,  "and 
will  never  go  to  Congress." 

"That  may  be,  my  dear,  but  I  shall  retain  my  own  self- 
respect  by  fair  dealing.  What  I  say  I  mean,  while  many 
who  take  the  other  side  do  not.  I  say,  .that  in  a  country 
like  this,  in  which  land  is  so  abundant  as  to  render  the 
evils  of  a  general  monopoly  impossible,  a  landed  gentry 
is  precisely  what  is  most  needed  for  the  higher  order  of 
civilization,  including  manners,  tastes,  and  the  minor 
principles,  and  is  the  very  class  which,  if  reasonably  main- 


380  THE  REDSKINS. 

tained  and  properly  regarded,  would  do  the  most  good  at 
the  least  risk  of  any  social  caste  known.  They  have  always 
existed*  in  New  York,  though  with  a  lessening  influence, 
and  are  the  reason,  in  my  judgment,  why  we  are  so  much 
before  New  England  in  particular  things,  while  certainly 
behind  that  quarter  of  the  country  in  many  others  that  are 
dependent  on  ordinary  schooling." 

"  I  like  to  hear  a  person  maintain  his  opinion  frankly 
and  manfully,"  said  my  grandmother;  "and  this  have  you 
done,  Roger,  from  boyhood.  My  own  family,  on  my 
father's  side,  was  from  -New  England,  and  I  subscribe  to 
a  great  deal  that  you  say ;  and  particularly  to  the  part  that 
relates  to  the  apathy  of  the  public  to  this  great  wrong.  It 
is  now  time,  however,  to  go  to  the  breakfast-table,  as  John 
has  been  bowing  in  the  door  yonder  for  the  last  minute 
or  two." 

To  breakfast  we  went ;  and,  notwithstanding  incendia- 
ries, anti-rentism,  and  canopies  of  pig-pens,  a  merry  time 
we  had  of  it.  Henrietta  Coldbrooke  and  Anne  Marston 
never  came  out  with  more  spirit,  though  in  their  several 
ways,  than  each  did  that  morning.  I  believe  I  looked  a 
little  surprised,  for  I  observed  that  my  uncle  stole  occa- 
sional glances  at  me,  that  seemed  to  say,  "  There,  my  fine 
fellow,  what  do  you  think  of  that,  now  ? "  whenever  either 
of  his  wards  uttered  anything  that  he  fancied  cleverer  than 
common. 

"Have  you  heard,  ma'am,"  asked  my  uncle  Roof  my 
grandmother,  "  that  we  are  to  have  old  Sus  and  Jaaf  here 
at  the  Nest,  shortly,  and  both  in  grand  costume  ?  It  seems 
the  red  men  are  about  to  depart,  and  there  is  to  be  smok- 
ing of  pipes  and  a  great  council,  which  the  Trackless  fan- 
cies will  be  more  dignified  if  held  in  front  of  the  house  of 
his  pale-face  friends  than  if  held  at  his  own  hut." 

"  How  did  you  ascertain  that,  Roger?" 

"  I  have  been  at  the  wigwam  this  morning,  and  have  the 
fact  directly  from  the  Onondago,  as  well  as  from  the  inter- 
preter, whom  I  met  there.  By  the  way,  Hugh,  we  must 
shortly  decide  what  is  to  be  done  with  the  prisoners,  or  we 
shall  have  writs  of  habeas  corpus  served  on  us,  to  know 
why  we  detain  them." 

"  Is  it  possible,  uncle  Ro,"  for  so  his  wards  called  him 
habitually — "  to  rescue  a  gentleman  from  the  gallows  by 
marrying  him?"  asked  Henrietta  Coldbrooke,  demurely. 

"  That  is  so  strange  a  question,  that  as  a  guardian  I  feel 
curious  to  hear  its  meaning." 


THE  REDSKINS.  381 

"Tell — tell  at  once,  Henrietta,"  said  the  other  ward, 
urging  her  companion  to  speak.  "  I  will  save  your  blushes, 
and  act  as  your  interpreter.  Miss  Coldbrooke  was  hon- 
ored by  Mr.  Seneca  Newcome  with  this  letter,  within  the 
last  twenty-four  hours  ;  and,  it  being  a  family  matter,  I 
think  it  ought  to  be  referred  to  a  family  council." 

"Nay,  Anne,"  said  the  blushing  Henrietta,  "this  is 
hardly  fair — nor  am  I  sure  that  it  would  be  quite  lady-like 
in  me  to  surfer  that  letter  to  be  generally  known — particu- 
larly known  to  you  it  certainly  is  already." 

"  Perhaps  your  reluctance  to  have  it  read  does  not  ex- 
tend to  me,  Henrietta  ?  "  said  my  uncle. 

"  Certainly  not,  sir  ;  nor  to  my  dear  Mrs.  Littlepage,  nor 
to  Martha — though  I  confess  that  I  cannot  see  what  in- 
terest Mr.  Hugh  can  have  in  the  subject.  Here  it  is;  take 
it  and  read  it  when  you  please." 

My  uncle  was  pleased  to  read  it  on  the  spot.  As  he- 
proceeded  a  frown  collected  on  his  brow,  and  he  bit  his 
lip  like  one  provoked  as  well  as  vexed.  Then  he  laughed, 
and  threw  the  letter  on  the  table,  where  no  one  presumed 
to  molest  it.  As  Henrietta  Coldbrooke  was  blushing  all 
this  time,  though  she  laughed  and  seemed  provoked,  our 
curiosity  was  so  great  and  manifest  that  my  grandmother 
felt  an  inclination  to  interfere. 

"  May  not  that-  letter  be  read  aloud,  for  the  benefit  of 
all  ? "  she  asked. 

"  There  can  be  no  particular  reason  for  concealing  it," 
answered  uncle  Ro,  spitefully.  "  The  more  it  is  known, 
the  more  the  fellow  will  be  laughed  at,  as  he  deserves 
to  be." 

"  Will  that  be  right,  uncle  Ro?"  exclaimed  Miss  Cold- 
brooke, hastily.  "  Will  it  be  treating  a  gentleman  as 
he" 

"  Pshaw  ! — it  will  not  be  treating  a  gentleman  at  all. 
The  fellow  is,  at  this  moment,  a  prisoner  for  attempting 
to  set  an  inhabited  house  on  fire,  in  the  middle  of  the 
night." 

Henrietta  said  no  more  ;  and  my  grandmother  took  the 
letter,  and  read  it  for  the  common  benefit.  I  shall  not 
copy  the  effusion  of  Seneca,  which  was  more  cunning  than 
philosophical  ;  but  it  contained  a  strong  profession  of 
love,  urged  in  a  somewhat  business  manner,  and  a  gener- 
ous offer  of  his  hand  to  the  heiress  of  eight  thousand  a 
year.  And  this  proposal  was  made  only  a  day  or  two 
before  the  fellow  was  "taken  in  the  act,"  and  at  the  very 


382  THE  REDSKINS. 

time  he  was  the  most  deeply  engaged  in  his  schemes  ol 
anti-rentism. 

"  There  is  a  class  of  men  among  us,"  said  my  uncle, 
after  everybody  had  laughed  at  this  magnificent  offer, 
"  who  do  not  seem  to  entertain  a  single  idea  of  the  pro- 
prieties. How  is  it  possible,  or  where  could  the  chap 
have  been  'bred,  to  fancy  for  an  instant  that  a  young 
woman  of  fortune  and  station  would  marry  him,  and  that, 
too,  almost  without  an  acquaintance.  I  dare  say  Henrietta 
never  spoke  to  him  ten  times  in  her  life." 

"Not  five,  sir,  and  scarcely  anything  was  said  at  either 
of  those  five." 

"And  you  answered  the  letter,  my  dear?"  asked  my 
grandmother.  "  An  answer  ought  not  to  have  been  for- 
gotten, though  it  might  have  properly  come,  in  this  case, 
from  your  guardian." 

"  I  answered  it  myself,  ma'm,  not  wishing  to  be  laughed 
at  for  my  part  of  the  affair.  I  declined  the  honor  of  Mr. 
Seneca  Newcome's  hand." 

"  Well,  if  the  truth  must  be  said,"  put  in  Patt,  dryly,  "  1 
did  the  same  thing,  only  three  weeks  since." 

"  And  I  so  lately  as  last  week,"  added  Anne  Marston, 
demurely. 

I  do  not  know  that  I  ever  saw  my  uncle  Ro  so  strangely 
affected.  While  everybody  around  him  was  laughing 
heartily,  he  looked  grave,  not  to  say  fierce.  Then  he 
turned  suddenly  to  me,  and  said  : 

"We  must  let  him  be  hanged,  Hugh.  Were  he  to 
live  a  thousand  years  he  would  never  learn  the  fitness  of 
things." 

"You'll  think  better  of  this,  sir,  and  become  more  mer- 
ciful. The  man  has  only  nobly  dared.  But  I  confess  a 
strong  desire  to  ascertain  if  Miss  Warren  alone  has  escaped 
his  assaults." 

Mary — pretty  Mary — she  blushed  scarlet,  but  shook  her 
head,  and  refused  to  give  any  answer.  We  all  saw  that 
her  feelings  were  not  enlisted  in  the  affair  in  any  way ;  but 
there  was  evidently  something  of  a  more  serious  nature 
connected  with  Seneca's  addresses  to  her  than  in  connec- 
tion with  his  addresses  to  either  of  the  others.  As  I  have 
since  ascertained,  he  really  had  a  sort  of  affection  for 
Mary  ;  and  I  have  been  ready  to  pardon  him  the  unprin- 
cipled and  impudent  manner  in  which  he  cast  his  flies  to- 
ward the  other  fish,  in  consideration  of  his  taste  in  this 
particular.  But  Mary  herself  would  tell  us  nothing. 


THE  REDSKINS.  383 

"You  are  not  to  think  so  much  of  this,  Mr.  Littlepage," 
she  cried,  so  soon  as  a  little  recovered  from  her  confusion, 
"since  it  is  only  acting  on  the  great  anti-rent  principle, 
after  all.  In  the  one  case,  it  is  only  a  wish  to  get  good 
farms  cheap — and  in  the  other,  good  wives." 

"  In  the  one  case,  other  men's  farms — and  in  the  other, 
other  men's  wives." 

"  Other  men's  wives,  certainly,  if  wives  at  all,"  said 
Patt,  pointedly.  "  There  is  no  Mr.  Seneky  Newcome 
there." 

"  We  must  let  the  law  have  its  way,  and  the  fellow  be 
hanged  !  "  rejoined  my  uncle.  "  I  could  overlook  the  at- 
tempt to  burn  the  Nest  House,  but  I  cannot  overlook  this. 
Fellows  of  this  class  get  everything  dessus  dessous,  and  I  do 
not  wonder  there  is  anti-rentism  in  the  land.  Such  a  mat- 
rimonial experiment  could  never  have  been  attempted,  as 
between  such  parties,  in  any  region  but  one  tainted  with 
anti-rentism,  or  deluded  by  the  devil." 

"  An  Irishman  would  have  included  my  grandmother  in 
his  cast  of  the  net ;  that's  the  only  difference,  sir." 

"  Sure  enough,  why  have  you  escaped,  my  dearest 
mother  ?  You,  who  have  a  fair  widow's  portion,  too." 

"  Because  the  suitor  was  not  an  Irishman,  as  Hugh 
intimated — I  know  no  other  reason,  Hodge.  But  a  per- 
son so  devoted  to  the  ladies  must  not  suffer  in  the  cruel 
way  you  speak  of.  The  wretch  must  be  permitted  to 
get  off." 

All  the  girls  now  joined  with  my  grandmother  in  prefer- 
ing  this,  to  them,  very  natural  petition  ;  and,  for  a  few 
minutes,  we  heard  of  nothing  but  regrets  and  solicitations 
that  Seneca  might  not  be  given  up  to  the  law.  "  Tender 
mercies  of  the  law  "  might  not  be  an  unapt  way  to  express 
the  idea,  as  it  is  now  almost  certain  that  the  bigger  the 
rogue,  the  greater  is  the  chance  of  escape. 

"  All  this  is  very  well,  ladies  ;  mighty  humane  and  femi- 
nine, and  quite  in  character,"  answered  my  uncle  ;  "but, 
in  the  first  place,  there  is  such  a  thing  as  compounding 
felony,  and  its  consequences  are  not  altogether  agreeable  ; 
then,  one  is  bound  to  consider  the  effect  on  society  in  gen- 
eral. Here  is  a  fellow  who  first  endeavors  to  raise  a  flame 
in  the  hearts  of  no  less  than  four  young  ladies  :  failing- .of 
which,  he  takes  refuge  in  lighting  a  fire  in  Hugh's  kitchen. 
Do  you  know,  I  am  almost  as  much  disposed  to  punish 
him  for  the  first  of  these  offences  as  for  the  last  ? " 

"  There's  a  grand  movement  as  is  making  among  all  *he 


384  THE  REDSKINS. 

redskins,  ma'am,"  said  John,  standing  in  the  door  of  the 
breakfast  parlor,  "and  I  didn't  know  but  the  ladies,  and 
Mr.  Littlepage,  and  Mr.  Hugh,  would  like  to  see  it.  Old 
Sus  is  on  his  way  here,  followed  by  Yop,  who  comes 
grumbling  along  after  him,  as  if  he  didn't  like  the  amuse- 
ment any  way  at  all," 

"  Have  any  arrangements  been  made  for  the  proper  re- 
ception of  our  guests  this  morning,  Roger  ? " 

"  Yes,  ma'am.  At  least,  I  gave  orders  to  have  benches 
brought  and  placed  under  the  trees,  and  plenty  of  tobacco 
provided.  Smoking  is  a  great  part  of  a  council,  I  believe, 
and  we  shall  be  ready  to  commence  at  that  as  soon  as  they 
meet." 

"  Yes,  sir,  all  is  ready  for  'em,"  resumed  John.  "Miller 
has  sent  an  orse  cart  to  bring  the  benches,  and  we've  pro- 
vided as  much  'baccy  as  they  can  use.  The  servants  'opes, 
ma'am,  they  can  have  permission  to  witness  the  ceremony. 
It  isn't  often  that  civilized  people  can  get  a  sight  at  real 
savages." 

My  grandmother  gave  an  assent,  and  there  was  a  gen- 
eral movement,  preparatory  to  going  on  the  lawn  to  wit- 
ness the  parting  interview  between  the  Trackless  and  his 
visitors. 

"You  have  been  very  considerate,  Miss  Warren,"  I  whis- 
pered Mary,  as  I  helped  her  to  put  on  her  shawl,  "  in  not 
betraying  what  I  fancy  is  the  most  important  of  all  Sene- 
ca's love  secrets." 

"  I  confess  these  letters  have  surprised  me,"  the  dear 
girl  said  thoughtfully,  and  with  a  look  that  seemed  per- 
plexed. "  No  one  would  be  apt  to  think  very  favorably  of 
Mr.  Newcome  ;  yet  it  was  by  no  means  necessary  to  com- 
plete his  character,  that  one  should  think  as  ill  as  this." 

I  said  no  more — but  these  few  words,  which  appeared  to 
escape  Mary  unconsciously  and  involuntarily,  satisfied  me 
that  Seneca  had  been  seriously  endeavoring  to  obtain  an 
interest  in  her  heart  notwithstanding  her  poverty. 


THE  REDSKINS. 


CHAPTER  XXVIL 

•s  And  underneath  that  face  like  summer's  dreams, 
Its  lips  as  moveless,  and  its  cheek  as  clear, 
Slumbers  a  whirlwind  of  the  heart's  emotions, 
Love,  hatred,  pride,  hope,  sorrow — all  save  fear." 

— HALLECK. 

THE  only  singularity  connected  with  the  great  age  of  the 
Indian  and  the  negro,  was  the  fact  that  they  should  have 
been  associates  for  near  a  century,  and  so  long  intimately 
united  in  adventures  and  friendship.  I  say  friendship,  for 
the  term  was  not  at  all  unsuited  to  the  feeling  that  con- 
nected these  old  men  together,  though  they  had  so  little  in 
common  in  the  way  of  character.  While  the  Indian  pos- 
sessed all  the  manly  and  high  qualities  of  a  warrior  of  the 
woods,  of  a  chief,  and  of  one  who  had  never  acknowledged 
a  superior,  the  other  was  necessarily  distinguished  by  many 
of  the  wickednesses  of  a  state  of  servitude  ;  the  bitter  con- 
sequences of  a  degraded  caste.  Fortunately  both  were 
temperate,  by  no  means  an  every-day  virtue  among  the 
red-men  who  dwelt  with  the  whites,  though  much  more  so 
with  the  blacks.  But  Susquesuswas  born  at  Onondago,  a 
tribe  remarkable  for  its  sobriety,  and  at  no  period  of  his 
long  life  would  he  taste  any  intoxicating  drink,  while  Jaaf 
was  essentially  a  sober  man,  though  he  had  a  thorough 
"  nigger  "  relish  for  hard  cider.  There  can  be  little  doubt 
that  these  two  aged  memorials  of  past  ages,  and  almost 
forgotten  generations,  owed  their  health  and  strength  to 
their  temperance,  fortifying  natural  predispositions  to  te- 
nacity of  life. 

It  was  always  thought  that  Jaaf  was  a  little  the  senior 
of  the  Indian,  though  the  difference  in  their  ages  could 
not  be  great.  It  is  certain  that  the  red-man  retained 
much  the  most  of  his  bodily  powers,  though,  for  fifty 
years,  he  had  taxed  them  the  least.  Susquesus  never 
worked  ;  never  would  work  in  the  ordinary  meaning  of 
the  term.  He  deemed  it  to  be  beneath  his  dignity  as  a 
warrior,  and,  I  have  heard  it  said,  that  nothing  but  neces- 
sity could  have  induced  him  to  plant,  or  hoe,  even  when 
in  his  prime.  So  long  as  the  boundless  forest  furnished 
the  deer,  the  moose,  the  beaver,  the  bear,  and  the  other 
animals  that  it  is  usual  for  the  red-man  to  convert  into 
food,  he  had  cared  little  for  the  fruits  of  the  earth,  beyond 

25 


386  THE  REDSKINS. 

those  that  were  found  growing  in  their  native  state.  His 
hunts  were  the  last  regular  occupation  that  the  old  man 
abandoned.  He  carried  the  rifle,  and  threaded  the  woods 
with  considerable  vigor  after  he  had  seen  a  hundred  win- 
ters ;  but  the  game  deserted  him,  under  the  never-dying 
process  of  clearing  acre  after  acre,  until  little  of  the  native 
forest  was  left,  with  the  exception  of  the  reservation  of  my 
own,  already  named,  and  the  pieces  of  woodland  that  are 
almost  invariably  attached  to  every  American  farm,  lend- 
ing to  the  landscape  a  relief  and  beauty  that  are  usually 
wanting  to  the  views  of  older  countries.  It  is  this  pecul- 
iarity which  gives  to  so  many  of  the  views  of  the  republic, 
nay,  it  may  be  said  to  all  of  them,  so  much  of  the  charac- 
ter of  park-scenery  when  seen  at  a  distance,  that  excludes 
the  blemishes  of  a  want  of  finish,  and  the  coarser  appli- 
ances of  husbandry. 

With  Jaaf,  though  he  had  imbibed  a  strong  relish  for  the 
forest,  and  for  forest-life,  it  was  different  in  many  respects. 
Accustomed  to  labor  from  childhood,  he  could  not  be  kept 
from  work,  even  by  his  extreme  old  age.  Fie  had  the  hoe, 
or  the  axe,  or  the  spade  in  his  hand  daily,  many  years  after 
he  could  wield  either  to  any  material  advantage.  The  lit- 
tle he  did  in  this  way,  now,  was  not  done  to  kill  thought, 
for  he  never  had  any  to  kill ;  it  was  purely  the  effect  of 
habit,  and  of  a  craving  desire  to  be  Jaaf  still,  and  to  act  his 
life  over  again. 

I  am  sorry  to  say  that  neither  of  these  men  had  any  es- 
sential knowledge,  or  any  visible  feeling  for  the  truths  of 
Christianity.  A  hundred  years  ago,  little  spiritual  care 
was  extended  to  the  black,  and  the  difficulty  of  making  an 
impression  in  this  way  on  the  Indian  has  become  matter  of 
history.  Perhaps  success  best  attends  such  efforts  when 
the  pious  missionary  can  penetrate  to  the  retired  village, 
and  disseminate  his  doctrines  far  from  the  miserable  illus- 
tration of  their  effects,  that  is  to  be  hourly  traced,  by  the 
most  casual  observer,  amid  the  haunts  of  civilized  men. 
That  Christianity  does  produce  a  deep  and  benign  influence 
on  our  social  condition  cannot  be  doubted  ;  but  he  who  is 
only  superficially  acquainted  with  Christian  nations,  as 
they  are  called,  and  sets  about  tracing  the  effects  of  this 
influence,  meets  with  so  many  proofs  of  a  contrary  nature, 
as  to  feel  a  strong  disposition  to  doubt  the  truth  of  dogmas 
that  seem  so  impotent.  It  is  quite  likely  such  was  the 
case  with  Susquesus,  who  had  passed  all  the  earlier  years 
of  his  exclusive  association  with  the  pale-faces,  on  the 


THE   REDSKINS.  387 

flanks  of  armies,  or  among  hunters,  surveyors,  runners,  and 
scouts  ;  situations  that  were  not  very  likely  to  produce  any 
high  notions  of  moral  culture.  Nevertheless,  many  earnest 
and  long-continued  efforts  had  been  made  to  awaken  in 
this  aged  Indian  some  notions  of  the  future  state  of  a  pale- 
face, and  to  persuade  him  to  be  baptized.  My  grand- 
mother, in  particular,  had  kept  this  end  in  view  for  quite 
half  a  century,  but  with  no  success.  The  different  clergy, 
of  all  denominations,  had  paid  more  or  less  attention  to 
this  Indian,  with  the  same  object,  though  no  visible  results 
had  followed  their  efforts.  Among  others,  Mr.  Warren  had 
not  overlooked  this  part  of  his  duty,  but  he  had  met  with 
no  more  success  than  those  who  had  been  before  him. 
Singular  as  it  seemed  to  some,  though  I  saw  nothing 
strange  in  it,  Mary  Warren  had  joined  in  this  benevolent 
project  with  a  gentle  zeal,  and  affectionate  and  tender  in- 
terest, that  promised  to  achieve  more  than  had  been  even 
hoped  for  these  many  years  by  her  predecessors  in  the 
same  kind  office.  Her  visits  to  the  hut  had  been  frequent, 
and  I  learned  that  morning  from  Patt,  that,  "  though 
Mary  herself  never  spoke  on  the  subject,  enough  has  been 
seen  by  others  to  leave  no  doubt  that  her  gentle  offices 
and  prayers  had,  at  last,  touched,  in  some  slight  degree, 
the  rnarble-like  heart  of  the  Trackless." 

As  for  Jaaf,  it  is  possible  that  it  was  his  misfortune  to  be 
a  slave  in  a  family  that  belonged  to  the  Episcopal  Church, 
a  sect  that  is  so  tempered  and  chastened  in  its  religious 
rites,  and  so  far  removed  from  exaggeration,  as  often  to 
seem  cold  to  those  who  seek  excitement,  and  fancy  quiet 
and  self-control  incompatible  with  a  lively  faith.  "Your 
priests  are  unsuited  to  make  converts  among  the  people," 
said  an  enthusiastic  clergyman  of  another  denomination  to 
me,  quite  lately.  "They  cannot  go  among  the  brambles 
and  thorns  without  tearing  their  gowns  and  surplices." 
There  may  be  a  certain  degree  of  truth  in  this,  though  the 
obstacle  exists  rather  with  the  convert  than  with  the  mis- 
sionary. The  vulgar  love  coarse  excitement,  and  fancy 
that  a  profound  spiritual  sensibility  must  needs  awaken  a 
powerful  physical  sympathy.  To  such,  groans,  and  sighs, 
and  lamentations  must  be  not  only  audible  to  exist  at  all, 
but  audible  in  a  dramatic  and  striking  form  with  men,  in 
order  to  be  groans,  and  sighs,  and  lamentations  acceptable 
with  God.  It  is  certain,  at  any  rate,  that  the  practices 
which  reason,  education,  a  good  taste,  and  a  sound  com- 
prehension of  Christian  obligations  condemn,  are,  if  not 


388  THE  REDSKINS. 

most  effective,  still  effective  with  the  ignorant  and  coarse- 
minded.  Thus  may  it  have  been  with  Jaaf,  who  had  not 
fallen  into  the  hands  of  the  exaggerated  during  that  period 
of  life  when  he  was  most  likely  to  be  aroused  by  their 
practices,  arid  who  now  really  seemed  to  have  lived  beyond 
everything  but  the  recollections  connected  with  the  per- 
sons and  things  he  loved  in  youth. 

As  men,  in  the  higher  meaning  of  the  term,  the  reader 
will  remember  that  Susquesus  was  ever  vastly  the  superior 
of  the  black.  Jaaf  s  intellect  had  suffered  under  the  blight 
which  seems  to  have  so  generally  caused  the  African  mind 
to  wither,  as  we  know  that  mind  among  ourselves  ;  while 
that  of  his  associate  had  ever  possessed  much  of  the  lofti- 
ness of  a  grand  nature,  left  to  its  native  workings  by  the 
impetus  of  an  unrestrained,  though  savage  liberty. 

Such  were  the  characters  of  the  two  extraordinary  men 
whom  we  now  went  forth  to  meet.  By  the  time  we  reached 
the  lawn,  they  were  walking  slowly  toward  the  piazza,  hav- 
ing got  within  the  range  of  the  shrubbery  that  immediately 
surrounds,  and  sheds  its  perfume  on  the  house.  The  In- 
dian led,  as  seemed  to  become  his  character  and  rank. 
But  Jaaf  had  never  presumed  on  his  years  and  indulgences 
so  far  as  to  forget  his  condition.  A  slave  he  had  been 
born,  a  slave  had  he  lived,  and  a  slave  he  would  die.  This, 
too,  in  spite  of  the  law  of  emancipation,  which  had,  in 
fact,  liberated  him  long  ere  he  had  reached  his  hundredth 
year.  I  have  been  told  that  when  my  father  announced  to 
Jaaf  the  fact  that  he  and  all  his  progeny,  the  latter  of 
which  was  very  numerous,  were  free  and  at  liberty  to  go 
and  do  as  they  pleased,  the  old  black  was  greatly  dissatis- 
fied. "  What  good  dat  all  do,  Masser  Malbone,"  he 
growled.  "Why  'ey  won't  let  well  alone?  Nigger  be 
nigger,  and  white  gentle'em  be  white  gentle'em.  I  'speck, 
now,  nuttin'  but  disgrace  and  poverty  come  on  my  breed  ! 
We  always  hab  been  gentle'em's  nigger,  and  why  can't  'ey 
let  us  be  gentle'em's  nigger  as  long  as  we  like  ?  Ole  Sus 
hab  liberty  all  he  life,  and  what  good  he  get  ?  Nuttin' 
but  poor  red  sabbage,  for  all  dat,  and  never  be  anyt'ing 
more.  If  he  could  be  gentle'em's  sabbage,  I  tell  him,  dat 
war'  somet'ing  ;  but,  no,  he  too  proud  for  dat !  Gosh  !  so 
he  only  he  own  sabbage  !  " 

The  Onondago  was  in  high  costume  ;  much  higher  even 
than  when  he  first  received  the  visit  of  the  prairie  Indians. 
The  paint  he  used  gave  new  fire  to  eyes  that  age  had  cer- 
cainly  dimmed,  though  they  had  not  extinguished  then 


THE  REDSKINS.  389 

light  ;  and  fierce  and  savage  as  was  the  conceit,  it  unques- 
tionably relieved  the  furrows  of  time.  That  red  should  be 
as  much  the  favorite  color  of  the  redskin  is,  perhaps,  as 
natural  as  that  our  ladies  should  use  cosmetics  to  imitate 
the  lilies  and  roses  that  are  wanting.  A  grim  fierceness, 
however,  was  the  aim  of  the  Onondago  ;  it  being  his  ambi- 
tion, at  that  moment,  to  stand  before  his  guests  in  the 
colors  of  a  warrior.  Of  the  medals  and  wampum,  and 
feathers,  and  blankets,  and  moccasons,  gay  with  the  quills 
of  the  porcupine,  tinged  half  a  dozen  hues,  and  the  toma- 
hawk polished  to  the  brightness  of  silver,  it  is  not  neces 
sary  to  say  anything.  So  much  has  been  said,  and  written, 
and  seen,  of  late,  on  such  subjects,  that  almost  every  one 
now  knows  how  the  North  American  warrior  appears 
when  he  comes  forth  in  his  robes. 

Nor  had  Jaff  neglected  to  do  honor  to  a  festival  that 
was  so  peculiarly  in  honor  of  his  friend.  Grumble  he 
would  and  did,  throughout  the  whole  of  that  day  ;  but  he 
was  not  the  less  mindful  of  the  credit  and  honor  of  Sus- 
quesus.  It  is  the  fashion  of  the  times  to  lament  the  dis- 
appearance of  the  red-men  from  among  us  ;  but,  for  my 
part,  I  feel  much  more  disposed  to  mourn  over  the  dis- 
appearance of  the  **  nigger."  I  use  the  Doric,  in  place  of 
the  more  modern  and  mincing  term  of  "  colored  man  ; " 
for  the  Doric  alone  will  convey  to  the  American  the  mean- 
ing in  which  I  wish  to  be  understood.  I  regret  the  "  nig- 
ger ;"  the  old-fashioned,  careless,  light-hearted,  laborious, 
idle,  roguish,  honest,  faithful,  fraudulent,  grumbling,  dog- 
matical slave;  who  was  at  times  good  for  nothing,  and, 
again,  the  stay  and  support  of  many  a  family.  But  him  I 
regret  in  particular  is  the  domestic  slave,  who  identified 
himself  with  the  interests,  and  most  of  all  with  the  credit  of 
those  he  served,  and  who  always  played  the  part  of  an 
humble  privy  counsellor,  and  sometimes  that  of  a  prime 
minister.  It  is  true,  I  had  never  seen  Jaaf  acting  in  the 
latter  capacity,  among  us  ;  nor  is  it  probable  he  ever  did 
exactly  discharge  such  functions  with  any  of  his  old  mas- 
ters ;  but  he  was  a  much  indulged  servant  always,  and  had 
become  so  completely  associated  with  us,  by  not  only  long 
services,  but  by  playing  his  part  well  and  manfully  in 
divers  of  the  wild  adventures  that  are  apt  to  characterize 
the  settlement  of  a  new  country,  that  we  all  of  us  thought 
of  him  rather  as  an  humble  and  distant  relative,  than  as  a 
slave.  Slave,  indeed,  he  had  not  been  for  more  than  four- 
score years,  his  manumission-papers  having-  been  signed 


-J90  THE  REDSKINS. 

and  regularly  recorded  as  far  back  as  that,  though  thej 
remained  a  perfect  dead  letter,  so  far  as  the  negro  hiiri' 
self  was  concerned. 

The  costume  of  Yop  Littlepage,  as  this  black  was  famil* 
iarly  called  by  all  who  knew  anything  of  his  existence, 
and  his  great  age,  as  well  as  that  of  Susquesus,  had  gotten 
into  more  than  one  newspaper,  was  of  what  might  be 
termed  the  old  school  of  the  "nigger!"  The  coat  was 
scarlet,  with  buttons  of  mother-of-pearl,  each  as  large  as  a 
half-dollar  ;  his  breeches  \vere  sky  blue  ;  the  vest  was  green  ; 
the  stockings  striped  blue  and  white,  and  the  legs  had  no 
other  peculiarities  about  them  than  the  facts  that  all  that 
remained  of  the  calves  was  on  the  shins,  and  that  they 
were  stepped  nearer  than  is  quite  common  to  the  centre 
of  the  foot  ;  the  heel-part  of  the  latter  being  about  half  as 
long  as  the  part  connected  with  the  toes.  The  shoes,  in- 
deed, wrere  somewhat  conspicuous  portions  of  the  dress, 
having  a  length,  and  breadth,  and  proportions  that  might 
almost  justify  a  naturalist  in  supposing  that  they  were 
never  intended  for  a  human  being.  But  the  head  and  hat, 
according  to  Jaaf's  own  notion,  contained  the  real  glories 
of  his  toilet  and  person.  As  for  the  last,  it  was  actually 
laced,  having  formed  a  part  of  my  grandfather  General 
Cornelius  Littlepage's  uniform  in  the  field,  and  the  wool 
beneath  it  was  as  white  as  the  snow  of  the  hills.  This 
style  of  dress  has  long  disappeared  from  among  the  black 
race,  as  well  as  from  among  the- whites;  but  vestiges  of  it 
were  to  be  traced,  my  uncle  tells  me,  in  his  boyhood; 
particularly  at  the  pinkster  holidays,  that  peculiar  festival 
of  the  negro.  Notwithstanding  the  incongruities  of  his 
attire,  Yop  Littlepage  made  a  very  respectable  figure  on 
this  occasion,  the  great  age  of  both  him  and  the  Onondago 
being  the  circumstances  that  accorded  least  with  their 
magnificence. 

Notwithstanding  the  habitual  grumbling  of  the  negro, 
the  Indian  always  led  when  they  made  a  movement.  He 
had  led  in  the  forest,  on  the  early  hunts  and  on  the  war- 
paths ;  he  had  led  in  their  later  excursions  on  the  neigh- 
boring hills  ;  he  always  led  when  it  was  their  wont  to  stroll 
to  the  hamlet  together,  to  witness  the  militia  musters  and 
other  similar  striking  events  ;  he  even  was  foremost  when 
they  paid  their  daily  visits  to  the  Nest ;  and,  now,  he  came 
a  little  in  advance,  slow  in  movement,  quiet,  with  lips  com- 
pressed, eye  -roving  and  watchful,  and  far  from  dim;  and 
his  whole  features  wonderfully  composed  and  noble,  con- 


THE   REDSKINS.  39! 

sidering  the  great  number  of  years  he  had  seen.  Jaaf  fol, 
lowed  at  the  same  gait,  but  a  very  different  man  in  de- 
meanor and  aspect.  His  face  scarce  seemed  human,  even 
the  color  of  his  skin,  once  so  glistening  and  black,  hav- 
ing changed  to  a  dirty  gray,  all  its  gloss  having  dis- 
appeared, while  his  lips  were,  perhaps,  the  most  prom- 
inent feature.  These,  too,  were  in  incessant  motion,  the 
old  man  working  his  jaws,  in  a  sort  of  second  childhood; 
or  as  the  infant  bites  its  gums  to  feel  its  nearly  developed 
teeth,  even  when  he  was  not  keeping  up  the  almost  un- 
ceasing accompaniment  of  his  grumbles. 

As  the  old  man  walked  toward  us,  and  the  men  of  the 
prairies  had  not  yet  shown  themselves,  we  all  advanced  to 
meet  the  former.  Every  one  of  our  party,  the  girls  in- 
cluded, shook  hands  with  Susquesus,  and  wished  him  a 
good  morning.  He  knew  my  grandmother,  and  betrayed 
some  strong  feeling,  when  he  shook  her  hand.  He  knew 
Patt,  and  nodded  kindly  in  answer  to  her  good  wishes. 
He  knew  Mary  Warren,  too,  and  held  her  hand  a  little 
time  in  his  own,  gazing  at  her  wistfully  the  while.  My 
uncle  Ro  and  I  were  also  recognized,  his  look  at  me  being 
earnest  and  long.  The  two  other  girls  were  courteously 
received,  but  his  feelings  were  little  interested  in  them.  A 
chair  was  placed  for  Susquesus  on  the  lawn,  and  he  took 
his  seat.  As  for  Jaaf,  he  walked  slowly  up  to  the  party, 
took  off  his  fine  cocked  hat,  but  respectfully  refused  the 
seat  he  too  was  offered.  Happening  thus  to  be  the  last 
saluted,  he  was  the  first  with  whom  my  grandmother 
opened  the  discourse. 

"  It  is  a  pleasant  sight,  Jaaf,  to  see  you,  and  our  old 
friend  Susquesus,  once  more  on  the  lawn  of  the  old  house." 

"Not  so  berry  ole  house,  Miss  Duss,  a'ter  all,"  answered 
the  negro,  in  his  grumbling  way.  "Remem'er  him  well 
'nough  ;  only  built  tudder  day." 

"It  has  been  built  threescore  years,  if  you  call  that  the 
other  day.  I  was  then  young  myself  ;  a  bride — happy  and 
blessed  far  beyond  my  deserts.  Alas!  how  changed  have 
things  become  since  that  time  ! " 

"  Yes,  you  won'erful  changed — must  say  dot  for  you,  Miss 
Duss.  I  sometime  surprise  myself  so  young  a  lady  get 
change  so  berry  soon." 

"  Ah  !  Jaaf,  though  it  may  seem  a  short  time  to  you,  who 
are  so  much  my  senior,  fourscore  years  are  a  heavy  load  to 
carry.  I  enjoy  excellent  health  and  spirits  for  my  years  : 
but  age  will  assert  its  power/' 


392  THE  REDSKINS. 

"  Remem'er  you,  Miss  Duss,  like  dat  young  lady  dere/ 
pointing  at  Patt — "  now  you  do  seem  won'erful  change. 
Ole  Sus,  too,  berry  much  alter  of  late — can't  hole  out 
much  longer,  I  do  t'ink.  But  Injin  nebber  hab  much  raal 
grit  in  "em." 

"And  you,  my  friend,"  continued  my  grandmother,  turn- 
ing to  Susquesus,  who  had  sat  motionless  while  she  was 
speaking  to  Jaaf — "  do  you  also  see  this  great  change  in 
me  ?  I  have  known  you  much  longer  than  I  have  known 
Jaaf;  axitii  your  recollection  of  me  must  go  back  nearly  to 
childhood — to  the  time  when  I  first  lived  in  the  woods, 
as  a  companion  of  my  dear,  excellent  old  uncle,  Chain- 
bearer." 

"  Why  should  Susquesus  forget  little  wren  ?  Hear  song 
now  in  his  ear.  No  change  at  all  in  little  wren,  in  Sus- 
quesus's  eye." 

"  This  is  at  least  gallant,  and  worthy  of  an  Onondago 
chief.  But,  my  worthy  friend,  age  will  make  its  mark 
even  on  the  trees  ;  and  we  cannot  hope  to  escape  it  for- 
ever ! " 

"  No  ;  bark  smooth  on  young  tree — rough  on  ole  tree. 
Nebber  forget  Chainbearer.  He's  same  age  as  Susquesus 
— little  ole'er,  too.  Brave  warrior — good  man.  Know  him 
when  young  hunter — he  dere  when  dat  happen." 

"  When  what  happened,  Susquesus  ?  I  have  long  wished 
to  know  what  drove  you  from  your  people  ;  and  why  you, 
a  red  man  in  your  heart  and  habits,  to  the  last,  should 
have  so  long  lived  among  us  pale-faces,  away  from  your 
own  tribe.  I  can  understand  why  you  like  us,  and  wish  to 
pass  the  remainder  of  your  days  with  this  family ;  for  I 
know  all  that  we  have  gone  through  together,  and  your 
early  connection  with  my  father-in-law,  and  his  father-in- 
law,  too  ;  but  the  reason  why  you  left  your  own  people  so 
young,  and  have  now  lived  near  a  hundred  years  away 
from  them,  is  what  I  could  wish  to  hear,  before  the  angel 
of  death  summons  one  of  us  away." 

While  my  grandmother  was  thus  coming  to  the  point, 
for  the  first  time  in  her  life,  on  this  subject,  as  she  after- 
ward told  me,  the  Onondago's  eye  was  never  off  her  own. 
I  thought  he  seemed  surprised  ;  then  his  look  changed  to 
sadness  ;  and  bowing  his  head  a  little,  he  sat  a  long  time, 
apparently  musing  on  the  past.  The  subject  h^ti  evi- 
dently  aroused  the  strongest  of  the  remaining  feelings  ol 
the  old  man,  arid  the  allusion  to  it  had  brought  back  im- 
ages of  things  long  gone  by,  that  were  probably  reviewed 


THE  REDSKINS.  393 

not  altogether  without  pain.  I  think  his  head  must  have 
been  bowed,  and  his  face  riveted  on  the  ground,  for  quite 
a  minute. 

"Chainbearer  nebber  say  why  ?"  the  old  man  suddenly 
asked,  raising  his  face  again  to  look  at  my  grandmother. 
"  Ole  chief,  too — he  know  ;  nebber  talk  of  it,  eh  ? " 

"  Never.  I  have  heard  both  my  uncle  and  my  father- 
in-law  say  that  they  knew  the  reason  why  you  left  your 
people,  so  many  long,  long,  years  ago,  and  that  it  did  you 
credit ;  but  neither  ever  said  more.  It  is  reported  here, 
that  these  red-men,  who  have  come  so  far  to  see  you,  also 
know  it,  and  that  it  is  one  reason  of  their  coming  so  much 
out  of  their  way  to  pay  you  a  visit. 

Susquesus  listened  attentively,  though  no  portion  of  his 
person  manifested  emotion  but  his  eyes.  All  the  rest  of 
the  man  seemed  to  be  made  of  some  material  that  was 
totally  without  sensibility  ;  but  those  restless,  keen,  still 
penetrating  eyes,  opened  a  communication  with  the  being 
within,  and  proved  that  the  spirit  was  far  younger  than 
tjie  tenement  in  which  it  dwelt.  Still,  he  made  no  revela- 
tion ;  and  our  curiosity,  which  was  getting  to  be  intense, 
was  completely  baffled.  It  was  even  some  little  time  be- 
fore the  Indian  said  anything  more  at  all.  When  he  did 
speak,  it  was  merely  to  say — 

"Good.  Chainbearer  wise  chief — Gin'ral  wise,  too. 
Good  in  camp — good  at  council-fire.  Know  when  to  talk 
— know  what  to  talk." 

How  much  further  my  dear  grandmother  might  have 
been  disposed  to  push  the  subject,  I  cannot  say,  for  just 
then  we  saw  the  redskins  coming  out  of  their  quarters, 
evidently  about  to  cross  from  the  old  farm  to  the  lawn, 
this  being  their  last  visit  to  the  Trackless,  preparatory  to 
departing  on  their  long  journey  to  the  prairies.  Aware  of 
all  this,  she  fell  back,  and  my  uncle  led  Susquesus  to  the 
tree  where  the  benches  were  placed  for  the  guests,  I  carry- 
ing the  chair  in  the  rear.  Everybody  followed,  even  to  all 
the  domestics  who  could  be  spared  from  the  ordinary  occu- 
pations of  the  household. 

The  Indian  and  the  negro  were  both  seated  ;  and  chairs 
having  been  brought  out  for  the  members  of  the  family, 
we  took  our  places  near  by,  though  so  much  in  the  back 
ground  as  not  to  appear  obtrusive. 

The  Indians  of  the  prairies  arrived  in  their  customary 
marching  order,  or  in  single  files.  Manytongues  led,  fol- 
lowed by  Prairiefire  ;  Flintyheart  and  Eaglesflight  came 


394  THE  REDSKINS. 

next,  and  the  rest  succeeded  in  a  nameless  but  perfect 
order.  To  our  surprise,  however,  they  brought  the  two 
prisoners  with  them,  secured  with  savage  ingenuity,  and  in 
a  way  to  render  escape  nearly  impossible. 

It  is  unnecessary  to  dwell  on  the  deportment  of  these 
strangers,  as  they  took  their  allotted  places  on  the  benches, 
it  being  essentially  the  same  as  that  described  in  their  first 
visit.  The  same  interest,  however,  was  betrayed  in  their 
manner,  nor  did  their  curiosity  or  veneration  appear  to  be 
in  the  least  appeased  by  having  passed  a  day  or  two  in 
the  immediate  vicinity  of  their  subject.  That  this  curiosity 
and  veneration  proceeded,  in  some  measure,  from  the 
great  age  and  the  extended  experience  of  the  Trackless 
was  probable  enough,  but  I  could  not  divest  myself  of  the 
idea  that  there  lay  something  unusual  behind  all,  which 
tradition  had  made  familiar  to  these  sons  of  the  soil,  but 
which  had  become  lost  to  us. 

The  American  savage  enjoys  one  great  advantage  over 
the  civilized  man  of  the  same  quarter  of  the  world.  His 
traditions  ordinarily  are  true,  whereas,  the  multipled  means 
of  imparting  intelligence  among  ourselves  has  induced  so 
many  pretenders  to  throw  themselves  into  the  ranks  of  the 
wise  and  learned,  that  blessed,  thrice  blessed  is  he,  whose 
mind  escapes  the  contamination  of  falsehood  and  prejudice. 
Well  would  it  be  for  men  if  they  oftener  remembered  that 
the  very  facilities  that  exist  to  circulate  the  truth,  are  just  so 
many  facilities  for  circulating  falsehood  ;  and  that  he  who 
believes  even  one-half  of  that  which  meets  his  eyes,  in  his 
daily  inquiries  into  passing  events,  is  most  apt  to  throw 
away  quite  a  moiety  of  even  that  much  credulity,  on  facts 
that  either  never  had  an  existence  at  all,  or,  which  have 
been  so  mutilated  in  the  relation,  that  their  eye-witnesses 
would  be  the  last  to  recognize  them. 

The  customary  silence  succeeded  the  arrival  of  the  visit- 
ors ;  then  Eaglesflight  struck  fire  with  a  flint,  touched  the 
tobacco  with  the  flame,  and  puffed  at  a  very  curiously 
carved  pipe,  made  of  some  soft  stone  of  the  interior,  until  he 
had  lighted  it  beyond  any  risk  of  its  soon  becoming  ex- 
tinguished. This  done,  he  rose,  advanced  with  profound 
reverence  in  his  air,  and  presented  it  to  Susquesus,  who 
took  it  and  smoked  for  a  few  seconds,  after  which  he  re- 
turned it  to  him  from  whom  it  had  been  received.  This 
was  a  signal  for  other  pipes  to  be  lighted,  and  one  was 
offered  to  my  uncle  and  myself,  each  of  us  making  a  puff 
or  two  ;  and  even  John  and  the  other  male  domestics  were 


THE  REDSKINS.  395 

not  neglected.  Prairiefire  himself  paid  the  compliment  to 
Jaaf.  The  negro  had  noted  what  was  passing,  and  was 
much  disgusted  with  the  niggardliness  which  required  the 
pipe  to  be  so  soon  returned.  This  he  did  not  care  to  con- 
ceal, as  was  obvious  by  the  crusty  observation  he  made 
when  the  pipe  was  offered  to  him.  Cider  and  tobacco  had 
from  time  immemorial  been  the  two  great  blessings  of  this 
black's  existence,  and  he  felt  at  seeing  one  standing  to;  re- 
ceive his  pipe,  after  a  puff  or  two,  much  as  he  might  have 
felt  had  one  pulled  the  mug  from  his  mouth,  after  the  sec- 
ond or  third  swallow. 

"  No  need  wait  here  " — grumbled  old  Jaaff — "  when  I 
done,  gib  you  de  pipe,  ag'in  ;  nebber  fear.  Masser  Corny, 
or  Masser  Malborne,  or  Masser  Hugh — dear  me,  I  nebber 
knows  which  be  libbin'  and  which  be  dead,  I  get  so  ole, 
nowaday  !  But  nebber  mind  if  he  be  ole  ;  can  smoke  yet, 
and  don't  lub  Injin  fashion  of  gibbin'  t'ings  ;  and  dat  is 
gib  him  and  den  take  away  ag'in.  Nigger  is  nigger,  and 
Injin  is  Injin  ;  and  nigger  best.  Lord  !  how  many  years 
I  do  see — I  do  see — most  get  tire  of  libbin'  so  long.  Don't 
wait,  Injin  ;  when  I  done,  you  get  pipe  again,  I  say.  Best 
not  make  ole  Jaaf  too  mad,  or  he  dreadful ! " 

Although  it  is  probable  that  Prairiefire  did  not  under- 
stand one-half  of  the  negro's  words,  he  comprehended  his 
wish  to  finish  the  tobacco,  before  he  relinquished  the  pipe. 
This  was  against  all  rule,  and  a  species  of  slight  on  Indian 
usages,  but  the  red-man  overlooked  all,  with  a  courtesy  of 
one  trained  in  high  society,  and  walked  away  as  compos- 
edly as  if  everything  were  right.  In  these  particulars  the 
high-breeding  of  an  Indian  is  always  made  apparent!  No 
one  ever  sees  in  his  deportment,  a  shrug  or  a  half-con- 
cealed smile,  or  a  look  of  intelligence  ;  a  wink  or  a  nod, 
or  any  other  of  that  class  of  signs,  or  communications, 
which  it  is  usually  deemed  underbred  to  resort  to  in 
company.  In  all  things,  he  is  dignified  and  quiet, 
whether  it  be  the  effect  of  coldness,  or  the  result  of 
character. 

The  smoking  now  became  general,  but  only  as  a  cere- 
mony ;  no  one  but  Jaaf  setting  to  with  regularity  to  fin- 
ish his  pipe.  As  for  the  black,  his  opinion  of  the  superi- 
ority of  his  own  race  over  that  of  the  red-man,  was  as  fixed 
as  his  consciousness  of  his  inferiority  to  the  white,  and  he 
would  have  thought  the  circumstance  that  the  present 
mode  of  using  tobacco  was  an  Indian  custom,  a  sufficient 
reason  why  he  himself  should  not  adopt  it.  The  smoking 


396  THE  REDSKINS. 

did  not  last  long,  but  was  succeeded  by  a  silent  pauses 
Then  Prairiefire  arose  and  spoke. 

"  Father,"  he  commenced,  "  we  are  about  to  quit  you. 
Our  squaws  and  pappooses,  on  the  prairies,  wish  to  see  us ; 
it  is  time  for  us  to  go.  They  are  looking  toward  the  great 
salt  lake  for  us  ;  we  are  looking  toward  the  great  fresh-water 
lakes  for  them.  There  the  sun  sets — here  it  rises  ;  the  dis- 
tance is  great,  and  many  strange  tribes  of  pale-faces  live 
along  the  path.  Our  journey  has  been  one  of  peace.  We 
have  not  hunted  ;  we  have  taken  no  scalps  ;  but  we  have 
seen  our  great  father,  uncle  Sam,  and  we  have  seen  our  great 
father  Susquesus ;  we  shall  travel  toward  the  setting  sun  sat- 
isfied. Father,  our  traditions  are  true  ;  they  never  lie.  A 
lying  tradition  is  worse  than  a  lying  Indian.  What  a  lying 
Indian  says,  deceives  his  friends,  his  wife,  his  children  ;  what 
a  lying  tradition  says,  deceives  a  tribe.  Our  traditions  are 
true  ;  they  speak  of  the  Upright  Onondago.  All  the 
tribes  on  the  prairies  have  heard  this  tradition,  and  are 
very  glad.  It  is  good  to  hear  of  justice  ;  it  is  bad  to  hear 
of  injustice.  Without  justice  an  Indian  is  no  better  than  a 
wolf.  No  ;  there  is  not  a  tongue  spoken  on  the  prairies 
which  does  not  tell  of  that  pleasant  tradition.  We  could 
not  pass  the  wigwam  of  our  father  without  turning  aside 
to  look  at  him.  Our  squaws  and  pappooses  wish  to  see  us, 
but  they  would  have  told  us  to  come  back,  and  turn  aside 
to  look  upon  our  father,  had  we  forgotten  to  do  so.  Why 
has  my  father  seen  so  many  winters  ?  It  is  the  will  of 
the  Manitou.  The  Great  Spirit  wants  to  keep  him  here  a 
little  longer.  He  is  like  stones  piled  together  to  tell  the 
hunters  where  the  pleasant  path  is  to  be  found.  All  the  red- 
men  who  see  him  think  of  what  is  right.  No  ;  the  Great 
Spirit  cannot  yet  spare  my  father  from  the  earth,  lest  red- 
men  forget  what  is  right.  He  is  stones  piled  together." 

Here  Prairiefire  ceased,  sitting  down  amid  a  low  mur- 
mur of  applause.  He  had  expressed  the  common  feeling, 
and  met  with  the  success  usual  to  such  efforts.  Susquesus 
had  heard  and  understood  all  that  was  said,  and  I  could 
perceive  that  he  felt  it,  though  he  betrayed  less  emotion 
on  this  occasion  than  he  had  done  on  the  occasion  of  the 
previous  interview.  Then,  the  novelty  of  the  scene,  no 
doubt,  contributed  to  influence  his  feelings.  A  pause  fol- 
lowed this  opening  speech,  and  we  were  anxiously  waiting 
for  the  renowned  orator  Eaglesflight,  to  rise,  when  a  sin- 
gular and  somewhat  ludicrous  interruption  of  the  solemr 
dignity  of  the  scene  occurred.  In  the  place  of  Eaglesflight 


THE  REDSKINS.  397 

whom  Manytongues  had  given  us  reason  to  expect  would 
now  come  forth  with  energy  and  power,  a  much  younger 
warrior  arose  and  spoke,  commanding  the  attention  of  his 
listeners  in  a  way  to  show  that  he  possessed  their  respect. 
We  were  told  that  the  young  warrior's  name,  rendered  into 
English,  was  Deersfoot,  an  appellation  obtained  on  account 
of  his  speed,  and  which  we  were  assured  he  well  merited. 
Much  to  our  surprise,  however,  he  addressed  himself  to 
Jaaf,  Indian  courtesy  requiring  that  something  should  be 
said  to  the  constant  friend  and  tried  associate  of  the  Track- 
less. The  reader  may  be  certain  we  were  all  much  amused 
at  this  bit  of  homage,  though  every  one  of  us  felt  some  lit- 
tle concern  on  the  subject  of  the  answer  it  might  elicit. 
Deersfoot  delivered  himself,  substantially,  as  follows  : — 

"  The  Great  Spirit  sees  all  things  ;  he  makes  all  things. 
In  his  eyes,  color  is  nothing.  Although  he  made  children 
that  he  loved  of  a  red  color,  he  made  children  that  he 
loved  with  pale  faces,  too.  He  did  not  stop  there.  No  ; 
he  said,  '  I  wish  to  see  warriors  and  men  with  faces  darker 
than  the  skin  of  the  bear.  I  will  have  warriors  who  shall 
frighten  their  enemies  by  their  countenances.'  He  made 
black  men.  My  father  is  black  ;  his  skin  is  neither  red, 
like  the  skin  of  Susquesus,  nor  white,  like  the  skin  of  the 
young  chief  of  Ravensnest.  It  is  now  gray,  with  having 
had  the  sun  shine  on  it  so  many  summers  ;  but  it  was  once 
the  color  of  the  crow.  Then  it  must  have  been  pleasant 
to  look  at.  My  black  father  is  very  old.  They  tell  me  he 
is  even  older  than  the  Upright  Onondago.  The  Manitou 
must  be  well  pleased  with  him,  not  to  have  called  him 
away  sooner.  He  has  left  him  in  his  wigwam,  that  all  the 
black  men  may  see  whom  their  Great  Spirit  loves.  This 
is  the  tradition  told  to  us  by  our  fathers.  The  pale  men 
come  from  the  rising  sun,  and  were  born  before  the  heat 
burned  their  skins.  The  black  men  came  from  under  the 
sun  at  noon-day,  and  their  faces  were  darkened  by  looking 
up  above  their  heads  to  admire  the  warmth  that  ripened 
their  fruits.  The  red  men  were  born  under  the  setting 
sun,  and  their  faces  were  colored  by  the  hues  of  the  even- 
ing skies.  The  red  man  was  born  here  ;  the  pale  man  was 
born  across  the  salt  lake  ;  the  black  man  came  from  a 
country  of  his  own,  where  the  sun  is  always  above  his  head 
What  of  that  ?  We  are  brothers.  The  Thicklips  (this  was 
the  name  by  which  the  strangers  designated  Jaaf,  as  we 
afterward  learned)  is  the  friend  of  Susquesus.  They  have 
lived  in  the  same  wigwam,  now,  so  many  winters,  that  their 


398  THE  REDSKIN'S. 

venison  and  bear's-meat  have  the  same  taste.  They  love 
one  another.  Whomsoever  Susquesus  loves  and  honors, 
all  just  Indians  love  and  honor.  I  have  no  more  to  say." 

It  is  very  certain  that  Jaaf  would  not  have  understood  a 
syllable  that  was  uttered  in  this  address,  had  not  Many- 
tongues  first  given  him  to  understand  that  Deersfoot  was 
talking  to  him  in  particular,  and  then  translated  the  speak- 
er's language,  word  for  word,  and  with  great  deliberation, 
as  each  sentence  was  finished.  Even  this  care  might  not 
have  sufficed  to  make  the  negro  sensible  of  what  was  going 
on,  had  not  Patt  gone  to  him,  and  told  him.  in  a  manner 
and  voice  to  which  he  was  accustomed,  to  attend  to  what 
was  said,  and  to  endeavor,  as  soon  as  Deersfoot  sat  down, 
to  say  something  in  reply.  Jaaf  was  so  accustomed  to  my 
sister,  and  was  so  deeply  impressed  with  the  necessity  of 
obeying  her,  as  one  of  his  many  "y'ung  missuses" — which 
he  scarcely  knew  himself — that  she  succeeded  in  perfectly 
arousing  him  ;  and  he  astonished  us  all  with  the  intelli- 
gence of  his  very  characteristic  answer,  which  he  did  not 
fail  to  deliver  exactly  as  he  had  been  directed  to  do.  Pre- 
viously to  beginning  to  speak,  the  negro  champed  his 
toothless  gums  together,  like  a  vexed  swine;  but  "y'ung 
missus  "  had  told  him  he  must  answer,  and  answer  he  did. 
It  is  probable,  also,  that  the  old  fellow  had  some  sort  of 
recollection  of  such  scenes,  having  been  present,  in  his 
younger  days,  at  various  councils  held  by  the  different 
tribes  of  New  York  ;  among  whom  my  grandfather,  Gen- 
eral Mordaunt  Littlepage,  had  more  than  once  been  a  com- 
missioner. 

"  Well,"  Jaaf  began,  in  a  short,  snappish  manner,  "  s'pose 
nigger  must  say  somet'in'.  No  berry  great  talker,  'cause  I 
no  Injin.  Nigger  had  too  much  work  to  do,  to  talk  all  'e 
time.  What  you  say  'bout  where  nigger  come  from,  isn't 
true.  He  come  from  Africa,  as  I  hear  'em  say,  'long  time 
ago.  Ahs,  me !  how  ole  I  do  get !  Sometimes  I  t'ink 
poor  ole  black  man  be  nebber  to  lie  down  and  rest  him- 
self. It  do  seem  dat  ebberybody  take  his  rest  but  old  Sus 
and  me.  I  berry  strong,  yet  ;  and  git  stronger  and 
stronger,  dough  won'erful  tired  ;  but  Sus,  he  git  weaker 
and  weaker  ebbery  day.  Can't  last  long,  now,  poor  Sus  ! 
Ebbery  body  must  die  some  time.  Ole,  ole,  ole  masser  and 
missus,  fust  dey  die.  Den  Masser  Corny  go  ;  putty  well 
adwanced,  too.  Den  come  Masser  Mordaunt's  turn,  and 
Masser  Malbone,  and  now  dere  anudder  Masser  Hugh. 
Well,  dey  putty  much  all  de  same  to  me.  I  lubs  'em  all 


THE   REDSKINS.  399 

and  all  on  'em  lubs  me.  Den  Miss  Duss  count  for  some- 
t'in',  but  she  be  libbin',  yet.  Most  time  she  die,  too,  but 
don't  seem  to  go.  Ahs,  me  !  how  ole  I  do  git  !  Ha !  dere 
come  dem  debbils  of  Injins,  ag'in,  and  dis  time  we  must 
clean  'em  out!  Get  your  rifle,  Sus  ;  get  your  rifle,  boy, 
and  mind  dat  ole  Jaaf  be  at  your  elbow." 

Sure  enough,  there  the  Injins  did  come  ;  but  I  must  re- 
serve an  account  of  what  followed  for  the  commencement 
of  the  next  chapter. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII.      • 

"  Hope — that  thy  wrongs  will  be  by  the  Great  Spirit 
Remembered  and  revenged  when  thou  art  gone  j 
Sorrow — that  none  are  left  thee  to  inherit 
Thy  name,  thy  fame,  thy  passions,  and  thy  throne." 

— Red  Jacket. 

IT  was  a  little  remarkable  that  one  as  old  and  blear-eyed 
as  the  negro,  should  be  the  first  among  us  to  discover  the 
approach  of  a  large  body  of  the  Injins,  who  could  not  be 
less  than  two  hundred  in  number.  The  circumstance  was 
probably  owing  to  the  fact  that,  while  every  other  eye  was 
riveted  on  the  speaker,  his  eyes  were  fastened  on  nothing. 
There  the  Injins  did  come,  however,  in  force  ;  and  this 
time  apparently  without  fear.  The  white  American  meets 
the  red-man  with  much  confidence,  when  he  is  prepared 
for  the  struggle  ;  and  the  result  has  shown  that,  when 
thrown  upon  his  resources  in  the  wilderness,  and  after  he 
has  been  allowed  time  to  gain  a  little  experience,  he  is  usu- 
ally the  most  formidable  enemy.  But  a  dozen  Indians,  of 
the  stamp  of  those  who  had  here  come  to  visit  us,  armed  and 
painted,  and  placed  in  the  centre  of  one  of  our  largest  peo- 
pled counties,  would  be  sufficient  to  throw  that  county 
into  a  paroxysm  of  fear.  Until  time  were  given  for 
thought,  and  the  opinions  of  the  judicious  superseded  the 
effects  of  rumor,  nothing  but  panic  would  prevail.  Moth- 
ers would  clasp  their  children  to  their  bosoms,  fathers 
would  hold  back  their  sons  from  the  slaughter,  and  even 
the  heroes  of  the  militia  would  momentarily  forget  their 
ardor  in  the  suggestions  of  prudence  and  forethought. 

Such,  in  fact,  had  been  the  state  of  things  in  and  about 
Ravensnest,  when  Flintyheart  so  unexpectedly  led  his 


400  THE  REDSKINS. 

companions  into  the  forest,  and  dispersed  the  virtuous  and 
oppressed  tenants  of  my  estate  on  their  return  from  a  meet- 
ing held  with  but  one  virtuous  object ;  viz.,  that  of  trans- 
ferring the  fee  of  the  farms  they  occupied  from  me  to 
themselves.  No  one  doubted,  at  the  moment,  that  in  ad- 
dition to  the  other  enormities  committed  by  me  and  mine, 
I  had  obtained  a  body  of  savages  from  the  far  west  to 
meet  the  forces  already  levied  by  the  tenants,  on  a  princi- 
ple that  it  would  not  do  to  examine  very  clearly.  If  I 
had  done  sjo,  I  am  far  from  certain  that  I  should  not  have 
been  perfectly  justified  in  morals  ;  for  an  evil  of  that  nat- 
ure, that  might  at  any  time  be  put  down  in  a  month,  and 
which  is  suffered  to  exist  for  years,  through  the  selfish  in- 
difference of  the  community,  restores  to  every  man  his 
natural  rights  of  self-defence  ;  though  I  make  no  doubt 
had  I  resorted  to  such  means,  I  should  have  been  hanged, 
without  benefit  of  philanthropists  ;  the  "  clergy  "  in  this 
country  not  being  included  in  the  class,  so  far  as  suspen- 
sion by  the  neck  is  concerned. 

But  the  panic  had  disappeared,  as  soon  as  the  truth  be- 
came known  concerning  the  true  object  of  the  visit  of  the 
redskins.  The  courage  of  the  "virtuous  and  honest" 
revived,  and  one  of  the  first  exhibitions  of  this  renewed 
spirit  was  the  attempt  to  set  fire  to  my  house  and  barns. 
So  serious  a  demonstration,  it  was  thought,  would  convince 
me  of  the  real  power  of  the  people,  and  satisfy  us  all  that 
their  wishes  are  not  to  be  resisted  with  impunity.  As  no 
one  likes  to  have  his  house  and  barns  burned,  it  must  be 
a  singular  being  who  could  withstand  the  influence  of 
such  a  manifestation  of  the  "spirit  of  the  institutions;" 
for  it  is  just  as  reasonable  to  suppose  that  the  attempts  of 
the  incendiaries  came  within  their  political  category,  as  it 
is  to  suppose  that  the  attempt  of  the  tenants  to  get  a  title 
beyond  what  was  bestowed  in  their  leases,  was  owing  to 
this  cause. 

That  habit  of  deferring  to  externals,  which  is  so  general 
in  a  certain  class  of  our  citizens,  and  which  endures  in 
matters  of  religion  long  after  the  vital  principle  is  forgot- 
ten, prevented  any  serious  outbreak  on  the  next  day,  which 
was  the  Sunday  mentioned  ;  though  the  occasion  was  im. 
proved  to  coerce  by  intimidation,  the  meeting  and  resolu- 
tions having  been  regularly  digested  in  secret  conclave 
among  the  local  leaders  of  anti-rentism,  and  carried  out, 
as  has  been  described.  Then  followed  the  destruction  of 
the  canopy,  another  demonstration  of  the  "  spirit  of  the 


THE   REDSKINS.  401 

institutions,"  and  as  good  an  argument  as  any  that  has  yet 
been  offered,  in  favor  of  the  dogmas  of  the  new  political 
faith.  Public  opinion  is  entitled  to  some  relief,  surely, 
when  it  betrays  so  much  excitement  as  to  desecrate 
churches  and  to  destroy  private  property.  This  circum- 
stance of  the  canopy  had  been  much  dwelt  on,  as  a  favor- 
able anti-rent  argument,  and  it  might  now  be  considered 
that  the  subject  was  carried  out  to  demonstration. 

By  the  time  all  this  was  effected,  so  completely  had  the 
"  Injins  "  got  over  their  dread  of  the  Indians,  that  it  was 
with  difficulty  the  leaders  of  the  former  could  prevent  the 
most  heroic  portion  of  their  corps  from  following  their 
blow  at  the  canopy  by  a  coup  demain  against  the  old  farm- 
house and  its  occupants.  Had  not  the  discretion  of  the 
leaders  been  greater  than  that  of  their  subordinates,  it  is 
very  probable  blood  would  have  been  shed  between  these 
quasi  belligerents.  But  the  warriors  of  the  prairies  were 
the  guests  of  Uncle  Sam,  and  the  old  gentleman,  after  all, 
has  a  long  arm,  and  can  extend  it  from  Washington  to 
Ravensnest  without  much  effort.  He  was  not  to  be  offend- 
ed heedlessly,  therefore  ;  for  his  power  was  especially  to  be 
dreaded  in  this  matter  of  the  coveaants,  without  which 
Injins  and  agitation  would  be  altogether  unnecessary  to  at- 
taining the  great  object,  the  Albany  politicians  being  so  well 
disposed  to  do  all  they  can  for  the  ''virtuous and  honest." 
Uncle  Sam's  Indians,  consequently,  were  held  a  good  deal 
more  in  respect  than  the  laws  of  the  State,  and  they  conse- 
quently escaped  being  murdered  in  their  sleep. 

When  Jaaf  first  drew  our  attention  to  the  Injins,  they 
were  advancing  in  a  long  line,  by  the  highway,  and  at  a 
moderate  pace  ;  leaving  us  time  to  shift  our  own  position, 
did  we  deem  it  necessary.  My  uncle  was  of  opinion  it 
would  never  do  to  remain  out  on  the  lawn,  exposed  to  so 
great  a  superiority  of  force,  and  he  took  his  measures  ac- 
cordingly. In  the  first  place,  the  females,  mistresses  and 
maids — and  there  were  eight  or  ten  of  the  last — were  re- 
quested to  retire,  at  once,  to  the  house.  The  latter,  with 
John  at  their  head,  were  directed  to  close  all  the  lower 
outside  shutters  of  the  building,  and  secure  them  within. 
This  done,  and  the  gate  and  two  outer  doors  fastened,  it 
would  not  be  altogether  without  hazard  to  make  an  assault 
on  our  fortress.  As  no  one  required  a  second  request  to 
move,  this  part  of  the  precaution  was  soon  effected,  and 
the  house  placed  in  a  species  of  temporary  security. 

While  the  foregoing  was  in  the  course  of  execution, 
26 


402  THE  REDSKINS. 

Susquesus  and  Jaaf  were  induced  to  change  their  positions, 
by  transferring  themselves  to  the  piazza.  That  change 
was  made,  and  the  two  old  fellows  were  comfortably  seated 
in  their  chairs  again  before  a  single  man  of  the  redskins 
moved  a  foot.  There  they  all  remained,  motionless  as  so 
many  statues,  with  the  exception  that  Flintyheart  seemed 
to  be  reconnoitring  with  his  eyes  the  thicket  that  fringed 
the  neighboring  ravine,  and  which  formed  a  bit  of  dense 
cover,  as  already  described,  of  some  considerable  extent. 

"Do  you  wish  the  redskins  in 'the  house,  colonel?" 
asked  the  interpreter,  coolly,  when  matters  had  reached  to 
this  pass  ;  "  if  you  do,  it-s  time  to  speak,  or  they'll  soon  be 
off,  like  a  flock  of  pigeons,  into  that  cover.  There'll  be  a 
fight  as  sartainas  they  move,  for  there's  no  more  joke  and 
making  of  faces  about  them  critturs  than  there  is  about  a 
mile-stone.  So  it's  best  to  speak  in  time." 

No  delay  occurred  after  this  hint  was  given.  The  re- 
quest of  my  uncle  Ro  that  the  chiefs  would  follow  the 
Upright  Onondago  was  just  in  time  to  prevent  a  flight  ;  in 
the  sense  of  Manytongues,  I  mean,  for  it  was  not  very 
likely  these  warriors  would  literally  run  away.  It  is  prob- 
able that  they  would  have  preferred  the  cover  of  the  woods 
as  more  natural  and  familiar  to  them — but  I  remarked,  as 
the  whole  party  came  on  the  piazza,  that  Flintyheart,  in 
particular,  cast  a  quick,  scrutinizing  glance  at  the  house, 
which  said  in  pretty  plain  language  that  he  was  examining 
its  capabilities  as  a  work  of  defence.  The  movement, 
however,  was  made  with  perfect  steadiness ;  and,  what  most 
surprised  us  all,  was  the  fact  that  not  one  of  the  chiefs  ap- 
peared to  pay  the  slightest  attention  to  their  advancing 
foes  ;  or  men  whom  it  was  reasonable  for  them  to  suppose 
so  considered  themselves  to  be.  We  imputed  this  extra- 
ordinary reserve  to  force  of  character,  and  a  desire  to 
maintain  a  calm  and  dignified  deportment  in  the  presence 
of  Susquesus.  If  it  were  really  the  latter  motive  that  so 
completely  restrained  every  exhibition  of  impatience,  ap- 
prehension, or  disquietude,  they  had  every  reason  to  con- 
gratulate themselves  on  the  entire  success  of  their  charac- 
teristic restraint  on  their  feelings. 

The  Injins  were  just  appearing  on  the  lawn  as  our  ar- 
rangements were  completed.  John  had  come  to  report 
every  shutter  secure,  and  the  gate  and  little  door  barred. 
He  also  informed  us  that  all  the  men  and  boys  who  could 
be  mustered,  including  gardeners,  laborers,  and  stable 
people,  to  the  number  of  five  or  six,  were  in  the  little 


THE  REDSKINS.  403 

passage,  armed  ;  where  rifles  were  ready  also  for  ourselves. 
In  short,  the  preparations  that  had  been  made  by  my  grand- 
mother, immediately  after  her  arrival,  were  now  of  use, 
and  enabled  us  to  make  much  more  formidable  resistance, 
sustained  as  we  were  by  the  party  from  the  prairies,  than  I 
could  have  ever  hoped  for  on  so  sudden  an  emergency. 

Our  arrangement  was  very  simple.  The  ladies  were 
seated  near  the  great  door,  in  order  that  they  might.be 
placed  under  cover  the  first,  in  the  event  of  necessity ; 
Susquesus  and  Jaaf  had  their  chairs  a  little  on  one  side, 
but  quite  near  this  group,  and  the  men  from  the  far  west  oc- 
cupied the  opposite  end  of  the  piazza,  whither  the  benches 
had  been  removed,  for  their  accommodation.  Manytongues 
stood  between  the  two  divisions  of  our  company,  ready  to 
interpret  for  either  ;  while  my  uncle,  myself,  John,  and  two 
or  three  of  the  other  servants  took  position  behind  our  aged 
friends.  Seneca  and  his  fellow-incendiary  were  in  the  midst 
of  the  chiefs. 

It  was  just  as  the  Injins  had  got  fairly  on  the  lawn  that 
we  heard  the  clattering  of  hoofs,  and  every  eye  was  turned 
in  the  direction  whence  the  sound  proceeded.  This  was 
on  the  side  of  the  ravine,  and  to  me  it  seemed  from  the  first 
that  some  one  was  approaching  us  through  that  dell.  So 
it  proved,' truly ;  for  soon  Opportunity  came  galloping  up 
the  path,  and  appeared  in  sight.  She  did  not  check  her 
horse  until  under  the  tree,  where  she  alighted,  by  a  single 
bound,  and  hitching  the  animal  to  a  hook  in  the  tree,  she 
moved  swiftly  toward  the  house.  My  sister  Patt  advanced 
to  the  steps  of  the  piazza  to  receive  this  unexpected  guest, 
and  I  was  just  behind  her  to  make  my  bow.  But  the  salu- 
tations of  Opportunity  were  hasty  and  far  from  being  very 
composed.  She  glanced  around  her,  ascertained  the  pre- 
cise condition  of  her  brother — and,  taking  my  arm,  she  led 
me  into  the  library  with  very  little,  or,  indeed,  with  no 
ceremony ;  for,  to  give  this  young  woman  her  due,  she 
was  a  person  of  great  energy  when  there  was  anything 
serious  to  be  done.  The  only  sign  of  deviating,  in  the 
slightest  degree,  from  the  object  in  view,  was  pausing,  one 
instant,  in  passing,  to  make  her  compliments  to  my  grand- 
mother. 

"  What,  in  the  name  of  wonder,  do  you  mean  to  do  with 
Sen  ?"  demanded  this  active  young  lady,  looking  at  me  in- 
tently, with  an  expression  half-hostile,  half-tender.  "  You 
are  standing  over  an  earthquake,  Mr.  Hugh,  if  you  did  but 
know  it." 


404  THE   REDSKINS. 

Opportunity  had  confounded  the  effect  with  the  cause, 
but  that  was  of  little  moment  on  an  occasion  so  interest- 
ing. She  was  much  in  earnest,  and  I  had  learned  by  expe- 
rience that  her  hints  and  advice  might  be  of  great  service 
io  us  at  the  Nest. 

"  To  what  particular  danger  do  you  allude,  my  dear  Op- 
portunity ?" 

"Ah,  Hugh  !  if  things  was  only  as  they  used  to  be,  how 
happy  might  we  all  be  together  here  at  Ravensnest !  But, 
there  is  no  time  to  talk  of  such  things  ;  for,  as  Sarah  Sooth- 
ings  says,  '  the  heart  is  most  monopolized  when  grief  is  the 
profoundest,  and  it  is  only  when  our  sentiments  rise  freely 
to  the  surface  of  the  imagination,  that  the  mind  escapes 
the  shackles  of  thraldom.'  But  I  haven't  a  minute  for^ 
Sarah  Soothings,  even,  just  now.  Don't  you  see  the  In- 
jins  ?" 

"  Quite  plainly,  and  they  probably  see  my  *  Indians.' " 

"  Oh !  they  don't  regard  them  now  the  least  in  the 
world.  At  first,  when  they  thought  you  might  have  hired 
a  set  of  desperate  wretches  to  scalp  the  folks,  there  was 
some  misgivings  ;  but  the  whole  story  is  now  known,  and 
nobody  cares  a  straw  about  them.  If  anybody's  scalp  is 
taken,  'twill  be  their  own.  Why,  the  whole  country  is  up, 
and  the  report  has  gone  forth,  far  and  near,  that  you  have 
brought  in  with  you  a  set  of  blood-thirsty  savages  from 
the  prairies  to  cut  the  throats  of  women  and  children,  and 
drive  off  the  tenants,  that  you  may  get  all  the  farms  into 
your  own  hands  before  the  lives  fall  in.  Some  folks  say, 
these  savages  have  had  a  list  of  all  the  lives  named  in 
your  leases  given  to  them,  and  that  they  are  to  make  way 
with  all  such  people  first,  that  you  may  have  the  law  as 
much  as  possible  on  your  side.  You  stand  on  an  earth- 
quake, Mr.  Hugh  ;  you  do,  indeed!" 

"  My  dear  Opportunity,"  I  answered,  laughing,  "  I  am 
infinitely  obliged  to  you  for  all  this  attention  to  my  inter- 
ests, and  freely  own  that  on  Saturday  night  you  were  of 
great  service  to  me  ;  but  I  must  now  think  that  you  mag- 
nify the  danger — that  you  color  the  picture  too  high." 

"  Not  in  the  least,  I  do  protest,  you  stand  on  an  earth- 
quake ;  and  as  your  friend,  I  have  ridden  over  here  to  tell 
you  as  much,  while  there  is  yet  time." 

"  To  get  off  it,  I  suppose  you  mean.  But  how  can  all 
these  evil  and  blood-thirsty  reports  be  abroad,  when  the 
characters  of  the  Western  Indians  are,  as  you  own  your- 
self, understood,  and  the  dread  of  them  that  did  exist  in 


THE  REDSKINS.  405 

the  town  has  entirely  vanished  ?  There  is  a  contradiction 
in  this." 

"  Why,  you  know  how  it  is,  in  anti-rent  times.  When 
an  excitement  is  needed,  folks  don't  stick  at  facts  very 
closely,  but  repeat  things,  and  make  things,  just  as  it  hap- 
pens to  be  convenient." 

"  True  ;  I  can  understand  this,  and  have  no  difficulty  in 
believing  you  now.  But  have  you  come  here  this  morn- 
ing simply  to  let  me  know  the  danger  which  besets  me 
from  this  quarter  ? " 

"  I  believe  I'm  always  only  too  ready  to  gallop  over  to 
the  Nest !  But  everybody  has  some  weakness  or  other, 
and  I  suppose  I  am  to  be  no  exception  to  the  rule,"  re- 
turned Opportunity,  who  doubtless  fancied  the  moment 
propitious  to  throw  in  a  volley  toward  achieving  her  great 
conquest,  and  who  reinforced  that  volley  of  words  with 
such  a  glance  of  the  eye,  as  none  but  a  most  practised 
picaroon  on  the  sea  of  flirtation  could  have  thrown.  But, 
Hugh — I  call  you  Hugh,  Mr.  Littlepage,  for  you  seem 
more  like  Hugh  to  me,  than  like  the  proud,  evil-minded 
aristocrat,  arid  hard-hearted  landlord,  that  folks  want  to 
make  you  out  to  be — but  I  never  could  have  told  you 
what  I  did  last  night,  had  I  supposed  it  would  bring  Sen 
into  this  difficulty." 

"  I  can  very  well  understand  how  unpleasantly  you  are 
situated  as  respects  your  brother,  Opportunity,  and  your 
friendly  services  will  not  be  forgotten  in  the  management 
of  his  affairs." 

"  If  you  are  of  this  mind,  why  won't  you  suffer  these 
Injins  to  get  him  out  of  the  hands  of  your  real  savages," 
returned  Opportunity,  coaxingly.  "  I'll  promise  for  him 
that  Sen  will  go  off,  and  stay  off  for  some  months,  if  you 
insist  on't ;  when  all  is  forgotten,  he  can  come  back 
again." 

"Is  the  release  of  your  brother,  then,  the  object  of  this 
visit  from  the  Injins  ? " 

"Partly  so — they're  bent  on  having  him.  He's  in  all 
the  secrets  of  the  anti-renters,  and  they're  afraid  for  their 
very  lives,  so  long  as  he's  in  your  hands.  Should  he  get 
a  little  scared,  and  give  up  only  one-quarter  of  what  he 
knows,  there'd  be  no  peace  in  the  county  for  a  twelve- 
month." 

At  this  instant,  and  before  there  was  time  to  make  an 
answer,  I  was  summoned  to  the  piazza,  the  Injins  ap- 
proaching so  near  as  to  induce  my  uncle  to  step  to  the 


4o6  THE  REDSKINS. 

door  and  call  my  name  in  a  loud  voice.  I  was  compelled 
to  quit  Opportunity,  who  did  not  deem  it  prudent  to  show 
herself  among  us,  though  her  presence  in  the  house,  as  an 
intercessor  for  her  brother,  could  excite  neither  suiprise 
nor  resentment. 

When  I  reached  the  piazza,  the  Injins  had  advanced  as 
far  as  the  tree  where  we  had  first  been  posted,  and  there 
they  had  halted,  seemingly  for  a  conference.  In  their 
rear,  Mr.  Warren  was  walking  hurriedly  toward  us,  keep- 
ing the  direct  line,  regardless  of  those  whom  we  well 
knew  to  be  inimical  to  him,  and  intent  only  on  reaching 
the  house  before  it  could  be  gained  by  the  "  disguised  and 
armed."  This  little  circumstance  gave  rise  to  an  incident 
of  touching  interest,  and  which  I  cannot  refrain  from  re- 
lating, though  it  may  interrupt  the  narration  of  matters 
that  others  may  possibly  think  of  more  moment. 

Mr.  Warren  did  not  pass  directly  through  the  crowd  of 
rioters — for  such  those  people  were,  in  effect,  unless  the 
epithet  should  be  changed  to  the  still  more  serious  one  of 
rebels — but  he  made  a  little  detour,  in  order  to  prevent  a 
collision  that  was  unnecessary.  When  about  half-way  be- 
tween the  tree  and  the  piazza,  however,  the  Injins  gave  a 
discordant  yell,  and  many  of  them  sprang  forward,  as  if 
in  haste  to  overtake,  and  probably  to  arrest  him.  Just  as 
we  all  involuntarily  arose,  under  a  common  feeling  of  in- 
terest in  the  fate  of  the  good  rector,  Mary  darted  from  the 
piazza,  was  at  her  father's  side  and  in  his  arms  so  quickly, 
as  to  seem  to  have  flown  there.  Clinging  to  his  side,  she 
appeared  to  urge  him  toward  us.  But  Mr.  Warren  adopted 
a  course  much  wiser  than  that  of  flight  would  have  been. 
Conscious  of  having  said  or  done  no  more  than  his  duty, 
he  stopped  and  faced  his  pursuers.  The  act  of  Mary 
Warren  had  produced  a  check  to  the  intended  proceed- 
ings of  these  lawless  men,  and  the  calm,  dignified  aspect 
of  the  divine  completed  his  conquest.  The  leaders  of  the 
Injins  paused,  conferred  together,  when  all  who  had  is- 
sued from  the  main  body  returned  to  their  companions 
beneath  the  tree,  leaving  Mr.  Warren  and  his  charming 
daughter  at  liberty  to  join  us  unmolested,  and  with  de- 
corum. 

The  instant  Mary  Warren  left  the  piazza  on  her  pious 
errand,  I  sprang  forward  to  follow  her  with  an  impulse  I 
could  not  control.  Although  my  own  power  over  this  im- 
pulsive movement  was  so  small,  that  of  my  uncle  and  grand- 
mother was  greater.  The  former  seized  the  skirt  of  my 


THE  REDSKINS.  407 

frock,  and  held  me  back  by.  main  strength,  while  the  light 
touch  of  the  latter  had  even  greater  power.  Both  remon- 
strated, and  with  so  much  obvious  justice,  that  I  saw  the 
folly  of  what  I  was  about  in  an  instant,  and  abandoned  my 
design.  Had /fallen  into  the  hands  of  the  anti-renters, 
their  momentary  triumph,  at  least,  would  have  been  com- 
plete. 

Mr.  Warren  ascended  the  steps  of  the  piazza,  with  a 
mien  as  unaltered,  and  an  air  as  undisturbed,  as  if  about 
to  enter  his  own  church.  The  good  old  gentleman  had  so 
schooled  his  feelings,  and  was  so  much  accustomed  to 
view  himself  as  especially  protected,  or  as  so  ready  to  suf- 
fer, when  in  the  discharge  of  any  serious  duty,  that  I  have 
had  occasions  to  ascertain  fear  was  unknown  to  him.  As 
for  Mary,  never  had  she  appeared  so  truly  lovely,  as  she 
ascended  the  steps,  still  clinging  fondly  and  confidingly 
to  his  arm.  The  excitement  of  such  a  scene  had  brought 
more  than  the  usual  quantity  of  blood  into  her  face,  and 
the  brilliancy  of  her  eyes  was  augmented  by  that  circum- 
stance, perhaps  ;  but  I  fancied  that  a  more  charming  pict- 
ure of  feminine  softness,  blended  with  the  self-devotion  of 
^he  child,  could  not  have  been  imagined  by  the  mind  of 
man. 

Patt,  dear,  generous  girl,  sprang  forward  to  embrace  her 
friend,  which  she  did  with  warmth  and  honest  fervor,  and 
my  venerable  grandmother  kissed  her  on  both  cheeks, 
while  the  other  two  girls  were  not  backward  in  giving  the 
customary  signs  of  the  sympathy  of  their  sex.  My  uncle 
Ro  even  went  so  far  as  gallantly  to  kiss  her  hand,  causing 
the  poor  girl's  face  to  be  suffused  with  blushes,  while  poor 
Hugh  was  obliged  to  keep  in  the  background,  and  content 
himself  with  looking  his  admiration.  I  got  one  glance,  how- 
ever, from  the  sweet  creature,  that  was  replete  with  con- 
solation, since  it  assured  me  that  my  forbearance  was  un- 
derstood, and  attributed  to  its  right  motive. 

In  that  singular  scene,  the  men  of  the  prairies  alone 
appeared  to  be  unmoved.  Even  the  domestics  and  work- 
men had  betrayed  a  powerful  interest  in  this  generous  act 
of  Mary  Warren's,  the  females  all  screaming  in  chorus, 
very  much  as  a  matter  of  course.  But,  not  an  Indian 
moved.  Scarce  one  turned  his  eyes  from  the  countenance 
of  Susquesus,  though  all  must  have  been  conscious  that 
something  of  interest  was  going  on  so  near  them,  by  the 
concern  we  betrayed  ;  and  all  certainly  knew  that  their 
enemies  were  hard  by.  As  respects  the  last,  I  have  sup« 


408  THE   REDSKINS. 

posed  the  unconcern,  or  seeming  unconcern  of  these  western 
warriors,  ought  to  be  ascribed  *to  the  circumstance  of  the 
presence  of  the  ladies,  and  an  impression  that  there  could 
be  no  very  imminent  risk  of  hostilities  while  the  company 
then  present  remained  together.  The  apathy  of  the  chiefs 
seemed  to  be  extended  to  the  interpreter,  who  was  coolly 
lighting  his  pipe  at  the  very  moment  when  the  whole  affair 
of  the  Warren  episode  occurred  ;  an  occupation  that 
was  not  interrupted  by  the  clamor  and  confusion  among 
ourselves. 

As  there  was  a  delay  in  the  nearer  approach  of  the  In- 
jins,  there  was  leisure  to  confer  together  for  a  moment. 
Mr.  Warren  told  us,  therefore,  that  he  had  seen  the  "  dis- 
guised and  armed  "  pass  the  rectory,  ar^d  had  followed  in 
order  to  act  as  a  mediator  between  us  and  any  contem- 
plated harm. 

"  The  destruction  of  the  canopy  of  Hugh's  pew  must 
have  given  you  a  serious  intimation  that  things  were  com- 
ing to  a  head,"  observed  my  grandmother. 

Mr.  Warren  had  not  heard  of  the  affair  of  the  canopy,  at 
all.  Although  living  quite  within  sound  of  a  hammer  used 
in  the  church,  everything  had  been  conducted  with  so 
much  management,  that  the  canopy  had  been  taken  down, 
and  removed  bodily,  without  any  one  in  the  rectory's 
knowing  the  fact.  The  latter  had  become  known  at  the 
Nest,  solely  by  the  circumstance  that  the  object  which  had 
so  lately  canopied  aristocracy  in  St.  Andrew's,  Ravensrest, 
was  now  canopying  pigs  up  at  the  farm  house.  The  good 
divine  expressed  his  surprise  a  little  strongly,  and,  as  I 
thought,  his  regrets  a  little  indifferently.  He  was  not  one 
to  countenance  illegality  and  violence,  and  least  of  all  that 
peculiarly  American  vice,  envy  ;  but,  on  the  other  hand,  he 
was  not  one  to  look  with  favor  on  the  empty  distinctions, 
as  set  up  between  men  equally  sinners  and  in  need  of 
grace  to  redeem  them  from  a  common  condemnation,  in 
the  house  of  God.  As  the  grave  is  known  to  be  the  great 
leveller  of  the  human  race,  so  ought  the  church  to  be  used 
as  a  preparatory  step  in  descending  to  the  plain  all  must 
occupy,  in  spirit  at  least,  before  they  can  hope  to  be  ele- 
vated to  any,  even  of  the  meanest  places,  among  the  many 
mansions  of  our  Father's  bosom  ! 

There  was  but  a  short  breathing  time  given  us,  however, 
before  the  Injins  again  advanced.  It  was  soon  evident 
they  did  not  mean  to  remain  mere  idle  spectators  of  the 
scene  that  was  in  the  course  of  enactment  on  the  piazza 


THE  REDSKINS.  409 

but  that  it  was  their  intention  to  become  actors,  in  some 
mode  or  other.  Forming  themselves  into  a  line,  that 
savored  a  great  deal  more  of  the  militia  of  this  great 
republic  than  of  the  warriors  of  the  West,  they  came  on 
tramping,  with  the  design  of  striking  terror  into  our  souls. 
Our  arrangements  were  made,  however,  and  on  our  part 
everything  was  conducted  just  as  one  could  have  wished. 
The  ladies,  influenced  by  my  grandmother,  retained  their 
seats,  near  the  door ;  the  men  of  the  household  were 
standing,  but  continued  stationary,  while  not  an  Indian 
stirred.  As  for  Susquesus,  he  had  lived  far  beyond  sur- 
prises and  all  emotions^of  the  lower  class,  and  the  men  of 
the  prairies  appeared  to  take  their  cues  from  him.  So 
long  as  he  continued  immovable,  they  seemed  disposed  to 
remain  immovable  also. 

The  distance  between  the  tree  and  the  piazza,  did  not 
much  exceed  a  hundred  yards,  and  little  time  was  neces- 
sary to  march  across  it.  I  remarked,  however,  that,  con- 
trary to  the  laws  of  attraction,  the  nearer  the  Injins'  line 
got  to  its  goal,  the  slower  and  more  unsteady  its  move- 
ment became.  It  also  lost  its  formation,  bending  into 
curves,  though  its  tramps  became  louder  and  louder,  as  if 
those  who  were  in  it,  wished  to  keep  alive  their  own 
courage  by  noise.  When  within  fifty  feet  of  the  steps, 
they  ceased  to  advance  at  all  merely,  stamping  with  their 
feet,  as  if  hoping  to  frighten  us  into  flight.  I  thought  this 
a  favorable  moment  to  do  that  which  it  had  been  decided 
between  my  uncle  and  myself  ought  to  be  done  by  me,  as 
owner  of  the  property  these  lawless  men  had  thus  invaded. 
Stepping  to  the  front  of  the  piazza,  I  made  a  sign  for  at- 
tention. The  tramping  ceased  all  at  once,  and  I  had  a 
profound  silence  for  my  speech. 

"You  know  me,  all  of  you,"  I  said,  quietly  I  know,  and 
I  trust  firmly  ;  "  and  you  know,  therefore,  that  I  am  the 
owner  of  this  house  and  these  lands.  As  such  owner,  I 
order  every  man  among  you  to  quit  the  place,  and  to  go 
into  the  highway,  or  upon  the  property  of  some  other  per- 
son. Whoever  remains,  after  this  notice,  will  be  a  tres- 
passer, and  the  evil  done  by  a  trespasser  is  doubly  serious 
in  the  eyes  of  the  law." 

I  uttered  these  words  loud  enough  to  be  heard  by  every- 
body present,  but  I  cannot  pretend  that  they  were  attended 
by  much  success.  The  calico  bundles  turned  toward  each 
other,  and  there  was  an  appearance  of  a  sort  of  commo- 
tion, but  the  leaders  composed  the  people>  the  omnipotent 


410  THE   REDSKINS. 

people  in  this  instance,  as  they  do  in  most  others.  The 
sovereignty  of  the  mass  is  a  capital  thing  as  a  principle, 
and  once  in  a  long  while  it  evinces  a  great  good  in  prac- 
tice ;  in  a  certain  sense,  it  is  always  working  good,  by  hold- 
ing a  particular  class  of  most  odious  and  intolerable  abuses 
in  check  ;  but  as  for  the  practice  of  every-day  political 
management,  their  imperial  majesties,  the  sovereigns  of 
America,  of  whom  I  happen  to  be  one,  have  quite  as  little 
connection  with  the  measures  they  are  made  to  seem  to  de- 
mand, and  to  sustain,  as  the  Nawab  of  Oude  ;  if  the  Eng- 
lish, who  are  so  disinterested  as  to  feel  a  generous  con- 
cern for  the  rights  of  mankind,  whenever  the  great  republic 
adds  a  few  acres  to  the  small  paternal  homestead,  have  left 
any  such  potentate  in  existence. 

So  it  was  with  the  decision  of  the  "  disguised  and  armed," 
on  the  occasion  I  am  describing.  They  decided  that  no 
other  notice  should  be  taken  of  my  summons  to  quit,  than 
a  contemptuous  yell,  though  they  had  to  ascertain  from 
their  leaders  what  they  had  decided  before  they  knew  them- 
selves. The  shout  was  pretty  general,  notwithstanding, 
and  it  had  one  good  effect  ;  that  of  satisfying  the  Injins 
themselves,  that  they  had  made  a  clear  demonstration  oi 
their  contempt  of  my  authority,  which  they  fancied  victory 
sufficient  for  the  moment ;  nevertheless,  the  demonstration 
did  not  end  exactly  here.  Certain  cries,  and  a  brief  dia- 
logue, succeeded,  which  it  may  be  well  to  record. 

"King  Littlepage,"  called  out  one,  from  among  the  "  dis- 
guised and  armed,"  "what  has  become  of  your  throne  ? 
St.  Andrew's  meeting-'us'  has  lost  its  monarch's  throne  ! " 

"His  pigs  have  set  up  for  great  aristocrats  of  late  ;  pres- 
ently they'll  want  to  be  patroons." 

"  Hugh  Littlepage,  be  a  man  ;  come  down  to  a  level 
with  your  fellow-citizens,  and  don't  think  yourself  any  bet- 
ter than  other  folks.  You're  but  flesh  and  blood,  a'ter  all." 

"  Why  don't  you  invite  me  to  come  and  dine  with  you 
as  well  as  priest  Warren  ?  I  can  eat,  as  well  as  any  man  in 
the  country,  and  as  much." 

"  Yes,  and  he'll  drink,  too,  Hugh  Littlepage  ;  so  provide 
your  best  liquor  the  day  he's  to  be  invited." 

All  this  passed  for  wit  among  the  Injins,  and  among  that 
portion  of  the  "virtuous  and  honest  and  hard-working, ': 
who  not  only  kept  them  on  foot,  but  on  this  occasion  kept 
them  company  also  ;  it  having  since  been  ascertained  that 
about  one-half  of  that  band  was  actually  composed  of  the 
tenants  of  the  Ravensnest  farms.  I  endeavored  to  keep 


THE   REDSKINS.  411 

myself  cool,  and  succeeded  pretty  Avell,  considering  the  in- 
ducements there  were  to  be  angry.  Argument  with  such 
men  was  out  of  the  question — and  knowing  their  numbers 
and  physical  superiority,  they  held  my  legal  rights  in  con- 
tempt. What  was  probably  worse  than  all,  they  knew  that 
the  law  itself  was  administered  by  the  people,  and  that  they 
had  little  to  apprehend,  and  did  apprehend  virtually  noth- 
ing from  any  of  the  pains  and  penalties  it  might  undertake 
to  inflict,  should  recourse  be  had  to  it  at  any  future  day. 
Ten  or  a  dozen  wily  agents  sent  through  the  country  to 
circulate  lies,  and  to  visit  the  county  town  previously  to, 
and  during  a  trial,  in  order  to  raise  a  party  that  will  act 
more  or  less  directly  on  the  minds  of  the  jurors,  with  a 
newspaper  or  two  to  scatter  untruths  and  prejudices,  would 
at  least  be  as  effective,  at  the  critical  moment,  as  the  law, 
the  evidence,  and  the  right.  As  for  the  judges,  and  their 
charges,  they  have  lost  most  of  their  influence,  under  the 
operation  of  this  nefarious  system,  and  count  but  for  very 
little  in  the  administration  of  justice  either  at  Nisi  Prius  or 
at  Oyer  Terminer.  These  are  melancholy  truths,  that  any 
man  who  quits  his  theories  and  descends  into  the  arena  of 
practice  will  soon  ascertain  to  be  such,  to  his  wonder  and 
alarm,  if  he  be  a  novice  and  an  honest  man.  A  portion  of 
this  unhappy  state  of  things  is  a  consequence  of  the  legis- 
lative tinkering  that  has  destroyed  one  of  the  most  health- 
ful provisions  of  the  common  law,  in  prohibiting  the  judges 
to  punish  for  contempt,  unless  for  outrages  committed  in 
open  court.  The  press,  in  particular,  now  profits  by  this 
impunity,  and  influences  the  decision  of  nearly  every  case 
that  can  at  all  enlist  public  feeling.  All  these  things  men 
feel,  and  few  who  are  wrong  care  for  the  law  ;  for  those 
who  are  right,  it  is  true,  there  is  still  some  danger.  My 
uncle  Ro  says  America  is  no  more  like  what  America  was 
in  this  respect  twenty  years  since,  than  Kamtschatka  is 
like  Italy.  For  myself,  I  wish  to  state  the  truth  ;  exagger- 
ating nothing,  nor  yet  taking  refuge  in  a  dastardly  con- 
cealment. 

Unwilling  to  be  browbeaten  on  the  threshold  of  my  own 
door,  I  determined  to  say  something  ere  I  returned  to  my 
place.  Men  like  these  before  me  can  never  understand 
that  silence  proceeds  from  contempt ;  and  I  fancied  it  best 
to  make  some  sort  of  a  reply  to  the  speeches  I  have  re- 
corded, and  to  twenty  more  of  the  same  moral  calibre. 
Motioning  for  silence,  I  again  obtained  it. 

"  I  have  ordered  you  to  quit  my  lawn,  in  the  character 


412  THE   REDSKINS. 

of  its  owner,"  I  said,  "  and,  by  remaining,  you  make  your- 
selves trespassers.  As  for  what  you  have  done  to  my  pew, 
I  should  thank  you  for  it,  had  it  not  been  done  in  viola- 
tion of  the  right ;  for  it  was  fully  my  intention  to  have 
that  canopy  removed  as  soon  as  the  feeling  about  it  had 
subsided.  I  am  as  much  opposed  to  distinctions  of  any 
sort  in  the  house  of  God  as  any  of  you  can  be,  and  desire 
them  not  for  myself,  or  any  belonging  to  me.  I  ask  for 
nothing  but  equal  rights  with  all  my  fellow-citizens  ;  that 
my  property  should  be  as  much  protected  as  theirs,  but  not 
more  so.  But  I  do  not  conceive  that  you  or  any  man  has 
a  right  to  ask  to  share  in  my  world's  goods  any  more  than 
I  have  a  right  to  ask  to  share  in  his  ;  that  you  can  more 
justly  claim  a  portion  of  my  lands  than  I  can  claim  a  share 
in  your  cattle  and  crops.  It  is  a  poor  rule  that  does  not 
work  both  ways." 

"  You're  an  aristocrat,"  cried  one  from  among  the  In- 
jins,  "  or  you'd  be  willing  to  let  other  men  have  as  much 
land  as  you've  got  yourself.  You're  a  patroon  ;  and  all 
patroons  are  aristocrats  and  hateful." 

"  An  aristocrat,"  I  answered,  "  is  one  of  a  few  who  wield 
political  power.  The  highest  birth,  the  largest  fortune, 
the  most  exclusive  association  v/x>uld  not  make  an  aristo- 
crat, without  the  addition  of  a  narrow  political  power.  In 
this  country  there  are  no  aristocrats,  because  there  is  no 
narrow  political  power.  There  is,  however,  a  spurious 
aristocracy  which  you  do  not  recognize,  merely  because  it 
does  not  happen  to  be  in  the  hands  of  gentlemen.  Dema- 
gogues and  editors  are  your  privileged  classes,  and  conse- 
quently your  aristocrats,  and  none  others.  As  for  your 
landlord  aristocrats,  listen  to  a  true  tale,  which  will  satisfy 
you  how  far  they  deserve  to  be  called  an  aristocracy. 
Mark  !  what  I  now  tell  you  is  religious  truth,  and  it  de- 
serves to  be  known  far  and  near,  wherever  your  cry  of 
aristocracy  reaches.  There  is  a  landlord  in  this  State,  a 
man  of  large  means,  who  became  liable  for  the  debts  of 
another  to  a  considerable  amount.  At  the  very  moment 
when  his  rents  could  not  be  collected,  owing  to  your  inter- 
ference and  the  rernissness  of  those  in  authority  to  enforce 
the  laws,  the  sheriff  entered  Jiis  house  and  sold  its  con- 
tents, in  order  to  satisfy  an  execution  against  him!  There 
is  American  aristocracy  for  you,  and,  I  am  sorry  to  add, 
American  justice,  as  justice  has  got  to  be  administered 
among  us." 

I  was  not  disappointed  in  the  effect  of  this  narration  of 


THE  REDSKIN'S.  413 

what  is  a  sober  truth.  Wherever  I  have  told  it,  it  has  con- 
founded even  the  most  brawling  demagogue,  and  momen- 
tarily revived  in  his  breast  some  of  those  principles  of 
right  which  God  originally  planted  there.  American 
aristocracy,  in  sooth  !  Fortunate  is  the  gentleman  that 
can  obtain  even  a  reluctant  and  meagre  justice. 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 

"  How  far  that  little  candle  throws  his  beams, 
So  shines  a  good  deed  in  a  naughty  world." 

— SHAKESPEARE. 

I  HAVE  said  that  my  narrative  of  the  manner  in  which 
justice  if  sometimes  meted  out  among  us  was  not  without 
its  effect  on  even  that  rude  band  of  selfish  and  envious 
rioters  :  rude,  because  setting  at  naught  reason  and  the 
law  ;  and  selfish,  because  induced  so  to  do  by  covetousness, 
and  the  desire  to  substitute  the  tenants  for  those  whom 
they  fancied  to  be  better  off  in  the  world  than  they  were 
themselves.  A  profound  stillness  succeeded  ;  and  after 
the  bundles  of  calico  had  whispered  one  with  another  for 
a  moment  or  two,  they  remained  quiet,  seemingly  indis- 
posed, just  then  at  least,  to  molest  us  any  farther.  I  thought 
the  moment  favorable,  and  fell  back  to  my  old  station,  de- 
termined to  let  things  take  their  own  course.  This  change, 
and  the  profound  stillness  that  succeeded,  brought  matters 
back  to  the  visit  of  the  Indians,  and  its  object. 

During  the  whole  time  occupied  by  the  advance  of  the 
"  Injins,"  the  men  of  the  prairies  and  Susquesus  had  con- 
tinued nearly  as  motionless  as  so  many  statues.  It  is  true 
that  the  eyes  of  Flintyheart  were  on  the  invaders,  but  he 
managed  to  take  good  heed  of  them  without  betraying  any 
undue  uneasiness  or  care.  Beyond  this,  I  do  affirm  that  I 
scarce  noted  a  single  sign  of  even  vigilance  among  these 
extraordinary  beings ;  though  Manytongues  afterward  gave 
me  to  understand  that  they  knew  very  well  what  they  were 
about  ;  and  then  I  could  not  be  watching  the  red-men  the 
whole  time.  Now  that  there  was  a  pause,  however,  every- 
body and  thing  seemed  to  revert  to  the  original  visit,  as 
naturally  as  if  no  interruption  had  occurred.  Manytongues, 
by  the  way  of  securing  attention,  called  on  the  Injins,  in 
an  authoritative  voice,  to  offer  no  interruption  to  the  pro- 


4  H  THE  REDSKINS. 

ceedings  of  the  chiefs,  which  had  a  species  of  religious 
sanctity,  and  were  not  to  be  too  much  interfered  with,  with 
impunity. 

"  So  long  as  you  keep  quiet,  my  warriors  will  not  molest 
you,"  he  added  ;  u  but  if  any  man  amongst  you  has  ever 
been  on  the  prer-ies,  he  must  understand  enough  of  the 
nature  of  a  redskin  to  know  that  when  he's  in  'airnest  he 
is  in  'airnest.  Men  who  are  on  a  journey  three  thousand 
miles  in  length,  don't  turn  aside  for  trifles,  which  is  a  sign 
that  serious  business  has  brought  these  chiefs  here." 

Whether  it  was  that  this  admonition  produced  an  effect, 
or  that  curiosity  influenced  the  "disguised  and  armed,"  or 
that  they  did  not  choose  to  proceed  to  extremities,  or  that 
all  three  considerations  had  their  weight,  is  more  than  I 
can  say  ;  but  it  is  fertain  the  whole  band  remained  station- 
ary, quiet  and  interested  observers  of  what  now  occurred, 
until  an  interruption  took  place,  which  will  be  related  in 
proper  time.  Manytongues,  who  had  posted  himself  near 
the  centre  of  the  piazza,  to  interpret,  now  signified  to  the 
chiefs  that  they  might  pursue  their  own  purposes  in  tran- 
quillity. After  a  decent  pause,  the  same  young  warrior 
who  had  "called  up"  Jaaf,  in  the  first  instance,  now  rose 
again,  and  with  a  refinement  in  politeness  that  would  be 
looked  for  in  vain  in  most  of  the  deliberative  bodies  of 
civilized  men,  adverted  to  the  circumstance  that  the  negro 
had  not  finished  his  address,  and  might  have  matter  on  his 
mind  of  which  he  wished  to  be  delivered.  This  was  said 
simply,  but  distinctly  ;  and  it  was  explained  to  the  negro 
by  Manytongues,  who  assured  him  not  one  among  all  the 
chiefs  would  say  a  word  until  the  last  person  u  on  his  legs  " 
had  an  opportunity  of  finishing  his  address.  This  reserve 
marks  the  deportment  of  those  whom  we  call  savages  ; 
men  that  have  their  own  fierce,  and  even  ruthless  customs, 
beyond  all  controversy,  but  who  possess  certain  other  ex- 
cellent qualities  that  do  not  appear  to  flourish  in  the  civil- 
ized state. 

It  was  with  a  good  deal  of  difficulty  that  we  got  old  Jaaf 
up  again  ;  for,  though  a  famous  grumbler,  he  was  not 
much  of  an  orator.  As  it  was  understood  that  no  chief 
would  speak,  however,  until  the  black  had  exhausted  his 
right,  my  dear  Patt  had  to  go,  and  laying  one  of  her  ivory- 
looking  hands  on  the  shoulder  of  the  grim  old  negro,  per- 
suade him  to  rise  and  finish  his  speech.  He  knew  her, 
and  she  succeeded  ;  it  being  worthy  of  remark,  that 
while  this  aged  black  scarce  remembered  for  an  hour  whaf 


THE   REDSKINS.  415 

occurred,  confounding  dates  fearfully,  often  speaking  of 
my  grandmother  as  Miss  Dus,  and  as  if  she  were  still  a  girl, 
he  knew  every  one  of  the  family  then  living,  and  honored 
and  loved  us  accordingly,  at  the  very  moments  he  would 
fancy  we  had  been  present  at  scenes  that  occurred  when 
our  great-grandparents  were  young  people.  But  to  the 
speech — 

"  What  all  them  fellow  want,  bundle  up  in  calico,  like 
so  many  squaw  ?  "  growled  out  Jaaf,  as  soon  as  on  his  legs, 
and  looking  intently  at  the  Injins,  ranged  as  they  were  in 
a  line  four  deep,  quite  near  the  piazza.  "  Why  you  let  'em 
come,  Masser  Hugh,  Masser  Hodge,  Masser  Malbone,  Mas- 
ser  Mordaunt — which  you  be  here,  now,  I  don't  know,  dere 
so  many,  and  it  so  hard  to  'member  ebberyt'ing  ?  Oh  !  I 
so  ole  ! — I  do  won'er  when  my  time  come  !  Dere  Sus,  too, 
he  good  for  nuttin'  at  all.  Once  he  great  walker — great 
warrior — great  hunter — pretty  good  fellow  for  redskin; 
but  he  quite  wore  out.  Don't  see  much  use  why  he  lib 
any  longer.  Injin  good  for  nuttin'  when  he  can't  hunt. 
Sometime  he  make  basket  and  broom  ;  but  they  uses  bet- 
ter broom  now,  and  Injin  lose  dat  business.  What  dem 
calico  debbil  want  here,  eh,  Miss  Patty  ?  Dere  redskin, 
too — two,  t'ree,  four — all  come  to  see  Sus.  Won'er  nigger 
don't  come  to  see  me!  Ole  black  good  as  ole  red-man. 
Where  dem  fellow  get  all  dat  calico,  and  put  over  deir 
faces  ?  Masser  Hodge,  what  all  dat  mean  ?  " 

"  These  are  anti-renters,  Jaaf,"  my  uncle  coldly  answered. 
"  Men  that  wish  to  own  your  Master  Hugh's  farms,  and 
relieve  him  from  the  trouble  of  receiving  any  more  rent. 
They  cover  their  faces,  I  presume,  to  conceal  their  blushes, 
the  modesty  of  their  nature  sinking  under  the  sense  of 
their  own  generosity." 

Although  it  is  not  very  probable  that  Jaaf  understood 
the  whole  of  the  speech,  he  comprehended  a  part  ;  for,  so 
thoroughly  had  his  feelings  been  aroused  on  this  subject,  a 
year  or  two  earlier,  when  his  mind  was  not  quite  so  much 
dimmed  as  at  present,  that  the  impression  made  was  indeli- 
ble. The  effect  of  what  my  uncle  said,  nevertheless,  was 
most  apparent  among  the  Injins,  who  barely  escaped  an 
outbreak.  My  uncle  has  been  blamed  for  imprudence,  in 
having  resorted  to  irony  on  such  an  occasion  ;  but,  after 
all,  I  am  far  from  sure  good  did  not  come  of  it.  Of  one 
thing  I  am  certain  ;  nothing  is  ever  gained  by  temporizing 
on  the  subject  of  principles  ;  that  which  is  right,  had  bet- 
ter always  be  freely  said,  since  it  is  from  the  sacrifices  that 


416  THE   REDSKIN'S. 

are  made  of  the  truth,  as  concession  to  expediency,  thai 
error  obtains  one  half  its  power.  Policy,  or  fear,  or  some 
other  motive,  kept  the  rising  ire  of  the  Injins  under,  how- 
ever, and  no  interruption  occurred,  in  consequence  of  this 
speech. 

"  What  you  want  here,  fellow  ?  "  demanded  Jaaf,  rough- 
ly, and  speaking  as  a  scold  would  break  out  on  some 
intrusive  boy.  "  Home  wid  ye  ! — get  out !  Oh  !  I  do  grow 
so  ole  ! — I  wish  I  was  as  I  was  when  young  for  your  sake, 
you  varmint  !  What  you  want  wid  Masser  Hugh's  land  ? 
— why  dat  you  t'ink  to  get  gentle'em's  property,  eh  ? 
'Member  'e  time  when  your  fadder  come  creepin'  andbeg- 
gin'  to  Masser  Morder,  to  ask  just  little  farm  to  lib  on,  and 
be  he  tenant,  and  try  to  do  a  little  for  he  family,  like ;  and 
now  come,  in  calico  bundle,  to  tell  my  Masser  Hugh  dat  he 
shan't  be  masser  of  he  own  land.  Who  you,  I  want  to 
knew,  to  come  and  talk  to  gentle'em  in  dis  poor  fashion  ? 
Go  home — get  out — off  wid  you,  or  you  hear  what  you 
don't  like." 

Now,  while  there  was  a  good  deal  of  " nigger"  in  this 
argument,  it  was  quite  as  good  as  that  which  was  sometimes 
advanced  in  support  of  the  "spirit  of  the  institutions," 
more  especially  that  part  of  the  latter  which  is  connected 
with  "  aristocracy  "  and  "  poodle  usages."  The  negro  had 
an  idea  that  all  his  "  massers,"  old  and  young,  were  better 
than  the  rest  of  the  human  race  ;  while  the  advocates  of 
the  modern  improvement  seem  to  think  that  every  right  is 
concentrated  in  the  lower  half  of  the  great  "  republican 
family."  Every  gentleman  is  no  gentleman  ;  and  every 
blackguard,  a  gentleman,  for  one  postulate  of  their  great 
social  proposition  ;  and,  what  is  more,  every  man  in  the 
least  elevated  above  the  mass,  unless  so  elevated  by  the 
mass,  who  consequently  retain  the  power  to  pull  him  down 
again,  has  no  rights  at  all,  when  put  in  opposition  to  the 
cravings  of  numbers.  So  that,  after  all,  the  negro  was  not 
much  more  out  of  the  way,  in  his  fashion  of  viewing  things, 
than  the  philosophers  of  industrious  honesty  !  Happily, 
neither  the  reasoning  of  one  of  these  parties,  nor  that  of 
the  other,  has  much  influence  on  the  actual  state  of  things. 
Facts  are  facts,  and  the  flounderings  of  envy  and  covetous- 
ness  can  no  more  shut  men's  eyes  to  their  existence,  and 
prove  that  black  is  white,  than  Jaafs  long-enduring  and 
besetting  notion  that  the  Littlepages  are  the  great  of  the 
earth,  can  make  us  more  than  what  we  certainly  are.  I 
have  recorded  the  negro's  speech,  simply  to  show  some, 


THE  REDSKINS.  417 

who  listen  only  to  the  misstatements  and  opinions  of  those 
who  wish  to  become  owners  of  other  men's  farms,  that 
there  are  two  sides  to  the  question  ;  and,  in  the  way  of  ar- 
gument, I  do  not  see  but  one  is  quite  as  good  as  the  other. 

One  could  hardly  refrain  from  smiling,  notwithstanding 
the  seriousness  of  the  circumstances  in  which  we  were 
placed,  at  the  gravity  of  the  Indians  during  the  continuance 
of  this  queer  episode.  Not  one  of  them  all  rose,  turned 
round,  or  manifested  the  least  impatience,  or  even  curi- 
osity. The  presence  of  two  hundred  armed  me'n,  bagged 
in  calico,  did  not  induce  them  to  look  about  them,  though 
their  previous  experience  with  this  gallant  corps  may  pos- 
sibly have  led  them  to  hold  it  somewhat  cheap. 

The  time  had  now  come  for  the  Indians  to  carry  out  the 
main  design  of  their  visit  to  Ravensnest,  and  Prairiefire 
slowly  arose  to  speak.  The  reader  will  understand  that 
Manytongues  translated,  sentence  by  sentence,  all  that 
passed,  he  being  expert  in  the  different  dialects  of  the 
tribes,  some  of  which  had  carried  that  of  the  Ononda- 
goes  to  the  prairies.  In  this  particular,  the  interpreter 
was  a  somewhat  remarkable  man,  not  only  rendering 
what  was  said  readily  and  without  hesitation,  but  ener- 
getically and  with  considerable  power.  It  may  be  well 
to  add,  however,  that  in  writing  out  the  language  I  may 
have  used  English  expressions  that  are  a  little  more 
choice,  in  some  instances,  than  those  given  by  this  un- 
educated person. 

"  Father,"  commenced  Prairefire,  solemnly,  and  with  a 
dignity  that  it  is  not  usual  to  find  connected  with  modern 
oratory ;  the  gestures  he  used  being  few,  but  of  singular 
force  and  significance — "  Father,  the  minds  of  your  chil- 
dren are  heavy.  They  have  travelled  over  a  long  and 
thorny  path,  with  moccasons  worn  out,  and  feet  that  were 
getting  sore  ;  but  their  minds  were  light.  They  hoped  to 
look  at  the  face  of  the  Upright  Onondago,  when  they  got 
to  the  end  of  the  path.  They  have  come  to  the  end  of 
that  path,  and  they  see  him.  He  looks  as  they  expected 
he  would  look.  He  is  like  an  oak  that  lightning  may  burn, 
and  the  snows  cover  with  moss,  but  which  a  thousand 
storms  and  a  hundred  winters  cannot  strip  of  its  leaves. 
He  looks  like  the  oldest  oak  in  the  forest.  He  is  very 
grand.  It  is  pleasant  to  look  on  him.  When  we  see  him, 
we  see  a  chief  who  knew  our  fathers'  fathers,  and  their 
fathers'  fathers.  That  is  a  long  time  ago.  He  is  a  tradi- 
tion, and  knows  all  things.  There  is  only  one  thing  about 


4i8  THE 

him,  that  ought  not  to  be.  He  w«c  born  a  red-man,  but 
has  lived  so  long  with  the  pale-faces,  that  when  he  does  go 
away  to  the  happy  hunting-ground?,  we  are  afraid  the 
good  spirits  will  mistake  him  for  a  pale-face,  and  point 
out  the  wrong  path.  Should  this  happen,  the  red-men 
would  lose  the  Upright  of  the  Onondagoes,  forever.  It 
should  not  be.  My  father  does  not  wish  it  to  be.  He  will 
think  better.  He  will  come  back  among  his  children,  and 
leave  his  wisdom  and  advice  among  the  people  of  his  own 
color.  I  ask  him  to  do  this. 

"  It  is  a  long  path,  now,  to  the  wigwams  of  red-men.  It 
was  not  so  once,  but  the  path  has  been  stretched.  It  is 
a  very  long  path.  Our  young  men  travel  it  often,  to  visit 
the  graves  of  their  fathers,  and  they  know  how  long  it  is. 
My  tongue  is  not  crooked,  but  it  is  straight  ;  it  will  not 
sing  a  false  song — it  tells  my  father  the  truth.  The  path 
is  very  long.  But  the  pale-faces  are  wonderful  !  What 
have  they  not  done  ?  What  will  they  not  do  ?  They  have 
made  canoes  and  sledges  that  fly  swift  as  the  birds.  The 
deer  could  not  catch  them.  They  have  wings  of  fire,  and 
never  weary.  They  go  when  men  sleep.  The  pith  is  long, 
but  it  is  soon  travelled  with  such  wings.  My  father  can 
make  the  journey,  and  not  think  of  weariness.  Let  him 
try  it.  His  children  will  take  good  care  of  him-  Uncle 
Sam  will  give  him  venison,  and  he  will  want  pothing. 
Then,  when  he  starts  for  the  happy  hunting-grounds,  he 
will  not  mistake  the  path,  and  will  live  with  red-men  for- 
ever." 

A  long,  solemn  pause  succeeded  this  speech,  which  was 
delivered  with  great  dignity  and  emphasis.  I  could  see 
that  Susquesus  was  touched  with  this  request,  and  at  the 
homage  paid  his  character,  by  having  tribes  from  the  prai- 
ries— tribes  of  which  he  had  never  even  heard  through  tra- 
ditions in  his  younger  days — come  so  far  to  do  justice  t<> 
his  character;  to  request  him  to  go  and  die  in  their  midst, 
It  is  true,  he  must  have  known  that  the  fragments  of  the 
old  New  York  tribes  had  mostly  found  their  way  to  those 
distant  regions  ;  nevertheless,  it  could  not  but  be  sooth- 
ing to  learn  that  even  they  had  succeeded  in  making  so 
strong  an  impression  in  his  favor,  by  means  of  their  repre- 
sentations. Most  men  of  his  great  age  would  have  been 
insensible  to  feelings  of  this  sort.  Such,  in  a  great  degree, 
was  the  fact  with  Jaaf ;  but  such  was  not  the  case  with  the 
Onondago.  As  he  said  in  his  former  speech  to  his  visitors, 
his  mind  dwelt  more  on  the  scenes  of  his  youth,  and  native 


THE  REDSKTNS.  41* 

emotions  came  fresher  to  his  spirit,  now,  than  they  had 
done  even  in  middle  age.  All  that  remained  of  his  youth- 
ful fire  seemed  to  be  awakened,  and  he  did  not  appear 
chat  morning,  except  when  compelled  to  walk  and  in  his 
outward  person,  to  be  a  man  who  had  seeii  much  more  than 
his  threescore  years  and  ten. 

As  a  matter  of  course,  now  that  the  chiefs  from  the 
prairies  had  so  distinctly  made  known  the  great  object  of 
their  visit,  and  so  vividly  portrayed  their  desire  to  receive 
back,  into  the  bosom  of  their  communities,  one  of  their 
color  and  race,  it  remained  for  the  Onondago  to  let  the 
manner  in  which  he  viewed  this  proposition  be  known. 
The  profound  stillness  that  reigned  around  him  must  have 
assured  the  old  Indian  how  anxiously  his  reply  was  ex- 
pected. It  extended  even  to  the  "  disguised  and  armed," 
who,  by  this  time,  seemed  to  be  as  much  absorbed  in  the 
interest  of  this  curious  scene  as  any  of  us  who  occupied 
the  piazza.  I  do  believe  that  anti-rentism  was  momentarily 
forgotten  by  all  parties — tenants  as  well  as  landlords, 
Landlords  as  well  as  tenants.  I  dare  say,  Prairiefire  had 
taken  his  seat  three  minutes  ere  Susquesus  arose ;  during 
all  which  time,  the  deep  stillness,  of  which  I  have  spoken, 
prevailed. 

"  My  children,"  answered  the  Onondago,  whose  voice 
possessed  just  enough  of  the  hollow  tremulousness  of  age 
to  render  it  profoundly  impressive,  but  who  spoke  so  dis- 
tinctly as  to  be  heard  by  all  present — "  My  children,  we 
do  not  know  what  will  happen  when  we  are  young — all  is 
young,  too,  that  we  see.  It  is  when  we  grow  old,  that  all 
grows  old  with  us.  Youth  is  full  of  hope  ;  but  age  is  full 
of  eyes  ,  it  sees  things  as  they  are.  I  have  lived  in  my 
wigwam  alone,  since  the  Great  Spirit  called  out  the  name 
of  my  mother,  and  she  hurried  away  to  the  happy  hunting- 
grounds  to  cook  venison  for  my  father,  who  was  called 
first.  My  father  was  a  great  warrior.  You  did  not  know 
him.  He  was  killed  by  the  Delawares,  more  than  a  hun- 
dred winters  ago. 

"  I  have  told  you  the  truth.  When  my  mother  went  to 
cook  venison  for  her  husband,  I  was  left  alone  in  my  wig- 
wam." 

Here  a  long  pause  succeeded,  during  which  Susquesus 
appeared  to  be  struggling  -with  his  own  feelings,  though 
he  continued  erect,  like  a  tree  firmly  rooted.  As  for  the 
chiefs,  most  of  them  inclined  their  bodies  forward  to  listen, 
so  intense  was  their  interest  ;  here  and  there  one  of  their 


420  THE   REDSKINS. 

number  explaining  in  soft  guttural  tones,  certain  passages 
in  the  speech  to  some  other  Indians,  who  did  not  fully 
comprehend  the  dialect  in  which  they  were  uttered.  After 
a  time,  Susquesus  proceeded  :  "Yes,  I  lived  alone.  A  young 
squaw  was  to  have  entered  my  wigwam  and  staid  there. 
She  never  came.  She  wished  to  enter  it,  but  she  did  not. 
Another  warrior  had  her  promise,  and  it  was  right  that  she 
should  keep  her  word.  Her  mind  was  heavy  at  first,  but 
she  lived  to  feel  that  it  is  good  to  be  just.  No  squaw  has 
ever  lived  in  any  wigwam  of  mine.  I  do  not  think  ever  to 
be  a  father:  but  see  how  different  it  has  turned  out!  I  am 
now  the  father  of  all  red-men  !  Every  Indian  warrior  is 
my  son.  You  are  my  children  !  I  will  own  you  when  we 
meet  on  the  pleasant  paths  beyond  the  hunts  you  make  to- 
day. You  will  call  me  father,  and  I  will  call  you  sons. 

"  That  will  be  enough.  You  ask  me  to  go  on  the  long 
path  with  you,  and  leave  my  bones  on  the  prairies.  I  have 
heard  of  those  hunting-grounds.  Our  ancient  traditions 
told  us  of  them.  'Toward  the  rising  sun,'  they  said,  Ms  a 
great  salt  lake,  and  toward  the  setting  sun,  great  lakes  of 
sweet  water.  Across  the  great  salt  lake  is  a  distant  country, 
filled  with  pale-faces,  who  live  in  large  villages,  and  in  the 
midst  of  cleared  fields.  Toward  the  setting  sun  were  large 
cleared  fields,  too,  but  no  pale-faces,  and  few  villages.' 
Some  of  our  wise  men  thought  these  fields  were  the  fields 
of  red- men  following  the  pale-faces  round  after  the  sun  ; 
some  thought  they  were  fields  in  which  the  pale-faces  were 
following  them.  I  think  this  was  the  truth.  The  red-man 
cannot  hide  himself  in  any  corner  where  the  pale-faces  will 
not  find  him.  The  Great  Spirit  will  have  it  so.  It  is  his 
will ;  the  red-man  must  submit. 

"  My  sons,  the  journey  you  ask  me  to  make  is  too  long 
for  old  age.  I  have  lived  with  the  pale-faces,  until  one- 
half  of  my  heart  is  white  ;  though  the  other  half  is  red. 
One-half  is  filled  with  the  traditions  of  my  fathers,  the  other 
half  is  filled  with  the  wisdom  of  the  stranger.  I  cannot  cut 
my  heart  in  two  pieces.  I  must  all  go  with  you,  or  all 
stay  here.  The  body  must  stay  with  the  heart,  and  both 
must  remain  were  they  have  now  dwelt  so  long.  I  thank 
you,  my  children,  but  what  you  wish  can  never  come  to 
pass. 

"  You  see  a  very  old  man,  but  you  see  a  very  unsettled 
mind.  There  are  red  traditions  and  pale- face  traditions. 
Both  speak  of  the  Great  Spirit,  but  only  one  speak  of  his 
Son.  A  soft  voice  has  been  whispering  in  my  ear,  lately, 


THE   REDSKINS.  411 

of  the  Son  of  God.  Do  they  speak  to  you  in  that 
way  on  the  prairies  ?  I  know  not  what  to  think.  I  wish 
to  think  what  is  right ;  but  it  is  not  easy  to  understand." 

Here  Susquesus  paused  ;  then  he  took  his  seat,  with  the 
air  of  one  who  is  at  a  loss  how  to  explain  his  own  feelings 
Prairiefire  waited  a  respectful  time  for  him  to  continue  his 
address,  but  perceiving  that  he  rose  not,  he  stood  up  him- 
self, to  request  a  further  explanation. 

"  My  father  has  spoken  wisdom,"  he  said,  "  and  his 
children  have  listened.  They  have  not  heard  enough  ; 
they  wish  to  hear  more.  If  my  father  is  tired  of  standing, 
he  can  sit ;  his  children  do  not  ask  him  to  stand.  They 
ask  to  know  where  that  soft  voice  came  from,  and  what  it 
said  ? " 

Susquesus  did  not  rise,  now,  but  he  prepared  for  a  reply. 
Mr.  Warren  was  standing  quite  near  him,  and  Mary  was 
leaning  on  his  arm.  He  signed  for  the  father  to  advance 
a  step  or  two,  in  complying  with  which,  the  parent  brought 
forth  the  unconscious  child  also. 

"  See,  my  children,"  resumed  Susquesus:  "  This  is  a 
great  medicine  of  the  pale-faces.  He  talks  always  of  the 
Great  Spirit,  and  of  his  goodness  to  men.  It  is  his  busi 
ness  to  talk  of  the  happy  hunting-ground,  and  of  good  and 
bad  pale-faces.  I  cannot  tell  you  whether  he  does  any 
good  or  not.  Many  such  talk  of  these  things  constantly 
among  the  whites,  but  I  can  see  little  change,  and  I  have 
lived  among  them,  now,  more  than  eighty  winters  and 
summers — yes,  near  ninety.  The  land  is  changed  so  much 
that  I  hardly  know  it  ;  but  the  people  do  not  alter.  See, 
there  ;  here  are  men— pale-faces  in  calico  bags.  Why  do 
they  run  about,  and  dishonor  the  red-man  by  calling  them- 
selves Injins  ?  I  will  tell  you." 

There  was  now  a  decided  moYement  among  the  "  virtu- 
ous and  industrious,"  though  a  strong  desire  to  hear  the 
old  man  out,  prevented  any  violent  interruption  at  that 
time.  I  question  if  ever  men  listened  more  intently,  than 
we  all  lent  our  faculties  now,  to  ascertain  what  the  Up- 
right of  the  Onondagoes  thought  of  anti-rentism.  I  re- 
ceived the  opinions  he  expressed  with  the  greater  alacrity, 
because  I  knew  he  was  a  living  witness  of  most  of  what  he 
related,  and  because  I  was  clearly  of  opinion  that  he  knew 
quite  as  much  of  the  subject  as  many  who  rose  in  the  leg- 
islative halls  to  discuss  the  subject. 

"These  men  are  not  warriors,"  continued  Susquesus. 
"  They  hide  their  faces  and  they  carry  rifles,  but  they 


422  THE   REDSKINS. 

frighten  none  but  the  squaws  and  pappooses.  When  thet 
take  a  scalp,  it  is  because  they  are  a  hundred,  and  their 
enemies  one.  They  are  not  braves.  Why  do  they  come 
at  all?  What  do  they  want  ?  They  want  the  land  of  this 
young  chief.  My  children,  all  the  land,  far  and  near,  was 
ours.  The  pale-faces  came  with  their  papers,  and  made 
laws,  and  said  *  It  is  well  !  We  want  this  land.  There  is 
plenty  farther  west  for  you  red-men.  Go  there,  and  hunt, 
and  fish,  and  plant  your  corn,  and  leave  us  this  land.'  Our 
red  brethren  did  as  they  were  asked  to  do.  The  pale-faces 
had  it  as  they  wished.  They  made  laws,  and  sold  the  land, 
as  the  red-men  sell  the  skins  of  beavers.  When  the  money 
was  paid,  each  pale-face  got  a  deed,  and  thought  he  owned 
all  that  he  had  paid  for.  But  the  wicked  spirit  that  drove 
out  the  red-man  is  now  about  to  drive  off  the  pale-face 
chiefs.  It  is  the  same  devil,  and  it  is  no  other.  He  wanted 
land  then,  and  he  wants  land  now.  There  is  one  differ- 
ence, and  it  is  this.  When  the  pale-face  drove  off  the  red- 
man  there  was  no  treaty  between  them.  They  had  not 
smoked  together,  and  given  wampum,  and  signed  a  paper. 
If  they  had,  it  was  to  agree  that  the  red-man  should  go 
away,  and  the  pale-face  stay.  When  the  pale-face  drives 
off  the  pale-face,  there  is  a  treaty  ;  they  have  smoked  to- 
gether, and  given  wampum,  and  signed  a  paper.  This  is 
the  difference,  Indian  will  keep  his  word  with  Indian  ; 
pale-face  will  not  keep  his  word  with  pale-face." 

Susquesus  stopped  speaking,  and  the  eye  of  every  chief 
was  immediately,  and  for  the  first  time  that  morning, 
turned  on  the  "disguised  and  armed" — the  "virtuous  and 
hard-working."  A  slight  movement  occurred  in  the  band, 
but  no  outbreak  took  place  ;  and,  in  the  midst  of  the  sen- 
sation that  existed,  Eaglesflight  slowly  arose.  The  native 
dignity  and  ease  of  his  manner  more  than  compensated 
for  his  personal  appearance,  and  he  now  seemed  to  us  all 
one  of  those  by  no  means  unusual  instances  of  the  power 
of  the  mind  to  overshadow,  and  even  to  obliterate,  the  im- 
perfections of  the  body.  Before  the  effect  of  what  Sus- 
quesus had  just  said  was  lost,  this  eloquent  and  much- 
practised  orator  began  his  address.  His  utterance  was 
highly  impressive,  being  so  deliberate,  with  pauses  so  well 
adjusted,  as  to  permit  Manytongues  to  give  full  effect  to 
each  syllable  he  translated. 

"My  brethren,"  said  Eaglesflight,  addressing  the  Injins 
and  the  other  auditors,  rather  than  any  one  else,  "  you 
have  heard  the  words  of  age.  They  are  the  words  of 


THE   REDSKINS.  423 

wisdom.  They  are  the  words  of  truth.  The  Upright  of 
the  Onondagoes  cannot  lie.  He  never  could.  The  Great 
Spirit  made  him  a  just  Indian  ;  and,  as  the  Great  Spirit 
makes  an  Indian,  so  he  is.-  My  brethren,  I  will  tell  you 
his  story  ;  it  will  be  good  for  you  to  hear  it.  We  have 
have  heard  your  story  ;  first  from  the  interpreter,  now 
from  Susquesus.  It  is  a  bad  story.  We  were  made  sor- 
rowful when  we  heard  it.  What  is  right,  should  be  done  ; 
what  is  wrong,  should  not  be  done.  There  are  bad  red- 
men,  and  good  red-men  ;  there  are  bad  pale-faces,  and 
good  pale-faces.  The  good  red-men  and  good  pale-faces 
do  what  is  right ;  the  bad,  what  is  wrong.  It  is  the 
same  with  both.  The  Great  Spirit  of  the  Indian  and  the 
Great  Spirit  of  the  white  man  are  alike  ;  so  are  the  wicked 
spirits.  There  is  no  difference  in  this. 

"  My  brethren,  a  red-man  knows  in  his  heart  when  he 
does  what  is  right,  and  when  he  does  what  is  wrong.  He 
does  not  want  to  be  told.  He  tells  himself.  His  face  is 
red,  and  he  cannot  change  color.  The  paint  is  too  thick. 
When  he  tells  himself  how  much  wrong  he  has  done,  he 
goes  into  the  bushes,  and  is  sorry.  When  he  comes  out 
he  is  a  better  man. 

"  My  brethren,  it  is  different  with  a  pale-face.  He  is 
white,  and  uses  no  stones  for  paint.  When  he  tells  him- 
self that  he  has  done  wrong,  his  face  can  paint  itself. 
Everybody  can  see  that  he  is  ashamed.  He  does  not  go 
into  the  bushes  ;  it  would  do  no  good.  He  paints  himself 
so  quickly  that  there  is  no  time.  He  hides  his  face  in  a 
calico  bag.  This  is  not  good,  but  it  is  better  than  to  be 
pointed  at  with  the  finger. 

"  My  brethren,  the  Upright  of  the  Onondagoes  has  never 
run  into  the  bushes  because  he  was  ashamed.  There  has 
been  no  need  of  it.  He  has  not  told  himself  he  was 
wicked.  He  has  not  put  his  face  in  a  calico  bag  ;  he  can- 
not paint  himself,  like  a  pale-face. 

"  My  brethren,  listen  ;  I  will  tell  you  a  story.  A  long 
time  ago  everything  was  very  different  here.  The  clear- 
ings were  small,  and  the  woods  large.  Then  the  red-men 
were  many,  and  the  pale-faces  few.  Now  it  is  different. 
You  know  how  it  is,  to-day. 

"  My  brethren,  I  am  talking  of  what  was  a  hundred  win- 
ters since.  We  were  not  born,  then.  Susquesus  was  then 
young,  and  strong,  and  active.  He  could  run  with  the 
deer,  and  battle  with  the  bear.  He  was  a  chief,  because 
his  fathers  were  chiefs  before  him.  The  Onondagoea 


424  THE   REDSKINS. 

knew  him  and  loved  him.  Not  a  war-path  was  opened, 
that  he  was  not  the  first  to  go  on  it.  No  other  warrior 
could  count  so  many  scalps.  No  young  chief  had  so 
many  listeners  at  the  council-fire.  The  Onondagoes  were 
proud  that  they  had  so  great  a  chief,  and  one  so  young. 
They  thought  he  would  live  a  long  time,  and  they  should 
see  him,  and  be  proud  of  him  for  fifty  winters  more. 

"  My  brethren,  Susquesus  has  lived  twice  fifty  winters 
longer ;  but  he  has  not  lived  them  with  his  own  people. 
No  ;  he  has  been  a  stranger  among  the  Onondagoes  all 
that  time.  The  warriors  he  knew  are  dead.  The  wig- 
wams that  he  went  into  have  fallen  to  the  earth  with 
time  ;  the  graves  have  crumbled,  and  the  sons'  sons  of  his 
companions  walk  heavily  with  old  age.  Susquesus  is 
there  ;  you  see  him  ;  he  sees  you.  He  can  walk  ;  he 
speaks  ;  he  sees  :  he  is  a  living  tradition  !  Why  is  this  so  ? 
The  Great  Spirit  has  not  called  him  away.  He  is  a  just 
Indian,  and  it  is  good  that  he  be  kept  here,  that  all 
red-men  may  know  how  much  he  is  loved.  So  long  as  he 
stays  no  red-men  need  want  a  calico  bag. 

"  My  brethren,  the  younger  days  of  Susquesus,  the 
Trackless,  were  happy.  When  he  had  seen  twenty  winters, 
he  was  talked  of  in  all  the  neighboring  tribes.  The  scalp 
notches  were  a  great  many.  When  he  had  seen  thirty 
winters,  no'  chief  of  the  Onondagoes  had  more  honor, 
or  more  power.  He  was  first  among  the  Onondagoes. 
There  was  but  one  fault  in  him.  He  did  not  take  a  squaw 
into  his  wigwam.  Death  comes  when  he  is  not  looked 
for ;  so  does  marriage.  At  length  my  father  became  like 
other  men,  and  wished  for  a  squaw.  It  happened  in  this 
way. 

"  My  brethren,  red-men  have  laws,  as  well  as  the  pale- 
faces. If  there  is  a  difference,  it  is  in  keeping  those  laws. 
A  law  of  the  red-men  gives  every  warrior  his  prisoners.  If 
he  bring  off  a  warrior,  he  is  his  ;  if  a  squaw,  she  is  his. 
This  is  right.  He  can  take  the  scalp  of  the  warrior  ;  he 
can  take  the  squaw  into  his  wigwam,  if  it  be  empty.  A 
warrior  named  Waterfowl,  brought  in  a  captive  girl  of  the 
Delawares.  She  was  called  Ouithwith,  and  was  hand- 
somer than  the  humming-bird.  The  Waterfowl  had  his 
ears  open,  and  heard  how  beautiful  she  was.  He  watched 
long  to  take  her,  and  he  did  take  her.  She  was  his,  and  he 
thought  to  take  her  into  his  wigwam  when  it  was  empty. 
Three  moons  passed,  before  that  could  be.  In  the  mean- 
time, Susquesus  saw  Ouithwith,  and  Ouithwith  saw  Sus- 


THE   REDSKINS.  425 

quesus.  Their  eyes  were  never  off  each  other.  He  was 
the  noblest  moose  of  the  woods,  in  her  eyes  ;  she  was  the 
spotted  fawn,  in  his.  He  wished  to  ask  her  to  his  wigwam ; 
she  wished  to  go. 

"  My  brethren,  Susquesus  was  a  great  chief  ;  the  Water- 
fowl was  only  a  warrior.  One  had  power  and  authority, 
the  other  had  neither.  But  there  is  authority  among  red- 
men  beyond  that  of  the  chief.  It  is  the  red-man's  law. 
Ouithwith  belonged  to  the  Waterfowl,  and  she  did  not  be- 
long to  Susquesus.  A  great  council  was  held,  and  men 
differed.  Some  said  that  so  useful  a  chief,  so  renowned  a 
warrior  as  Susquesus,  ought  to  be  the  husband  of  Ouith- 
with, some  said  her  husband  ought  to  be  the  Waterfowl, 
for  he  had  brought  her  out  from  among  the  Delawares. 
A  great  difficulty  arose  on  this  question,  and  the  whole  six 
nations  took  part  in  it.  Many  warriors  were  for  the  law, 
but  most  were  for  Susquesus.  They  loved  him,  and  thought 
he  would  make  the  best  husband  for  the  Delaware  girl. 
For  six  moons  the  quarrel  thickened,  and  a  dark  cloud 
gathered  over  the  path  that  led  among  the  tribes.  War- 
riors who  had  taken  scalps  in  company,  looked  at  each 
other,  as  the  panther  looks  at  the  deer.  Some  were  ready 
to  dig  up  the  hatchet  for  the  law  ;  some  for  the  pride  of 
the  Onondagoes,  and  the  humming-bird  of  the  Delawares. 
The  squaws  took  sides  with  Susquesus.  Far  and  near, 
they  met  to  talk  together,  and  they  even  threatened  to 
light  a  council-fire,  and  smoke  around  it,  like  warriors  and 
chiefs. 

"  Brethren,  things  could  not  stand  so  another  moon. 
Ouithwith  must  go  into  the  wigwam  of  the  Waterfowl,  or 
into  the  wigwam  of  Susquesus.  The  squaws  said  she 
phould  go  into  the  wigwam  of  Susquesus  ;  and  they  met 
together,  and  led  her  to  his  door.  As  she  went  along  that 
path,  Ouithwith  looked  at  her  feet  with  her  eyes,  but  her 
heart  leaped  like  the  bounding  fawn,  when  playing  in 
the  sun.  She  did  not  go  in  at  the  door.  The  Waterfowl 
was  there,  and  forbade  it.  He  had  come  alone  ;  his 
friends  were  but  few,  while  the  heads  and  arms  of  the 
friends  of  Susquesus  were  as  plenty  as  the  berries  on  the 
bush. 

"  My  brethren,  that  command  of  the  Waterfowl's  was 
like  a  wall  of  rock  before  the  door  of  the  Trackless's  wig- 
wam. Ouithwith  could  not  go  in.  The  eyes  of  Susque- 
sus said  'no,'  while  his  heart  said  'yes.'  He  offered  the 
Waterfowl  his  rifle,  his  powder,  all  his  skins,  his  wigwam ; 


426  THE   REDSKINS. 

but  Waterfowl  would  rather  have  his  prisoner,  and  an- 
swered, 'no.'  'Take  my  scalp,'  he  said  ;  'you  are  strong 
and  can  do  it  ;  but  do  not  take  my  prisoner.' 

"  My  brethren,  Susquesus  then  stood  up,  in  the  midst  of 
the  tribe,  and  opened  his  mind.  'The  Waterfowl  is  right,' 
he  said.  '  She  is  his,  by  our  laws  ;  and  what  the  laws  of 
the  red-man  say,  the  red-man  must  do.  When  the  warrior 
is  about  to  be  tormented,  and  he  asks  for  time  to  go  home 
and  see  his  friends,  does  he  not  come  back  at  the  day  and 
hour  agreed  on  ?  Shall  I,  Susquesus,  the  first  chief  of  the 
Onondagoes,  be  stronger  than  the  law?  No — my  face 
would  be  forever  hid  in  the  bushes,  did  that  come  to  pass. 
It  should  not  be — it  shall  not  be.  Take  her,  Waterfowl  ; 
she  is  yours.  Deal  kindly  by  her,  for  she  is  as  tender  as 
the  wren  when  it  first  quits  the  nest.  I  must  go  into  the 
woods  for  awhile.  When  my  mind  is  at  peace,  Susquesus 
will  return.' 

"  Brethren,  the  stillness  in  that  tribe,  -while  Susquesus 
was  getting  his  rifle,  and  his  horn,  and  his  best  moccasons, 
and  his  tomahawk,  was  like  that  which  comes  in  the  dark- 
ness. Men  saw  him  go,  but  none  dare  follow.  He  left  no 
trail,  and  he  was  called  the  Trackless.  His  mind  was 
never  at  peace,  for  he  never  came  back.  Summer  and 
winter  came  and  went  often  before  the  Onondagoes  heard 
of  him  among  the  pale-faces.  All  that  time  the  Waterfowl 
lived  with  Ouithwith  in  his  wigwam,  and  she  bore  him 
children.  The  chief  was  gone,  but  the  law  remained.  Go 
you,  men  of  the  pale-faces,  who  hide  your  shame  in  calico 
bags,  and  do  the  same.  Follow  the  example  of  an  Indian 
— be  honest,  like  the  Upright  of  the  Onondagoes  !" 
.  While  this  simple  narrative  was  drawing  to  a  close,  I 
could  detect  the  signs  of  great  uneasiness  among  the  lead- 
ers of  the  "calico  bags."  The  biting  comparison  between 
themselves  and  their  own  course,  and  an  Indian  and  his 
justice,  was  intolerable  to  them,  for  nothing  has  more  con- 
duced to  the  abuses  connected  with  anti-rentism  than  the 
wide-spread  delusion  that  prevails  in  the  land  concerning 
the  omnipotency  of  the  masses.  The  error  is  deeply  rooted 
which  persuades  men  that  fallible  parts  can  make  an  infal- 
lible whole.  It  was  offensive  to  their  self-conceit,  and 
menacing  to  their  success.  A  murmur  ran  through  the 
assembly,  and  a  shout  followed.  The  Injins  rattled  their 
rifles,  most  relying  on  intimidation  to  effect  their  purpose  ; 
but  a  few  seemed  influenced  by  a  worse  intention,  and  I 
have  never  doubted  that  blood  would  have  been  shed  in 


THE   REDSKINS.  427 

the  next  minute,  the  ^Indians  now  standing  to  their  arms, 
had  not  the  sheriff  of  the  county  suddenly  appeared  on 
the  piazza,  with  Jack  Dunning  at  his  elbow.  This  unex- 
pected apparition  produced  a  pause,  during  which  the 
"  disguised  and  armed  "  fell  back  some  twenty  yards,  and 
the  ladies  rushed  into  the  house.  As  for  my  uncle  and 
myself,  we  were  as  much  astonished  as  any  there  at  this 
interruption. 


CHAPTER  XXX. 

"Strong  sense,  deep  feeling,  passions. strong, 

A  hate  of  tyrant  and  of  knave, 
A  love  of  right,  a  scorn  of  wrong, 
Of  coward  and  of  slave. " 

—HallecKs  Wild  Rose  of  Alloway. 

ALTHOUGH  experience  has  shown  that  the  appearance  ot 
a  sheriff  is  by  no  means  a  pledge  of  the  appearance  of  a 
friend  of  the  law  in  this  anti-rent  movement,  in  our  in- 
stance the  fact  happened  to  be  so.  It  was  known  to  the 
"disguised  and  armed"  that  this  functionary  was  disposed 
to  do  his  duty.*  One  of  the  rank  absurdities  into  which 
democracy  has  fallen,  and  democracy  is  no  more  infallible 
than  individual  democrats,  has  been  to  make  the  officers  of 
the  militia  and  the  sheriffs  of  counties  elective.  The  conse- 
quences are,  that  the  militia  is  converted  into  a  farce,  and 
the  execution  of  the  laws  in  a  particular  county  is  very  much 
dependent  on  the  pleasure  of  that  county  to  have  them  exe- 
cuted or  not.  The  last  is  a  capital  arrangement  for  the 
resident  debtor,  for  instance,  though  absent  creditors  are 
somewhat  disposed  to  find  fault.  But  all  this  is  of  no 
great  moment,  since  the  theories  for  laws  and  governments 
in  vogue  just  now  are  of  such  a  character  as  would  ren- 

*  The  editor  may  as  well  say  here,  that,  for  obvious  reasons,  the  names, 
counties,  etc.,  used  in  these  manuscripts  are  feigned,  the  real  localities 
being  close  enough  to  those  mentioned  for  the  double  purposes  of  trutli 
and  fiction.  As  one  of  the  "honorable  gentlemen  "  of  the  Legislature  has 
quoted  our  references  to  "provincial"  feelings  and  notions,  with  a  mag- 
nificence that  proves  how  thoroughly  he  is  a  man  of  the  world  himself,  we 
will  tell  all  the  rest  of  the  human  race,  who  may  happen  to  read  this  book, 
that  we  have  made  this  explanation  lest  that  comprehensive  view  of  things, 
which  has  hitherto  been  so  eager,  because  a  street  and  a  house  are  named 
in  the  pages  of  a  fiction,  to  suppose  that  everybody  is  to  believe  they  know 
the  very  individual  who  dwelt  in  it,  should  fancy  that  our  allusions  are  tw 
this  or  that  particular  functionary. — EDITOR. 


428  THE   REDSKINS. 

der  laws  and  governments  quite  unnecessary  at  all,  were 
they  founded  in  truth.  Restraints  of  all  kinds  can  only  be 
injurious  when  they  are  imposed  on  perfection  ! 

The  instant  the  commotion  commenced,  and  the  ladies 
fled,  I  took  Seneca  and  his  fellow-prisoner  by  the  arm,  and 
led  them  into  the  library.  This  I  did,  conceiving  it  to  be 
unfair  to  keep  prisoners  in  a  situation  of  danger.  This 
I  did,  too,  without  reflecting  in  the  least  on  anything  but 
the  character  of  the  act.  Returning  to  the  piazza  imme- 
diately, I  was  not  missed,  and  was  a  witness  of  all  that  passed. 

As  has  been  intimated,  this  particular  sheriff  was  known 
to  be  unfavorable  to  the  anti-rent  movement,  and,  no  one 
supposing  he  would  appear  in  the  midst  unsupported,  in 
such  a  scene,  the  Injins  fell  back,  thus  arresting  the  dan- 
ger of  an  immediate  collision.  It  has  since  been  privately 
intimated  to  me,  that  some  among  them,  after  hearing  the 
narrative  of  Eaglesflight,  really  felt  ashamed  that  a  red- 
skin should  have  a  more  lively  sense  of  justice  than  a  white 
man.  Whatever  may  be  said  of  the  hardships  of  the  ten- 
ants, and  of  "poodle-usages,"  and  of  " aristocracy,"  and 
"  fat  hens,"  by  the  leaders  in  this  matter,  it  by  no  means 
follows  that  those  leaders  believe  in  their  own  theories 
and  arguments.  On  the  contrary,  it  is  generally  the  case 
with  such  men,  that  they  keep  themselves  quite  free  from 
the  excitement  that  it  is  their  ousiness  to  awaken  in  others, 
resembling  the  celebrated  John  Wilkes,  who  gravely  said 
to  George  III.,  in  describing  the  character  of  a  former 
co-operator  in  agitation,  "  He  was  a  Wilkesite,  sir  ;  /  never 
was." 

The  unexpected  appearance  of  Dunning,  the  offending 
agent,  too,  was  not  without  its  effect — for  they  who  were 
behind  the  curtains  found  it  difficult  to  believe  that  he 
would  dare  to  show  himself  at  Ravensnest  without  sufficient 
support.  Those  who  thought  thus,  however,  did  not  know 
Jack  Dunning.  He  had  a  natural  and  judicious  aversion  to 
being  tarred  and  feathered,  it  is  true  ;  but,  when  it  was 
necessary  to  expose  himself,  no  man  did  it  more  freely. 
The  explanation  of  his  unlooked-for  arrival  is  simply  this. 

Uneasy  at  our  manner  of  visiting  Ravensnest,  this  trust- 
worthy friend,  after  the  delay  of  a  day  or  two,  determined 
to  follow  us.  On  reaching  the  county  he  heard  of  the 
firing  of  the  barn,  and  of  the  attempt  on  the  house,  and 
went  in  quest  of  the  sheriff  without  a  moment's  delay.  As 
the  object  of  Dunning  was  to  get  the  ladies  out  of  the  lion's 
den,  he  did  not  wait  for  the  summoning  of  the  posse  corni* 


THE  REDSKINS.  429 

tatus ;  but,  hiring  a  dozen  resolute  fellows,  they  were 
armed,  and  all  set  out  in  a  body  for  the  Nest.  When 
within  a  mile  or  two  of  the  house,  the  rumor  reached  the 
party  that  we  were  besieged  ;  and  it  became  expedient  to 
have  recourse  to  some  manoeuvring,  in  order  to  throw  suc- 
cor into  the  garrison.  Dunning  was  familiar  with  all  the 
windings  and  turnings  of  the  place,  having  passed  many  a 
month  at  the  Nest  with  my  uncle  and  father,  both  as  man 
and  boy,  and  he  knew  the  exact  situation  of  the  cliff, 
court,  and  of  the  various  peculiar  features  of  the  place. 
Among  other  arrangements  that  had  been  made  of  late 
years,  a  door  had  been  opened  at  the  end  of  the  long  gal- 
lery which  led  through  one  of  the  wings,  and  a  flight  of 
steps  been  built  against  the  rocks,  by  means  of  which  cer- 
tain paths  and  walks  that  meandered  through  the  meadows 
and  followed  the  windings  of  the  stream  might  be  reached. 
Dunning  determined  to  attempt  an  ascent  from  this 
quarter,  trusting  to  make  himself  heard  by  some  one 
within,  should  he  find  the  door  fastened.  Everything  suc- 
ceeded to  his  wishes — the  cook  alone,  of  all  the  household, 
being  at  her  post  in  the  other  wing,  and  seeing  him  the 
instant  he  presented  himself  on  the  upper  part  of  the  steps. 
Jav,k  Dunning's  face  was  so  well  known  at  the  Nest,  that 
the  good  woman  did  not  hesitate  a  moment  about  admit- 
ting him,  and  he  thus  penetrated  into  the  building,  followed 
by  all  his  party.  The  last  he  kept  concealed  by  sending 
them  into  the  chambers,  while  he  and  the  sheriff  drew  near 
the  door,  and  heard  most  of  the  speech  of  Eaglesflight, 
the  attention  of  everbody  being  given  to  the  narrative,. 
The  reader  knows  the  rest. 

I  might  as  well  say  at  once,  however,  that  Opportunity, 
who,  by  her  position,  had  seen  the  entrance  of  Dunning 
and  his  party,  no  sooner  found  herself  alone  with  the  pris- 
oners, than  she  unbound  them,  and  showred  them  the 
means  of  flight,  by  the  same  passage,  door  and  steps.  At 
least,  such  has  been  my  supposition,  for  the  sister  has  never 
been  questioned  on  the  subject.  Seneca  and  his  co-rascal 
vanished,  and  have  not  since  been  seen  in  our  part  of  the 
country.  In  consequence  of  the  flight,  no  one  has  ever 
complained  of  either  for  arson.  The  murder  of  Steele,  the 
deputy-sheriff  of  Delaware,  has  given  a  check  to  the  "  In- 
jin  "  system,  and  awakened  a  feeling  in  the  country  that 
was  not  to  be  resisted,  in  that  form  at  least,  by  men  en- 
gaged in  a  scheme  so  utterly  opposed  to  the  first  principles 
of  honesty  as  anti-rentism. 


430  THE  REDSKINS. 

When  I  regained  the  piazza,  after  thrusting  Seneca  into 
the  library,  the  Injins  had  fallen  back  to  the  distance  01 
twenty  or  thirty  yards  from  the  piazza  in  evident  confusion ; 
while  the  Indians,  cool  and  collected,  stood  to  their  arms, 
watchful  as  crouching  panthers,  but  held  in  hand  by  the 
calmness  with  which  their  leaders  watched  the  progress  of 
events.  The  sheriff  now  required  the  first  to  disperse,  as 
violators  of  the  law  ;  with  the  penalties  of  which  he  menaced 
them  in  a  voice  sufficiently  clear  and  distinct  to  make  itself 
audible.  There  was  a  moment  during  which  the  Injins 
seemed  undecided.  They  had  come  with  the  full  intent 
to  inflict  on  my  uncle  and  myself  the  punishment  of  the 
tar-bucket,  with  the  hope  of  frightening  us  into  some  sort 
of  a  compromise  ;  the  cowardly  expedient  of  a  hundred 
men  attacking  and  annoying  one  being  particularly  in 
favor  with  a  certain  class  of  those  ultra-friends  of  liberty, 
who  fancy  that  they  alone  possess  all  the  public  virtue  of 
the  nation,  which  public  virtue  justifies  any  of  their  acts. 
All  of  a  sudden,  the  entire  body  of  these  virtuous  citizens, 
who  found  it  necessary  to  hide  their  blushes  beneath  calico, 
fell  rapidly  back  ;  observing  a  little  order  at  first,  which 
soon  degenerated,  however,  into  confusion,  and  shortly 
after  into  a  downright  scampering  flight.  The  fact  was, 
that  Dunning's  men  began  to  show  themselves  at  the  win- 
dows of  the  chambers,  thrusting  muskets  and  rifles  out  be- 
fore them,  and  the  "  disguised  and  armed,"  as  has  invaria- 
bly been  the  case  in  the  anti-rent  disturbances,  exhibited  a 
surprising  facility  at  the  retreat.  If  he  is  "  thrice-armed 
who  hath  his  quarrel  just,"  ten  times  is  he  a  coward  who 
hath  his  quarrel  unjust.  This  is  the  simple  solution  of  the 
cowardice  that  has  been  so  generally  shown  by  those  who 
have  been  engaged  in  this  "  Injin "  warfare ;  causing 
twenty  to  chase  one,  secret  attempts  on  the  lives  of  senti- 
nels, and  all  the  other  violations  of  manly  feeling  that  have 
disgraced  the  proceedings  of  the  heroes. 

As  soon  as  released  from  all  immediate  apprehension  on 
the  score  of  the  Injins,  we  had  time  to  attend  to  the  In- 
dians. The  warriors  gazed  after  those  who  were  carica- 
turing their  habits,  and  most  of  all  their  spirit,  with  silent 
contempt ;  and  Prairiefire,  who  spoke  a  little  English,  said 
to  me  with  emphasis,  "  Poor  Injin — poor  tribe — run  away 
from  own  whoop !  "  This  was  positively  every  syllable  the 
men  of  the  prairies  deigned  to  bestow  on  these  disturbers 
of  the  public  peace,  the  agents  of  covetousness,  wTho  prowl 
about  at  night,  like  wolves,  ready  to  seize  the  stray  lamb, 


7  'HE  REDSKINS.  431 

but  are  quick  to  sneak  off  at  the  growl  of  the  mastiff. 
One  cannot  express  himself  in  terms  too  harsh  of  such 
wretches,  who  in  no  instance  have  manifested  a  solitary 
spark  of  the  true  spirit  of  freemen  ;  having  invariably 
quailed  before  authority  when  that  authority  has  assumed 
in  the  least  the  aspect  of  its  power,  and  as  invariably 
trampled  it  underfoot,  whenever  numbers  put  danger  out 
of  the  question. 

Old  Susquesus  had  been  a  quiet  observer  of  all  that 
passed.  He  knew  the  nature  of  the  disturbance,  and  un- 
derstood everything  material  that  was  connected  with  the 
outbreaks.  As  soon  as  order  was  restored  on  the  piazza, 
he  rose  once  more  to  address  his  guests. 

"My  children,"  he  said,  solemnly,  "you  hear  my  voice 
for  the  last  time.  Even  the  wren  cannot  sing  forever.  The 
very  eagle's  wing  gets  tired  in  time.  I  shall  soon  cease  to 
speak.  When  I  reach  the  happy  hunting-grounds  of  the 
Onondagoes,  I  will  tell  the  warriors  I  meet  there  of  your 
visit.  Your  fathers  shall  know  that  their  sons  still  love 
justice.  Let  the  pale-faces  sign  papers,  and  laugh  at  them 
afterward.  The  promise  of  a  red-man  is  his  law.  If  he  is 
made  a  prisoner,  and  his  conquerors  wish  to  torment  him, 
they  are  too  generous  to  do  so  without  letting  him  go  to 
his  tribe  to  take  leave  of  his  friends.  When  the  time  is 
reached,  he  comes  back.  If  he  promises  skins,  he  brings 
them,  though  no  law  can  follow  into  the  woods  to  force  him 
to  do  so.  His  promise  goes  with  him  ;  his  promise  is 
stronger  than  chains — it  brings  him  back. 

"  My  children,  never  forget  this.  You  are  not  pale- 
faces, to  say  one  thing  and  do  another.  What  you  say, 
you  do.  When  you  make  a  law,  you  keep  it.  That  is 
right.  No  red-man  wants  another's  wigwam.  If  he  wants 
a  wigwam,  he  builds  one  himself.  It  is  not  so  with  the 
pale-faces.  The  man  who  has  no  wigwam  tries  to  get 
away  his  neighbor's.  While  he  does  this,  he  reads  in  his 
Bible  and  goes  to  his  church.  I  have  sometimes  thought, 
the  more  he  reads  and  prays,  the  more  he  tries  to  get  into 
his  neighbor's  wigwam.  So  it  •Seems  to  an  Indian,  but  it 
may  not  be  so. 

"  My  children,  the  red-man  is  his  own  master.  He  goes 
and  comes  as  he  pleases.  If  the  young  men  strike  the 
war-path,  he  can  strike  it  too.  He  can  go  on  the  war- 
path, or  the  hunt,  or  he  can  stay  in  his  wigwam.  All  he 
has  to  do  is  to  keep  his  promise,  not  steal,  and  not  to  go 
into  another  red-man's  wigwam  unasked.  He  is  his  own 


432  THE  REDSKINS. 

master.  He  does  not  say  so  ;  he  is  so.  How  is  it  with  the 
pale-faces  ?  They  say  they  are  free  when  the  sun  rises 
they  say  they  are  free  when  the  sun  is  over  their  heads  ; 
they  say  they  are  free  when  the  sun  goes  down  behind  the 
hills.  They  never  stop  talking  of  their  being  their  own 
masters.  They  talk  of  that  more  than  they  read  their 
Bibles.  I  have  lived  near  a  hundred  winters  among  them, 
and  know  what  they  are.  They  do  that  ;  then  they  take 
away  another's  wigwam.  They  talk  of  liberty  ;  then  they 
say  you  shall  have  this  farm,  and  you  shan't  have  that. 
They  talk  of  liberty,  and  call  to  one  another  to  put  on 
calico  bags,  that  fifty  men  may  tar  and  feather  one.  They 
talk  of  liberty,  and  want  everything  their  own  way. 

"  My  children,  these  pale-faces  might  go  back  with  you 
to  the  prairies,  and  learn  to  do  what  is  right.  I  do  not 
wonder  they  hide  their  faces  in  bags.  They  feel  ashamed  ; 
they  ought  to  feel  ashamed. 

"  My  children,  this  is  the  last  time  you  will  hear  my 
voice.  The  tongue  of  an  old  man  cannot  move  forever. 
This  is  my  counsel :  do  what  is  right.  The  Great  Spirit 
will  tell  you  what  that  is.  Let  it  be  done.  What  my 
son  said  of  me  is  true.  It  was  hard  to  do  ;  the  feelings 
yearned  to  do  otherwise,  but  it  was  not  done.  In  a  little 
time  peace  came  on  my  spirit,  and  I  was  glad.  I  could 
not  go  back  to  live  among  my  people,  for  I  was  afraid 
of  doing  what  was  wrong.  I  stayed  among  the  pale-faces, 
and  made  friends  here.  My  children,  farewell  ;  do  what 
is  right,  and  you  will  be  happier  than  the  richest  pale- 
face who  does  what  is  wrong." 

Susquesus  took  his  seat,  and  at  the  same  time  each  of 
the  redskins  advanced  and  shook  his  hand.  The  Indians 
make  few  professions,  but  let  their  acts  speak  for  them. 
Not  a  syllable  was  uttered  by  one  of  those  rude  warriors 
as  he  took  his  leave  of  Susquesus.  Each  man  had  will- 
ingly paid  this  tribute  to  one  whose  justice  and  self-denial 
were  celebrated  in  their  traditions,  and  having  paid  it,  he 
went  his  way  satisfied,  if  not  altogether  happy.  Each  man 
shook  hands,  too,  with  all  on  the  piazza,  and  to  us  they 
expressed  their  thanks  for  their  kind  treatment.  My  uncle 
Ro  had  distributed  the  remains  of  his  trinkets  among 
them,  and  they  left  us  with  the  most  amicable  feelings. 
Still  there  was  nothing  dramatic  in  their  departure.  It 
was  simple  as  their  arrival.  They  had  come  to  see  the 
Upright  of  the  Onondagoes,  had  fulfilled  their  mission, 
and  were  ready  to  depart.  Depart  they  did,  and  as  I  saw 


THE   REDSKINS.  433 

their  line  winding  along  the  highway,  the  episode  of  such 
a  visit  appeared  to  us  all  more  like  a  dream  than  reality. 
No  interruption  occurred  to  the  return  of  these  men,  and 
half  an  hour  after  they  had  left  the  piazza  we  saw  them 
winding  their  way  up  the  hill,  descending  which  we  had 
first  seen  them. 

"Well,  Hugh,"  said  Jack  Dunning,  two  or  three  hours 
later,  "what  is  your  decision;  will  you  remain  here,  or 
will  you  go  to  your  own  place  in  Westchester  ? " 

"  I  will  remain  here  until  it  is  our  pleasure  to  depart ; 
then  we  will  endeavor  to  be  as  free  as  Indians,  and  go 
where  we  please,  provided  always  we  do  not  go  into  our 
neighbor's  wigwam  against  his  will." 

Jack  Dunning  smiled,  and  he  paced  the  library  once  or 
twice  before  he  resumed. 

"  They  told  me,  as  soon  as  I  got  into  the  county,  that 
you,  and  all  belonging  to  you,  were  preparing  to  retreat 
the  morning  after  the  attempt  to  fire  your  house." 

"One  of  those  amiable  perversions  of  the  truth  that  so 
much  embellish  the  morality  of  the  whole  affair.  What 
men  wish,  they  fancy,  and  what  they  fancy,  they  say.  The 
girls,  even,  protest  they  would  not  quit  the  house  while  it 
has  a  roof  to  cover  their  heads.  But,  Jack,  whence  comes 
this  spirit  ?  " 

"  I  should  think  that  was  the  last  question  a  reason- 
ably informed  man  need  ask,"  answered  Dunning  laugh- 
ing. "  It  is  very  plain  where  it  comes  from.  It  comes 
from  the  devil  and  has  every  one  of  the  characteristics  of 
his  handiwork.  In  the  first  place,  love  of  money,  or  cov- 
etousness,  is  at  its  root.  Then  lies  are  its  agents.  Its  first 
and  most  pretending  lie  is  that  of  liberty,  every  principle 
of  which  it  tramples  underfoot.  Then  come  in  the  fifty 
auxiliaries  in  the  way  of  smaller  inventions,  denying  the 
facts  of  the  original  settlement  of  the  country,  fabricat- 
ing statements  concerning  its  progress,  and  asserting  di- 
rectly in  the  teeth  of  truth,  such  statements  as  it  is  sup- 
posed will  serve  a  turn.*  There  can  be  no  mistaking  the 

*  The  frightful  propensity  to  effect  its  purposes  by  lying  has  come  to 
such  a  head  in  the  country,  as  seriously  to  threaten  the  subversion  of  all 
justice.  Without  adverting  to  general  facts,  two  circumstances  directly 
connected  with  this  anti-rent  question  force  themselves  on  my  attention. 
They  refer  to  large  estates  that  were  inherited  by  an  Englishman,  who 
passed  half  of  a  long  life  in  the  country.  In  public  legislative  documents 
it  has  been  pretended  that  the  question  of  his  title  to  his  estates  is  still 
open,  when  the  published  reports  of  the  highest  court  of  the  country 
show  that  a  decision  was  made  in  his  favor  thirty  years  since  ;  and,  in  re- 

2$ 


434  THE  REDSKINS. 

origin  of  such  contrivance,  or  all  that  has  been  taught  us  oi 
good  and  evil  is  a  fiction.  Really,  Hodge,  I  am  astonished 
that  so  sensible  a  man  should  have  asked  the  question." 

"  Perhaps  you  are  right,  Jack  ;  but  to  what  will  it  lead  ?" 

"  Aye,  that  is  not  so  easily  answered.  The  recent  events 
in  Delaware  have  aroused  the  better  feelings  of  the  coun- 
try, and  there  is  no  telling  what  it  may  do.  One  thing, 
however,  I  hold  to  be  certain  ;  the  spirit  connected  with 
this  affair  must  be  put  down,  thoroughly,  effectually,  com- 
pletely, or  we  are  lost.  Let  it  once  be  understood,  in  the 
country,  that  men  can  control  their  own  indebtedness,  and 
fashion  contracts  to  suit  their  own  purposes,  by  combina- 
tions and  numbers,  and  pandemonium  would  'soon  be  a 
paradise  compared  to  New  York.  There  is  not  a  single 
just  ground  of  complaint  in  the  nature  of  any  of  these 
leases,  whatever  hardships  may  exist  in  particular  cases  ; 
but,  admitting  that  there  were  false  principles  of  social 
life,  embodied  in  the  relation  of  landlord  and  tenant,  as  it 
exists  among  us,  it  would  be  a  far  greater  evil  to  attempt  a 
reform  under  such  a  combination,  than  to  endure  the  original 
wrong." 

"  I  suppose  these  gentry  fancy  themselves  strong  enough 
to  thrust  their  interests  into  politics,  and  hope  to  succeed 
by  that  process.  But  anti-masonry,  and  various  other 
schemes  of  that  sort  have  failed,  hitherto,  and  this 
may  fail  along  with  it.  That  is  a  redeeming  feature  of 
the  institutions,  Jack  ;  you  may  humbug  for  a  time,  but 
the  humbuggery  is  not  apt  to  last  forever.  It  is  only  to 
be  regretted  that  the  really  upright  portion  of  the  com- 
munity are  so  long  in  making  themselves  felt  ;  would  they 
only  be  one-half  as  active  as  the  miscreants,  we  should  get 
along  well  enough." 

"  The  result  is  unknown.  The  thing  may  be  put  down, 
totally,  effectually,  and  in  a  way  to  kill  the  snake,  not  scotch 
it  ;  or  it  may  be  met  with  only  half-way  measures  ;  in  which 
case  it  will  remain  like  a  disease  in  the  human  system,  al- 

ference  to  his  heir,  it  has  been  officially  stated  that  he  has  invariably 
refused  to  give  any  leases  but  such  as  run  on  lives.  Now  it  is  of  little  mo- 
ment whether  this  be  true  or  not,  since  the  law  allows  every  man  to  do  as 
he  may  please  in  this  respect.  But  the  fact,  as  I  understand  from  the 
agent  who  draws  the  leases,  is  precisely  the  reverse  of  that  which  has  been 
openly  stated  in  this  legislative  document  ;  THE  PRESENT  POSSESSOR  OF 

THE  ESTATE  IN  QUESTION  HAVING  BEEN  EARNESTLY  SOLICITED  BY  THE 
TENANTS  TO  GRANT  NEW  LEASES  ON  LIVES  AND  ABSOLUTELY  REFUSED 

TO  COMPLY  !  In  this  instance  the  Legislature,  Doubtless,  have  been  de« 
ceivedby  the  interested  representations  of  anti-renters. — EDITOR. 


THE  REDSKINS.  435 

ways  existing,  always  menacing  relapses,  quite  possibly  to 
be  the  agent  of  the  final  destruction  of  the  body." 

My  uncle,  nevertheless,  was  as  good  as  his  word,  and  did 
remain  in  the  country,  where  he  is  yet.  Our  establishment 
has  received  another  reinforcement,  however,  and  a  change 
occurred,  shortly  after  our  visit  from  the  Injins,  in  the  pol- 
icy of  the  anti-renters,  the  two  giving  us  a  feeling  of  se- 
curity that  might  otherwise  have  been  wanting.  The  rein- 
forcement came  from  certain  young  men,  who  have  found 
their  way  across  from  the  springs,  and  become  guests  at 
the  Nest.  They  arc  all  old  acquaintances  of  mine,  most  of 
them  school-fellows,  and  also  admirers  of  the  young  ladies. 
Each  of  my  uncle's  wards,  the  Coldbrooke  and  the  Marston, 
has  an  accepted  lover,  as  we  now  discovered,  circumstances 
that  have  left  me  unobstructed  in  pursuing  my  suit  with 
Mary  Warren.  I  have  found  Patt  a  capital  ally,  for  she 
loves  the  dear  girl  almost  as  I  do  myself,  and  has  been  of 
great  service  in  the  affair.  I  am  conditionally  accepted, 
though  Mr.  Warren's  consent  has  not  been  asked.  Indeed, 
I  much  question  if  the  good  rector  has  the  least  suspicion 
of  what  is  in  the  wind.  As  for  my  uncle  Ro,  he  knew  all 
about  it,  though  I  have  never  breathed  a  syllable  to  him 
on  the  subject.  Fortunately,  he  is  well  satisfied  with  the 
choice  made  by  his  two  wards,  and  this  has  somewhat 
mitigated  the  disappointment. 

My  uncle  Ro  is  not  in  the  least  mercenary  ;  and  the  cir- 
cumstance that  Mary  Warren  has  not  a  cent  gives  him  no 
concern.  He  is,  indeed,  so  rich  himself  that  he  knows  it 
is  in  his  power  to  make  any  reasonable  addition  to  my 
means,  and,  if  necessary,  to  place  me  above  the  dangers  of 
anti-rentism.  The  following  is  a  specimen  of  his  humor, 
and  of  his  manner  of  doing  things  when  the  humor  takes 
him.  We  were  in  the  library  one  morning,  about  a  week 
after  the  Injins  were  shamed  out  of  the  field  by  the  Indians, 
for  that  was  the  secret  of  their  final  disappearance  from 
our  part  of  the  country  ;  but,  one  morning,  about  a  week 
after  their  last  visit,  my  grandmother,  my  uncle,  Patt,  and 
I  were  seated  in  the  library,  chatting  over  matters  and 
things,  when  my  uncle  suddenly  exclaimed — 

"  By  the  way,  Hugh,  I  have  a  piece  of  important  news 
to  communicate  to  you  ;  news  affecting  your  interests  to 
the  tune  of  fifty  thousand  dollars." 

"No  more  anti-rent  dangers,  I  hope,  Roger?"  said  my 
grandmother  anxiously. 

"  Hugh  has  little  to  apprehend  from  that  source,  just 


436  THE  REDSKINS. 

now.  The  Supreme  Court  of  the  United  States  is  his 
buckler,  and  it  is  broad  enough  to  cover  his  whole  body. 
As  for  his  future  leases,  if  he  will  take  my  advice,  he  will 
not  grant  one  for  a  term  longer  than  five  years,  and  then 
his  tenants  will  become  clamorous  petitioners  to  the  Legis- 
lature to  allow  them  to  make  their  own  bargains.  Shame 
will  probably  bring  your  free-trade  men  round,  and  the  time 
will  come  when  your  double-distilled  friends  of  liberty  will 
begin  to  see  it  is  a  very  indifferent  sort  of  freedom  which 
will  not  permit  a  wealthy  landlord  to  part  with  his  farms 
for  a  long  period,  or  a  poor  husbandman  to  make  the  best 
bargain  in  his  power.  No,  no  ;  Hugh  has  nothing  serious 
to  apprehend,  just  now  at  least,  from  that  source,  what- 
ever may  come  of  it  hereafter.  The  loss  to  which  I  allude 
is  much  more  certain,  and  to  the  tune  of  fifty  thousand 
dollars,  I  repeat." 

"  That  is  a  good  deal  of  money  for  me  to  lose,  sir,"  I  an- 
swered, but  little  disturbed  by  the  intelligence;  "and  it 
might  embarrass  me  to  raise  so  large  a  sum  in  a  hurry. 
Nevertheless,  I  confess  to  no  very  great  concern  on  the 
subject,  notwithstanding  your  announcement.  I  have  no 
debts,  and  the  title  to  all  I  possess  is  indisputable,  unless 
it  shall  be  decided  that  a  royal  grant  is  not  to  be  tolerated 
by  republicans." 

"  All  very  fine,  Master  Hugh,  but  you  forget  that  you 
are  the  natural  heir  of  my  estate.  Patt  knows  that  she  is 
to  have  a  slice  of  it  when  she  marries,  and  I  am  now  about 
to  make  a  settlement  of  just  as  much  more  on  another 
young  lady,  by  way  of  marriage  portion." 

"  Roger  !  "  exclaimed  my  grandmother,  "  surely  you  do 
not  mean  what  you  say  !  Of  as  much  more  !  " 

"Of  precisely  that  money,  my  dear  mother.  I  have 
taken  a  fancy  to  a  young  lady,  and  as  I  cannot  marry  her 
myself,  I  am  determined  to  make  her  a  good  match,  so  far 
as  money  is  concerned,  for  some  one  else." 

"But  why  not  marry  her  yourself?"  I  asked.  "Older 
men  than  yourself  marry  every  day." 

"Ay,  widowers,  I  grant  you  ;  they  will  marry  until  they 
are  a  thousand ;  but  it  is  not  so  with  us  bachelors.  Let  a 
man  once  get  fairly  past  forty,  and  it  is  no  easy  matter  to 
bring  him  to  the  sacrifice.  No,  Jack  Dunning's  being  here 
is  the  most  fortunate  thing  in  the  world,  and  so  I  have  set 
him  at  work  to  draw  up  a  settlement  on  the  young  lady  to 
whom  I  refer,  without  any  rights  to  her  future  husband, 
let  him  turn  out  to  be  whom  he  may." 


THE  REDSKINS.  437 

"  It  is  Mary  Warren  !  "  exclaimed  my  sister,  in  a  tone  of 
delight. 

My  uncle  smiled,  and  he  tried  to  look  demure  ;  but  I 
cannot  say  that  he  succeeded  particularly  well. 

"  It  is — it  is — it  is  Mary  Warren,  and  uncle  Ro  means  to 
give  her  a  fortune  !  "  added  Patt,  bounding  across  the  floor 
like  a  young  deer,  throwing  herself  into  her  guardian's  lap, 
hugging  and  kissing  him  as  if  she  were  nothing  but  a 
child,  though  a  fine  young  woman  of  nineteen.  "Yes,  it 
is  Mary  Warren,  and  uncle  Hodge  is  a  delightful  old  gen- 
tleman— no,  a  delightful  young  gentleman,  and  were  he 
only  thirty  years  younger  he  should  have  his  own  heiress 
for  a  wife  himself.  Good,  dear,  generous,  sensible  uncle  Ro. 
This  is  so  like  him,  after  all  his  disappointment ;  for  I  know, 
Hugh,  his  heart  was  set  on  your  marrying  Henrietta." 

"  And  what  has  my  marrying,  or  not  marrying  Henrietta, 
to  do  with  this  settlement  of  fifty  thousand  dollars  on  Miss 
Warren  ?  The  young  ladies  are  not  even  connected,  I  be- 
lieve." 

"  Oh  !  you  know  how  all  such  things  are  managed,"  said 
Patt,  blushing  and  laughing  at  the  passing  allusion  to 
matrimony,  even  in  another  :  "  Mary  Warren  will  not  be 
Mary  Warren  always." 

"  Who  will  she  be,  then  ? "  demanded  uncle  Ro,  quickly. 

But  Patt  was  too  true  to  the  rights  and  privileges  of  her 
sex  to  say  anything  directly  that  might  seem  to  commit  her 
friend.  She  patted  her  uncle's  cheek,  therefore,  like  a 
saucy  minx  as  she  was,  colored  still  higher,  looked  archly 
at  me,  then  averted  her  eyes  consciously,  as  if  betraying  a 
secret,  and  returned  to  her  seat  as  demurely  as  if  the  sub- 
ject had  been  one  of  the  gravest  character. 

"  But  are  you  serious  in  what  you  have  told  us,  Roger  ?" 
asked  my  grandmother,  with  more  interest  than  I  supposed 
the  dear  old  lady  would  be  apt  to  feel  on  such  a  subject. 
"  Is  not  this  settlement  a  matter  of  fancy  ?  " 

"True  as  the  gospel,  my  dear  mother." 

"  And  is  Martha  right  ?  Is  Mary  Warren  really  the  fa- 
vored young  lady  ?" 

"  For  a  novelty,  Patt  is  right." 

"  Does  Mary  Warren  know  of  your  intention,  or  has  her 
father  been  consulted  in  the  matter?" 

"  Both  know  of  it  ;  we  had  it  all  over  together,  last  even- 
ing, and  Mr.  Warren  consents." 

"To  what?"  I  cried,  springing  to  my  feet,  the  emphasis 
on  the  last  word  being  too  significant  to  be  overlooked. 


438  THE  REDSKINS. 

"  To  receive  Hugh  Roger  Littlepage,  which  is  my  own 
name,  recollect,  for  a  son-in-law  ;  and  what  is  more,  the 
young  lady  4s  agreeable.'" 

"  We  all  know  that  she  is  more  than  agreeable,"  put  in 
Patt ;  "  she  is  delightful,  excellent  ;  agreeable  is  no  word 
to  apply  to  Mary  Warren." 

"  Pshaw,  girl !  If  you  had  travelled,  now,  you  would 
know  that  this  expression  is  cockney  English  for  agreeing 
to  a  thing.  Mary  Warren  agrees  to  become  the  wife  of 
Hugh  Roger  Littlepage,  and  I  settle  fifty  thousand  dollars 
on  her  in  consideration  of  matrimony." 

"TJiis  Hugh  Roger  Littlepage,"  cried  Patt,  throwing  an 
arm  around  my  neck  ;  "  not  that  Hugh  Roger  Littlepage. 
Do  but  add  that,  dearest  uncle,  and  I  will  kiss  you  for  an 
hour." 

"  Excuse  me,  my  child  ;  a  fourth  of  that  time  would  be 
as  much  as  I  could  reasonably  expect.  I  believe  you  are 
right,  however,  as  I  do  not  remember  that  this  Hugh 
Roger  had  any  connection  with  the  affair,  unless  it  were  to 
give  his  money.  I  shall  deny  none  of  your  imputations." 

Just  as  this  was  said,  the  door  of  the  library  was  slowly 
opened,  and  Mary  Warren  appeared.  The  moment  she 
saw  who  composed  our  party,  she  would  have  drawn  back, 
but  my  grandmother  kindly  bade  her  "come  in." 

"  I  was  afraid  of  disturbing  a  family  party,  ma'am,"  Mary 
timidly  answered. 

Patt  darted  forward,  threw  her  arm  around  Mary's  waist, 
and  drew  her  into  the  room,  closing  and  locking  the  door. 
All  this  was  done  in  a  way  to  attract  attention,  and  as  if 
the  young  lady  wished  to  attract  attention.  We  all  smiled 
but  Mary,  who  seemed  half  pleased,  half  frightened. 

"  It  is  a  family  party,"  cried  Patt,  kissing  her  affianced 
sister,  "  and  no  one  else  shall  be  admitted  to  it,  unless  good 
Mr.  Warren  come  to  claim  his  place.  Uncle  Ro  has  told 
us  all  about  it,  and  we  know  all." 

Mary  hid  her  face  in  Patt's  bosom,  but  it  was  soon  drawn 
out  by  my  dear  grandmother  to  kiss  it ;  then  my  uncle  had 
his  turn,  and  Patt  hers.  After  this,  the  whole  party,  ex- 
cept Mary  and  I,  slid  out  of  the  room,  and — yes,  and  then 
it  was  my  turn. 

We  are  not  yet  married,  but  the  day  is  named.  The 
same  is  true  with  respect  to  the  wards,  and  even  Patt 
blushes,  and  my  grandmother  smiles,  occasionally,  when 
gentlemen  who  are  travelling  in  Egypt  just  now,  are 
named.  The  last  letters  from  young  Beekman,  they  tell 


THE  REDSKINS.  439 

me,  say  that  he  was  then  there.  The  three  marriages  are 
to  take  place  in  St.  Andrew's  church,  Mr.  Warren  being 
engaged  to  officiate. 

The  reader  will  be  surprised  to  hear  two  things.  My 
engagement  with  the  daughter  of  a  poor  clergyman  has 
produced  great  scandal  among  the  anti-renters,  they  who 
so  loudly  decry  aristocracy  !  The  objection  is  that  the 
match  is  not  equal !  That  equality  which  is  the  conse- 
quence of  social  position,  connections,  education  and  sim- 
ilarity of  habits,  thoughts,  and,  if  you  will,  prejudices,  is 
all  thrown  away  on  these  persons.  They  have  no  notion 
of  its  existence  ;  but  they  can  very  well  understand  that 
the  owner  of  an  unencumbered  and  handsome  estate  is 
richer  than  the  heiress  of  a  poor  divine,  who  can  just 
make  the  year  meet  on  $500  per  annum.  I  let  them  grum- 
ble, as  I  know  they  must  and  will  find  fault  with  something 
connected  with  myself,  until  they  have  got  away  my  land, 
or  are  satisfied  it  is  not  to  be  had.  As  for  Opportunity,  I 
have  been  assured  that  she  threatens  to  sue  me  for  a 
"  breach  of  promise  ; "  nor  should  I  be  at  all  surprised  were 
she  actually  to  make  the  attempt.  It  is  by  no  means  un- 
usual, when  a  person  sets  his  or  her  whole  soul  on  a  par- 
ticular object,  to  imagine  circumstances  favorable  to  his 
or  her  views,  which  never  had  an  existence  ;  and  Oppor- 
tunity may  fancy  that  what  I  have  heard  has  been  "  the 
buzzing  in  her  own  ear."  Then  the  quackery  of  Legislat- 
ures has  set  the  ladies  at  work  in  earnest,  and  he  will  soon 
be  a  fortunate  youth  who  can  pass  through  his  days  of  cel- 
ibacy without  some  desperate  assault,  legal  or  moral,  from 
the  other  sex.  Besides,  nothing  can  be  out  of  the  way, 
when  it  is  found  that  the  more  popular  and  most  numerous 
branch  of  the  Legislature  of  New  York  really  believes  it 
can  evade  that  solemn  provision  of  the  Constitution  of  the 
United  States,  which  says  "  no  State  shall  pass  any  law  im- 
pairing the  obligations  of  contracts,"  by  enacting,  as  they 
can  regulate  the  statute  of  descent,  that  whenever  a  land- 
lord dies,  the  tenant,  by  applying  to  the  chancellor,  can  have 
his  leasehold  tenure  converted  into  a  mortgage,  on  dis- 
charging which  the  land  will  be  his,  unencumbered!  We 
have  heard  of  a  "  thimble-rig  administration  "  in  England, 
and  really  that  industrious  nation  seems  to  have  exported 
the  breed  to  this  country.  How  many  of  those  who  voted 
for  such  a  law  will  like  to  see  the  ayes  and  noes  on  the 
journals  of  the  Assembly  ten  years  hence  ?  If  there  should 
be  one  such  man  left  in  the  State,  he  will  be  an  object  of 


440  THE   REDSKIN'S. 

humane  commiseration.  We  have  had  many  efforts  at  legis- 
lative chicanery,  and  some  that  have  been  tolerably  clever, 
but  this  is  a  palpable  experiment  in  the  same  way,  made 
for  a  reason  that  everybody  understands,  that  has  not  even 
the  negative  merit  of  ingenuity.  Our  own  courts  will 
probably  disregard  it,  should  the  Senate  even  concur  ;  and 
as  for  those  of  the  United  States,  they  will,  out  of  all 
doubt,  treat  it  as  it  ought  to  be  treated,  and  brand  it  with 
ignominy.  The  next  step  will  be  to  pass  a  law  regulating 
descents,  as  it  is  called,  under  the  provisions  of  which  the 
debtors  of  the  deceased  can  meet  his  obligations  with  a 
coin  technically  called  "  puppies." 

Jaaf  drivels  away.  The  black  occasionally  mumbles  out 
his  sentiments  concerning  past  events  and  the  state  of  the 
country.  An  anti-renter  he  regards  as  he  would  a  thief, 
and  makes  no  bones  of  saying  so.  Sometimes  he  blunders 
on  a  very  good  remark  in  connection  with  the  subject,  and 
one  he  made  no  later  than  yesterday  is  worthy  of  notice. 

"What  dem  feller  want,  Masser  Hugh  ?"  he  demanded. 
"  Dey's  got  one  half  of  deir  farms,  and  now  dey  wants 
tudder  half.  S'pose  I  own  a  cow,  or  a  sheep,  in  par'ner- 
ship,  what  right  I  got  to  say  I  will  have  him  all  ?  Gosh  ! 
dere  no  sich  law  in  ole  time.  Den,  who  ebber  see  sich 
poor  Injins  !  Redskins  mis'rubble  enough,  make  'e  bess 
of  him,  but  dis  Injin  so  mis'rubble  dat  I  doesn't  won'er 
you  can't  bear  him.  Oh  !  how  ole  I  do  git — I  do  t'ink  ole 
Sus  can't  last  much  longer,  too  ! " 

Old  Susquesus  still  survives,  but  an  object  of  great 
hatred  to  all  the  anti-renters,  far  and  near.  The  "Injin" 
system  has  been  broken  up,  temporarily  at  least,  but  the 
spirit  which  brought  it  into  existence  survives  under  the 
hypocritical  aspect  of  "  human  rights."  The  Upright  of 
the  Onondagoes  is  insensible  of  the  bad  feeling  which  is 
so  active  against  him,  nor  is  it  probable  that  most  of  those 
who  entertain  this  enmity  are  conscious  of  the  reason  ; 
which  is  simply  the  fact  that  he  is  a  man  who  respected 
laws  to  the  making  of  which  he  was  a  party,  and  preferred 
to  suffer  rather  than  be  guilty  of  an  act  of  injustice. 


THE   REDSKINS.  44! 


NOTE  BY  THE  EDITOR. 

Here  the  manuscript  of  Mr.  Hugh* Roger  Littlepage, 
jun.,  terminates.  That  gentleman's  feelings  have  probably 
forbidden  his  relating  events  so  recent  as  those  which 
have  since  occurred.  It  remains,  therefore,  for  us  to  add 
a  few  words. 

Jaaf  died  about  ten  days  since,  railing  at  the  redskins 
to  the  last,  and  talking  about  his  young  massers  and  miss- 
uses as  long  as  he  had  breath.  As  for  his  own  descend- 
ants, he  had  not  been  heard  to  namettietn,  for  the  last  forty 
years. 

Susquesus  still  survives,  but  the  "Injins"  are  all  de- 
funct. Public  opinion  has,  at  last,  struck  that  tribe  out  of 
existence,  and  it  is  hoped  that  their  calico  bags  have  been 
transmitted  to  certain  politicians  among  us,  who,  as  cer- 
tain as  the  sun  rises  and  sets,  will  find  them  useful  to  con- 
ceal their  own  countenances,  when  contrition  and  shame 
come,  as  contrition  and  shame  will  be  sure  to  succeed 
such  conduct  as  theirs. 

It  may  be  well  to  add  a  word  on  the  subject  of  the  tone 
of  this  book.  It  is  the  language  of  a  man  who  feels  that 
he  has  been  grievously  injured,  and  who  writes  with  the 
ardor  of  youth  increased  by  a  sense  of  wrong.  As  edi- 
tors, we  have  nothing  more  to  do  with  that  than  to  see, 
while  calling  things  by  their  right  names,  that  language  too 
strong  for  the  public  taste  should  not  be  introduced  into  our 
pages.  As  to  the  moral  and  political  principles  connected 
with  this  matter,  we  are  wholly  of  the  side  of  the  Messrs. 
Littlepage,  though  we  do  not  think  it  necessary  to  adopt 
all  their  phrases — phrases  that  may  be  natural  to  men  of 
their  situations,  but  which  would  be  out  of  place,  perhaps, 
in  the  mouths  of  those  who  act  solely  in  the  capacity  of  es- 
sayists and  historians. 

To  conclude  , — Mr.  Littlepage  and  Mary  Warren  were 
married,  in  St.  Andrew's  Church,  a  very  few  days  since. 
We  met  the  young  gentleman,  on  his  wedding  tour,  no 
later  than  yesterday,  and  he  assured  us  that,  provided  with 
such  a  companion,  he  was  ready  to  change  his  domicile  to 
any  other  part  of  the  Union,  and  that  he  had  selected 
Washington,  for  the  express  purpose  of  being  favorably 
situated  for  trying  the  validity  of  the  laws  of  the  United 
States,  as  opposed  to  the  "  thimble-rigging  "  of  the  New 


44*  THE  REDSKINS. 

York  Legislature.  It  is  his  intention  to  have  every  ques« 
tion  connected  with  the  covenants  of  his  leases  clearly  set- 
tled, that  of  taxing  the  landlord  for  property  on  which  the 
tenant  has  covenanted  to  pay  all  taxes  ;  that  of  distress  for 
rent,  when  distress^nust  precede  the  re-entry  stipulated  for 
by  the  leases  ;  and  that  of  any  other  trick  or  device  which 
the  brains  of  your  "  small-potato  "  Legislature  may  invent 
in  order  to  wrong  him  out  of  his  property.  As  for  our- 
selves, we  can  only  say,  God  give  him  success  !  for  we  are 
most  deeply  impressed  that  the  more  valuable  parts  of  the 
institutions  of  this  country  can  be  preserved  only  by  crush- 
ing into  the  dust  this  nefarious  spirit  of  cupidity,  which 
threatens  the  destruction  of  all  moral  feeling  and  every 
sense  of  right  that  remains  among  us. 

In  our  view,  Oregon,  Mexico  and  Europe,  united 
against  us,  do  not  threaten  this  nation  with  one-half  as 
much  real  danger  as  that  which  menaces  at  this  moment, 
from  an  enemy  that  is  now  in  possession  of  many  of  its 
strongholds,  and  which  is  incessantly  working  its  evil 
under  the  cry  of  liberty,  while  laying  deeper  the  founda- 
tion of  a  most  atrocious  tyranny. 

I  forgot  to  add,  Mr.  Littlepage  significantly  remarked  at 
parting,  that  should  Washington  fail  him,  he  has  the  refuge 
of  Florence  open,  where  he  can  reside  among  the  other 
victims  of  oppression,  with  the  advantage  of  being  admired 
as  a  refugee  from  republican  tyranny. 


THE   END. 


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